ALL 1911 magazines are the same?

[Fatboy46]

While searching a thread about interchangeability of manufacturers magazines. I came across a Dec 2011 thread in which a post stated that all 1911 magazines interchange.
While discounting the obvious- the short Commander versions will not fit the standard size 1911..
LLAMA .45 magazines do NOT work in 1911A1 mil spec pistols. I GUARANTEE that from experience. The revers is OK- 1911 mags fit the LLAMA.. but the LLAMA's are a little wider and do not go into the well at all.

 

[1KPerDay]

While discounting the obvious- the short Commander versions will not fit the standard size 1911.

Actually...

 

[matrem]

Fatboy
Magazines don't go in the .75" shorter bbl.
They go in the grip.

 

[orionengnr]

While discounting the obvious...

The "obvious" is not always as it appears.
Commander mags are the same as Government mags.
Officer/Defender sized 1911s have a shorter mag.

 

[jr_roosa]

They should fit. The trouble is that the feed lips and followers are different and may or may not feed well in different guns.

Also I'm pretty sure standard mags will fit an officer frame but they hang out the bottom a little.

J.

 

[1911Tuner]

Also I'm pretty sure standard mags will fit an officer frame but they hang out the bottom a little.

They will. Just don't slam one in.

 

[farscott]

All 1911 magazines in a given caliber should fit in any given 1911 in that caliber, but tolerance stack ups have proven to me that this not true. Lots of 1911s, lots of magazines and lots of different prints as well as parts out of spec. For example, a 9mm STI Trojan 5.0 would not allow some Metalform magazines to lock into the gun because the top lip of the magazine struck the ejector before the mag catch captured the notch in the magazine body. Changing the mag catch to one that captured the magazine lower solved the issue.

To make matters worse, a magazine that fits may not be suitable magazine for function in a particular gun. Followers are different, feed lips are different, and spring rates are different. In the gun, barrels are different (barrel length, chamber dimensions, ramps, etc.), so this is another variable. How the magazine presents the round to the 1911 controlled feed is very important.

I prefer to see what magazines work with what guns and keep track.

 

[mgmorden]

LLAMA .45 magazines do NOT work in 1911A1 mil spec pistols. I GUARANTEE that from experience. The revers is OK- 1911 mags fit the LLAMA.. but the LLAMA's are a little wider and do not go into the well at all.

Llama's weren't really 1911's. They fall in line a lot with the old Star guns or a Ballester Molina that LOOK a lot like a 1911, but aren't really (even though the Ballester does take 1911 mags IIRC).

When you're talking about actual full size 1911's though, yes, they all take the same mags.