Old Dog
Member
Funny how things change on the internet ... just ten or twelve years ago, the Wilson 47Ds were being widely touted as the gold standard in 1911 magazines. (I was there for that, yep)
1911's - are they THAT finicky?
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WVsig
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Right out of the wrapper the 47Ds are great but the springs are weak. They wear out too quickly and will cause issues. The original 47s are rock solid and people like Jason Burton and Yost recommend them. The newer Wilson’s with the flat wire springs are supposed to be excellent. I run Tripp’s these days because I got a bunch for $26 a piece shipped.
JTQ
Member
Some folks may misread my comments on the 47D. They are not bad magazines, they are just not the best magazines Wilson makes.
The analogy I always use is, it's like being the worst player on the USA Men's Olympic Basketball team. That guy would probably be either the best player on another country's team or at least in the top three. On the USA team, he probably only gets in the game after the USA is up by 20+ and the game is out of reach. Wilson has a bunch of great mags in their line-up, it's just that somebody has to be the worst on any line-up, even a great one like Wilson's, and at Wilson that's probably the 47D.
Interestingly you mention "just ten or twelve years ago", which is about when Wilson introduced their ETM mag, a true 8 rounder. If you want an 8 rounder from Wilson, the ETM line-up would be a better choice than the 47D.
The 47 is a better mag than the 47D, it has a better spring and follower, and both use the same tube length which was designed to hold 7 rounds.
Old Dog
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1911 guy
Member
A decently made pistol, with good magazines filled with good ammunition, will work every time.
However, sometimes engineers want to "improve" on St Browning and his design as delivered from the heavens. Gnashing of teeth ensues. If it's "unique", avoid it. Otherwise, they're good pistols.
However, sometimes engineers want to "improve" on St Browning and his design as delivered from the heavens. Gnashing of teeth ensues. If it's "unique", avoid it. Otherwise, they're good pistols.
scaatylobo
Member
Best missive I had ever seen on this subject was done by a man who does CCW & LEO instruction.
He was not happy to report that the MAJORITY of 1911's that come to his range have an 'alibi' that they refuse to call a malfunction.
I have no reason to call this man a lair,and as such its a fact that when your in a SHTF situation,that is THE WORST TIME to ever have an 'alibi'.
I have carried my Kimber a few times,with THE BEST ammo I can find.
But my Glock has no 'alibis' and that is why its my CCW of choice.
ONLY due to its lack of malfunctions ------------------------ so far
Old Dog
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And yet ... there are some of us who've been on ranges for qual courses populated by twenty or twenty-five shooters all with Glocks, and witnessed numerous "alibis." More than once.
A sure sign that any 1911 thread has run its course: when people start touting Glocks. Pretty sure we've explored about all there is to explore with regard to the subject of the 1911's reliability.
A sure sign that any 1911 thread has run its course: when people start touting Glocks. Pretty sure we've explored about all there is to explore with regard to the subject of the 1911's reliability.
Really? I don't remember that. Everyone I knew said the 47 was more reliable. I must not hang with the cool kids.
No. I've carried a 1911 for over thirty years as a duty gun and have been shooting them for even longer. No problems, with mine.
I like my 1911's they are perfectly reliable for me, but they will not hold 17rds. So I carry some thing that will! Is that because I am a poor shot? No it is because if I am in the situation where I need to use my sidearm I like to have alot of ammunition available. Never have I said darn I have to much ammo!! Having said that 1911's are fantastic pieces of equipment carried one for a long time.
JW
JW
lsudave
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Y'know, funny enough, I have quite a few of those mags, and they've given me zero problem with my budget 1911's (Tisas, Armscor High Standard, the ATI I bought for my son). Those are all stock GI style, and they run through the Sarco mags happily.
Granted, I'm just shooting ball for the most part, although I have put some HP through them. And I did take the mags down and clean them inside, per someone's recommendations.
Now, these same guns have choked a couple times on the 8 rd Mecgars etc that came with them, but with 7 rd flush, they run fine. I have 1 Chip McCormick mag, and my Sarco mags feed as well as it does.
That's with Blazer Brass, S&B, Magtech, WWB, Freedom reman, and a case of cheapo reman range ammo I got from somewhere.
