Educate me ... SA Mil Spec 1911 after market magazines

[flashhole]

I picked up my first 1911, the Springfield Mil Spec.

I see the manufacturers SKU number P16074 for the factory magazine. It's 8 rounds.

How do I tell which after market magazines will work with my gun? Can someone recommend a specific magazine to me?

 

[cfullgraf]

If you are shooting 230 RN ammunition, virtually all standard length M1911 magazines in either 7 or 8 round capacity will work in your gun. I assume, it is chambered in 45 ACP so you would want 45 ACP magazines.

Where troubles come in if you are shooting other bullet shapes than a 230 RN bullet or bullets with a similar shape. There are several different lip configurations that optimize the round placement in the magazine to improve feeding.

My experience has been 185 or 200 grain SWC bullets are the most finicky for feeding but there is a lip configuration designed for them.

Sometimes, if you are having troubles feeding a particular bullet, it takes a trial and error method to find the magazine that works. Don't get heavily invested in one style of magazine until you insure that it functions in your gun.

I've had good luck with Check Mate and Wilson magazines. Check Mate offers three different lip configuration. For standard magazines, Brownell's offer works well. GI Mil Spec magazines work well for 230 FMJ ammunition. They may not work well with other bullet shapes.

A note, many of the premium magazine vendors will have extra accessories on the magazines such as base pads. They add some operational features when changing magazines but have no effect on fit or magazine function.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rudolph31]

The magazine is the weakest link of a 1911. Do yourself a favor and avoid the bargain brands. Unless you need to practice malfunction drills.

 

[LNK]

+1 on checkmate magazines. Have been using for years with jhp and 200 grain semi was cutters.

 

[Pat Riot]

The magazine is the weakest link of a 1911. Do yourself a favor and avoid the bargain brands. Unless you need to practice malfunction drills.

I agree. Buy good quality magazines.
I had very good luck with Wilson & Chip McCormick magazines.

 

[Coyote3855]

I used Wilson and Chip McCormick in IPSC competition where reliability was essential. Have had good luck with Mec-gar in other handguns when Wilson and McCormick are not available in that particular caliber.

 

[jhb]

it is hit and miss. have a sa mil spec works great with chip mcs, Wilson's, mecgars, but not with checkmates and other milspec types and brands. feeds fine until last round and wont hold slide open when hand opening.

have a remington stainless works great with all the mags the sa wont. the chip mcs folded lips types called "railed" I believe.....it doesnt function well with.

point to note.....your gun may have none of the mag likes and dislikes my sa does.

also point to note that remington stainless is the only 1911 ever I've had or seen chips mcs railed didnt work well in.

you just have to try and test mags and ammo. no way around it.

 

[Texas10mm]

https://www.cdnnsports.com/1911-8rd-45acp-stainless-mag-with-removable-bottom.html?___SID=U

$7.99 each.

I bought some on a whim. I now have 20 of them. Haven't had a single problem with them in 10 different 1911 pistols. Everything from 155 gr SWC loads to 240 gr SWC and RN loads.

 

[Fiv3r]

If I read this correctly you are wondering if you can only use 8 rounders?

If that's your question, then no. Any full size 1911 magazine will work. The 8 rounders will generally poke out the bottom 1/4" more, the more "historically accurate" 7 rounders will seat flush to the well. You just need to ask yourself if you want to add that bit of length to the gun or not.

I use Chip McCormick in mine. The cheap ones are hit and miss. I use them at the range, but I dont shoot enough to need double digit numbers of carry magazines. I've got 3 or 4 quality mags, and I'm good with that. My CM mags cost around $30 or is, I think, at the LGS.

 

[Old Dog]

Never a problem with Wilson ETM or 47D mags. More expensive, but you get what you pay for, which in the case of 1911 magazines, is reliability. Springfield Armory's factory mags (used to be made by Metalform, but now I'm hearing Mec-Gar) have always worked well for me. Ditto for factory Colt's mags.

