Smith & Wesson 1911 Magazine problem

[whatnickname]

I own a half dozen 1911 Smiths both E Series and older 1911s. I have found them extremely reliable with one notable exception which is the choice of a magazine. The full size 1911s I own will run Wilson Combat magazines (my magazine preference) with an occasional exception consisting of a failure to feed. Several of the commander length 1911s act like Wilson Combat magazines are poison. I have also tried, McCormick, Metal Form and Kimber magazines. So far the only magazines that will reliably run in any of my Smith & Wesson 1911s are factory OEM magazines which are all manufactured by ACT. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Is there another brand of magazine out there that will run reliably in a Smith & Wesson 1911?

 

[Infidel]

I have only one S&W 1911, a 1911sc, and a dozen or so additional magazines, all of which have worked perfectly, and all of which were made by Metalform, although about half were sold as Brownell's.

 

[9mmepiphany]

So far the only magazines that will reliably run in any of my Smith & Wesson 1911s are factory OEM magazines which are all manufactured by ACT. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

I'm not seeing the problem as ACT Mags are easy to find in reasonably priced

The problem your having with the Wilson mags, assuming that they are the 47D, is inherent to the design. The springs are being asked to perform beyond their design specs by mag bodies which are too short

 

[JTQ]

The springs are being asked to perform beyond their design specs by mag bodies which are too short

Perhaps this is the problem with all of the other magazines as well, if they are all non-extended tube 8 rounders. The ACT-Mag 8 rounders all have extended tubes, but unless the OP has Wilson ETM's, McCormick RPM, Metalform Elite or Pro versions the rest would all be 7 round tubes holding 8 rounds.

Another potential issue, since the problems seem to be with Commander length guns, is a combination of slide speed and magazine spring strength and round column weight. Wilson addresses this in one of their FAQ's about Compact/Officer size guns.

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

All the mechanical changes are important, but the biggest factor is ammunition selection because it affects both slide cycle speed and the magazine’s ability to lift the cartridge into position for proper feeding. Ammunition loaded with 230gr bullets generate more recoil impulse (especially +P loads) than 185gr loads, and 7 rounds of 185gr ammunition weighs 315gr less than 7 rounds of 230gr ammunition, making the column of ammunition easier for the magazine spring to lift. I hope you see where I’m going here? With modern hollow point bullets we have LOTS of bullet choices of 200gr or less that have proven to be VERY effective in regards to terminal performance.