We just picked up a pair of Para Experts at a local shop, and they seem to like the cheap flush mags so far too. Did have a stumble with the 8 rd Checkmates and OEM mags. To be fair, although these pistols were bought from the Used counter, I swear based on condition that they were new. Both came with the box, had all the literature, the bushing tool, one even had the lock still in the baggie. They were dry and dusty, but not dirty like they'd been shot.
nhcruffler
Member
I'll read from time to time about how 1911s will need gun smithing to make them work prpoerly. My only experience with 1911 s is that I bought Rock Islands for my son and myself 16 or so years ago. Being the least expensive 1911 On the market at the time and made over seas. Both have run flawlessly for us. Makes me wonder how someone could have trouble with a 1911 made by a major manufacturer.
AK103K
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LOL. That guns jammin right out of the gate!
LOL. That guns jammin right out of the gate!
Loaded like an HK.
walnut1704
Member
I only have (2) 1911's but neither requires an alibi...ever.
wanderinwalker
Member
Sorry, I'm a little behind. VZ Grips, Double Diamonds with magazine release cut, Green Lantern: https://vzgrips.com/products/1911-double-diamond-full-size-grips.html
Thanks!
HighRoadRover
Member
The Colt Series 70 Mk IV I bought in the mid 1980's could not fire a magazine without a malfunction. I had no idea what to do about it, and so sold it.
Never bought another 1911.
This past year, I attended a shooting course with about 20 other folks. It was all about training for competition -- lots of rounds fired. The guns that suffered repeated malfunctions were the three or four 1911's in the class, all high-end guns.
Highly anecdotal, but two data points book-ending 35 years.
Never bought another 1911.
This past year, I attended a shooting course with about 20 other folks. It was all about training for competition -- lots of rounds fired. The guns that suffered repeated malfunctions were the three or four 1911's in the class, all high-end guns.
Highly anecdotal, but two data points book-ending 35 years.
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Kevin Rohrer
Member
They are still greatly loved by owners on 1911Forum. I use their newer, flat-wire mags. I also HATE Wilson's senseless, mag naming system.
Dudedog
Contributing Member
After thinking about this some more I decided they are.
While I have 30000 trouble free rounds thru my Springfield loaded 9mm 1911 I have decided it is finicky.
If I don't talk nice to it and give it some pets every now and then it gets back at me by deliberately sending bullets into no shoots at matches.
No way it could possibly be me, I mean I would have to have been aiming at the no shoot when I pulled the trigger and I would never do that, so it must the the gun being finicky.
While I have 30000 trouble free rounds thru my Springfield loaded 9mm 1911 I have decided it is finicky.
If I don't talk nice to it and give it some pets every now and then it gets back at me by deliberately sending bullets into no shoots at matches.
No way it could possibly be me, I mean I would have to have been aiming at the no shoot when I pulled the trigger and I would never do that, so it must the the gun being finicky.
hemiram
Member
I had a friend with bookoo bucks and he got into buying high dollar 1911's. Some were OK, some not so good, and a couple, well, they were just awful. He had one, a very pretty customized (Don't remember who did it) Kimber that was the worst of them all. His other Kimber, a lot lower end one, was OK, but the fancy one was amazingly touchy. It had all the problems that were possible, it seemed. Limpwristing? Oh sure! Hollowpoints? Nope, not more than a couple in a row. Getting through one mag was almost enough to have a party about. Another friend and I took our "junk" .45 ACP guns up to his house (he can shoot outside without any complaints by neighbors), and by the time we left, he was totally embarrassed as almost every one of his collection he pulled out had at least one jam, and our junkers ate everything. My EAA Witness .45 and my friend's modded for HP rounds CZ97B, along with his Astra A90 .45 all sawed through box after box and random mixed rounds taken from a huge former pretzel jar without any problems.
I've had 3 1911's over the last 40 years or so, and all three had issues. two were AMT's, a Backup .45, and a Harballer Longslide. They were great compared to my Colt Combat Commander, which was just a mess inside. None of them stayed too long, and I haven't owned a 1911 since 1982, when I sold the Longslide just before I moved. I currently have a Sig P220, a SAR K2 45, and an S&W 4506. All three will gobble up anything. I don't plan on buying any more .45 ACP guns, but if I do, it won't be a 1911.
I've had 3 1911's over the last 40 years or so, and all three had issues. two were AMT's, a Backup .45, and a Harballer Longslide. They were great compared to my Colt Combat Commander, which was just a mess inside. None of them stayed too long, and I haven't owned a 1911 since 1982, when I sold the Longslide just before I moved. I currently have a Sig P220, a SAR K2 45, and an S&W 4506. All three will gobble up anything. I don't plan on buying any more .45 ACP guns, but if I do, it won't be a 1911.
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