9 round 1911 mags....why not?

[bainter1212]

Like the title says......why aren't any 9 round mags available for the 1911 .45?

I am thinking they would enable you to fit your gun in The Box for IDPA ESP purposes. This would give you 18+1 with just two mags.

Anybody thought about this before?

 

[Jim Watson]

Yup.
A couple of us here have worked on it.
First generation 9 of .45 were 10 round magazines cut off to fit The Box and with McCormick 7 to 8 conversion follower and spring.
Second generation 9 of .45 came about when Joe found that the McCormick conversion in a Metalform Pro Series native 8 round magazine would (usually) work. They do fine in my Caspian framed guns but not in a friend's Baer, he cannot seat a loaded magazine under a closed slide. I can.

I do not think that 9+1 is an advantage in ESP, but the big slow bullets are. Joe gained 6 points one day with .45 vs 9mm holes. We normally pick up 2 or 3.

 

[herrwalther]

Go 10+1 with Powermags. The only issue you could have with those is how far it sticks out below the magwell.

 

[bainter1212]

Yup.
A couple of us here have worked on it.
First generation 9 of .45 were 10 round magazines cut off to fit The Box and with McCormick 7 to 8 conversion follower and spring.
Second generation 9 of .45 came about when Joe found that the McCormick conversion in a Metalform Pro Series native 8 round magazine would (usually) work. They do fine in my Caspian framed guns but not in a friend's Baer, he cannot seat a loaded magazine under a closed slide. I can.

I do not think that 9+1 is an advantage in ESP, but the big slow bullets are. Joe gained 6 points one day with .45 vs 9mm holes. We normally pick up 2 or 3.

So you take the spring and follower from a Shooting Star 8 rd mag and put them in a Metalform Pro Series 8 round body and you can squeeze the 9th rd in?

Hmmmmm......if it is that easy I may give it a try.

 

[45_auto]

Go 10+1 with Powermags. The only issue you could have with those is how far it sticks out below the magwell.

Uhhh, doesn't that mean that it sticks out too far to fit into the IDPA ESP sizing box?

Fitting into the sizing box so it would be legal for the IDPA ESC class was kinda the whole point of the OP's post ...

If capacity was the only issue he could stick one of those 1911 40 round drum mags on it.

 

[bainter1212]

Shot my monthly match yesterday and saw three seperate situations where guys shootin the 1911 had to reload for a second time during a stage because the stage required 18 rounds. They were running 8 round mags. If they had had 9 rd mags the second reload would have been unnecessary.

 

[mgmorden]

I think most people shooting ESP with a 1911 are simply using 9mm 1911's and 10-round mags. You get that extra round over a 9-round solution, and you get cheaper ammo.

 

[jmorris]

An SV or STI 2011 would be a better choice and give you the full 10 rounds upon your reload. Also give you a bigger hole to aim for even without a mag well.

I have one for IDPA that is both 9mm and 45 acp, so I can use it in ESP and CDP.

 

[Jim Watson]

Yes, some of that other stuff works. If you want to splurge on an STI or SVI, great. Or shoot smallbore. I have done both.

Development of the 9 shot "box cannon" was to keep CDP guns in use after I got to where the recoil was no fun.

So you take the spring and follower from a Shooting Star 8 rd mag and put them in a Metalform Pro Series 8 round body and you can squeeze the 9th rd in?

That will work if you have both to swap parts around in. You can buy the SS follower and spring conversions if you don't. Metalform makes several generally similar looking magazines, just that the Pro Series is the least expensive.

CAUTION: This has been tested in three guns so far. It works in my Caspian and Joe's Kimber, but NOT in a Baer.

 

[200Apples]

9 round 1911 mags....why not?

Because friends don't let friends shoot full-scale 1911-pattern pistols chambered in anything other than .45ACP. ...unless, of course, it's an 85% scale Browning.

 

[mgmorden]

Because friends don't let friends shoot full-scale 1911-pattern pistols chambered in anything other than .45ACP. ...unless, of course, it's an 85% scale Browning.

Iono. My 1911 is in traditional .45ACP but I swear after putting 700-800 rounds through it I'm kicking myself for not getting one in .40S&W. Brass/components are just rarer (if picking up) or more expensive (if buying) for .45ACP .

 

[Zach S]

Because friends don't let friends shoot full-scale 1911-pattern pistols chambered in anything other than .45ACP. ...unless, of course, it's an 85% scale Browning.