 

[ms6852]

As has been mentioned already the 1911 will accommodate all 45 acp magazines. The 1911 was designed for the 230 grain RN bullet. But with new bullet designs and weights depending on any 1911 there may or may not be any feeding issues. The hybrid design magazines which have the different lips will accommodate lighter bullets or hollow points or wadcutters alleviating the feeding issues.http://www.how-i-did-it.org/magazines2/read-my-lips.html

 

[FL-NC]

I have had good luck with McCormick and Wilson mags.

 

[Spats McGee]

Mine likes Wilson 47Ds, but that doesn't mean yours will. As noted, don't invest heavily into one magazine until you're sure your gun likes it. Good luck.

 

[Tallball]

I've done well with Wilson, Chip McCormick, and Mecgar.

 

[JTQ]

The hybrid design magazines which have the different lips will accommodate lighter bullets or hollow points or wadcutters alleviating the feeding issues.http://www.how-i-did-it.org/magazines2/read-my-lips.html

I recommend reading that article and the article's Part 1, with a pound of salt.

 

[JTQ]

How do I tell which after market magazines will work with my gun?

You can't. There are so many different 1911 makers, probably a couple dozen currently, and so many different mag makers, all with slightly different features, you may need to do some trial and error testing.

Can someone recommend a specific magazine to me?

The most often recommended mags on most 1911 forums are those from Chip McCormick, Tripp Research, and Wilson Combat. Pick a mag from one of those companies, or one that will get recommended in this thread. See if it works in your gun, and has the features you like, and then buy more.

A couple of data points

From the late Stephen A. Camp http://hipowers-handguns.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-best-7-or-8-shot-1911-45-acp.html

From Jason Burton of Heirloom Precision at about the 3:00 mark



I have an eclectic collection of mags, but my go to mag is the same as recommended by Jason Burton the full size, 7 round, Wilson 47.

Wilson 47 currently on sale https://shopwilsoncombat.com/1911-M...ize-7-Round-Standard-Base-Pad/productinfo/47/

another data point from the Wilson FAQ page on their mags and Springfield guns, for what it's worth.

https://www.wilsoncombat.com/faqs/

Even though we use the strongest magazine springs in the industry, some pistols have such excessive tolerances in the magazine well–slidestop internal lobe area that some magazines will not reliably lock back on empty even when new. This is a known problem with some Springfield Armory pistols. You may need to have a gunsmith replace, polish or fit your slide stop for proper function. This may also be an indication that your springs need replacing.

 

[entropy]

WIlson 47, Tripp 8R 45 RG, and CMC Power Mag are all tops. I run Wilson and CMC, my Dad runs Tripp mags. All function flawlessly.
I have several other brands that I use as range mags only.

 

[flashhole]

This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for. Thanks and keep it coming. It helps me narrow my choices and I benefit from the experience you folks offer.

You can't. There are so many different 1911 makers, probably a couple dozen currently, and so many different mag makers, all with slightly different features, you may need to do some trial and error testing.


The most often recommended mags on most 1911 forums are those from Chip McCormick, Tripp Research, and Wilson Combat. Pick a mag from one of those companies, or one that will get recommended in this thread. See if it works in your gun, and has the features you like, and then buy more.

A couple of data points

From the late Stephen A. Camp http://hipowers-handguns.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-best-7-or-8-shot-1911-45-acp.html

From Jason Burton of Heirloom Precision at about the 3:00 mark



I have an eclectic collection of mags, but my go to mag is the same as recommended by Jason Burton the full size, 7 round, Wilson 47.

Wilson 47 currently on sale https://shopwilsoncombat.com/1911-M...ize-7-Round-Standard-Base-Pad/productinfo/47/

another data point from the Wilson FAQ page on their mags and Springfield guns, for what it's worth.

https://www.wilsoncombat.com/faqs/

Do your comments pertain to the Springfield Mil Spec that I bought or are you asserting a generalization?