I happen to like my 9mm 1911. It doesn't cost near as much to feed.

However, now I have to pay more attention to which magazines I grab...

 

[mavracer]

Because friends don't let friends shoot full-scale 1911-pattern pistols chambered in anything other than .45ACP.

And miss out on two of the best cartridges 38 super and 10mm, I feel sorry for your friends

 

[jmorris]

Quote:
Because friends don't let friends shoot full-scale 1911-pattern pistols chambered in anything other than .45ACP.

Or read the OP.

Why aren't there any 9 round mags available for the 1911 .45?

 

[herrwalther]

Uhhh, doesn't that mean that it sticks out too far to fit into the IDPA ESP sizing box?

Shows how much I know. I don't shoot IDPA so did not know there was a size requirement.

 

[200Apples]

Or read the OP.

D'oh.

Hee.

 

[george burns]

Shooting anything other than a 45, or 10mm, 38 super, from a 1911 is like eating a square Pancake. If the man upstairs wanted 1911's to fire 9mm, he would have called on Mr. Cooper and given him some Divine intervention.
It's like shooting a 380 out of a 10/22. Just not right to make Japanese cars with Italian 12 cylinder engines. Upsets the balance of things.
As a side note I use the majority of our sponsors including knowing Harry's from back in the day, also Life Lock.
Very rare I would use 2 or 3 sponsors from any place. Caitlin D, from Harry's, responded to my email, we were in the same business at the same time and he is a nice guy, "the shaving kit". If you were thinking of trying it, I would.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I am thinking they would enable you to fit your gun in The Box for IDPA ESP purposes. This would give you 18+1 with just two mags.

Anybody thought about this before?

If the higher cap mags are not your regular carry gear, then aren't you sort of bypassing the point of IDPA?

If the man upstairs wanted 1911's to fire 9mm, he would have called on Mr. Cooper and given him some Divine intervention.

I am sure he did, but Cooper would not listen. After all, Colt had them in production since 1949/50.

 

[bainter1212]

If the higher cap mags are not your regular carry gear, then aren't you sort of bypassing the point of IDPA?



I am sure he did, but Cooper would not listen. After all, Colt had them in production since 1949/50.

Depends on what you use IDPA for. I use it as a regularly scheduled practice session. I don't even stick around at the end to learn my score. I shoot to practice accuracy and fundamentals.

The point of my OP was to try to suss out a way for those who shoot 1911s (a lot of people) to improve their scores.

I personally compete with a CZ-75.

Also, is there something about my title that makes people assume I am talking about 9mm? Why does 9mm keep getting brought up?

 

[Double Naught Spy]

If scoring better through greater capacity is the issue, then folks might be better off changing to a different platform or a double stack rather than going with a less than reliable magazine configuration.

If there was a way to get 9 rounds into a standard magazine that worked reliably, then no doubt they would already be in production, especially given that one of the #1 complains of 1911s in .45 acp is their low capacity.

As for the 9mm issue, one way to get 9 rounds into a 1911 is to go with a different caliber and it is an IDPA-friendly caliber.

 

[g.willikers]

It's probably not that big of a deal as to whether the 45 mags hold 8, 9, or even ten.
It's a rare course of fire that doesn't provide opportunity for mag changes.
More so for IDPA than USPSA matches, even.
Although they are beginning to look more and more alike.

 

[mavracer]

Why does 9mm keep getting brought up?

Because you asked why not.
If you're looking at IDPA as a game and want to use the right equipment to improve scores you shoot a 9mm or 38 Super for ESP as they hold 10 rounds,
If you want to shoot a 45 and play "the game" shoot CDP.
If you're just shooting IDPA for practice/fun shoot the 45 It's really not a burden to use 8 or even 7 rounders.

 

[David E]

Shot my monthly match yesterday and saw three seperate situations where guys shootin the 1911 had to reload for a second time during a stage because the stage required 18 rounds. They were running 8 round mags. If they had had 9 rd mags the second reload would have been unnecessary.

Which is exactly why they're in their own division.

Each division has a maximum mag capacity and CDP's is 8. ESP's is 10

For USPSA Limited 10 division, use 10 rd mags for your single stack.

So as far as competition goes, 9 rd mags for a .45 1911 are either not allowed or don't offer a benefit.