 

[AlexanderA]

it is hit and miss. have a sa mil spec works great with chip mcs, Wilson's, mecgars, but not with checkmates and other milspec types and brands. feeds fine until last round and wont hold slide open when hand opening.

Regarding recent "GI" magazines, make sure you have genuine Check Mate magazines and not spurious copies. The manufacturer's code (stamped on the bottom of the magazine) for real Check Mates is 1M291. The ones stamped 30745 are fake. These have been sold online and at gun shows in what appears to be government packaging. There are subtle differences between the real and the fake ones, including differences in the feed lips, the follower, and the placement of the witness holes in the sides of the magazine. Never buy a "GI" magazine at a gun show without opening the packaging and checking the code number.

 

[TikkaShooter]

Methinks it depends on which 1911-A1 as modern manufactured are different than the WWII versions. I have five WWII 1911-A1s and they are seriously picky eaters and it doesn't matter which magazine.

 

[JTQ]

Do your comments pertain to the Springfield Mil Spec that I bought or are you asserting a generalization?

It is a generalization, and it may be limited to the TRP, if I recall, but I'm not sure and Wilson doesn't specify.

Per the Stephen A. Camp article, 7 rounders are the traditional capacity, and all things being equal, they generally will work better than the same mag as an 8 rounder. However, in fairness, Mr. Camp probably wrote that article before the new generation of 8 rounders came about with the longer mag tubes. They would typically be expected to work as well as a 7 rounder.

For instance, Tripp's CobraMag ( http://www.trippresearchinc.com/8r-45-rg/ ), Wilson's 500/ETM line-up ( https://shopwilsoncombat.com/1911-E...ll-Size-8-Round-ETM-Base-Pad/productinfo/500/ ), McCormick RPM (commonly known as CMC, and now part of the Wilson family) ( https://www.cmproducts.com/Railed-Power-Mag-RPM-Full-Size-1911-45-ACP-8-Round-Stainless_p_211.html ), and CheckMate EXT ( https://www.topgunsupply.com/check-...-full-size-1911-magazine-cm45-8-s-rb-ext.html ) and a few others all have extended tubes that make them work better with 8 rounds.

A CheckMate non-extended tube 8 rounder will be a flush fit mag, and they generally will be very hard to seat with 8 rounds in the mag, and the slide forward. There just isn't enough room in the tube for 8 rounds, a spring, and follower, and that little extra to compress when the top round hits the bottom of the slide.

CMC PowerMags and Wilson 47D's are slightly longer than the CheckMate non-extended tube, but they are still shorter than the new generation of extended tube mags. You may also find those tough to seat with the slide forward.

The extended tube 8 round mags and 7 rounders (full size 7 rounders) will be relatively easy to seat, and should have mag springs with very long lives.

 

[JTQ]

If you just have to have a flush fit 8 rounder, and there are some folks that do, I'd pick one of the CMC mags. The Devel follower they use is one of the best for squeezing 8 rounds into a tube designed for 7.

https://www.cmproducts.com/Match-Grade-Full-Size-1911-45-ACP-8-Round-Stainless_p_201.html

 

[ms6852]

I own 2 1911's from Springfield. When I purchased them years ago and years apart in the box was a discount coupon for accessories. Listed on the discount were factory 1911 magazines for about $10 each I bought about 20 of them and to this day I haven't not had any issues with them. But than I only shoot 230 RN rounds and only use 7 round magazines with one in the chamber.

 

[Jonesy814]

My SA Mil-spec, 45 was purchased new in 2013. It came with 2, 7 round blued magazines

 

[94045]

Joe's 1911 Magmania are Checkmates. I like the Welded Base 7-Round Wadcutter Feed Lips. I've had pretty good luck with those for budget mags. For everyone that likes a particular mag someone else can't stand them.