Magazine comparisons

[Jim]

I recently aquired a Ruger P345 .45 ACP pistol. I was looking at the mags that came with it the other night and it occured to me that they look very much like 8 rd. Colt Commander magazines. Does anyone here have a 345 and an 8 rd. Commander magazine to do a fit check? If it's the same thing, I can get extra mags for way less than what I'd pay for Ruger mags.

Any help is appreciated.

[Pepe Ray]

I'm not familiar with the Ruger model #'s, but I know that the first
Ruger .45 Auto would function with a Colt 1911 mag if you held it in place by your weak hand. The retaining/locking slots are on the opposite sides. That's the difference there. It may be the same in current models.
Pepe Ray

[35remington]

No, it will not, for the reasons given above.

Be aware that the magazine has some weaknesses that are endemic to trying to cram 8 rounds in a space that more properly should hold seven shots.

I would suggest an upgrade to Wolff +5% springs when you are able, and reserve often fired magazines to range use only until this upgrade is done. The divots in the back of the magazine are not as effective as the dimple on the 1911's magazine in preventing last round misfeeds.

Specific details upon request. I own both P97's and their 345.

[Johnch]

At the club ,there is a tinker that owns a Ruger 45 , not sure of the model
Has been using 1911 mags that he put a proper slot in it

John

[35remington]

If he went ahead and did that and it worked, that may be a cure for the weaknesses of the Ruger mags. I'm sure Ruger wouldn't advise that, but they don't advise handloads either.

On trying that with mine (1911 mag in Ruger), the magazine sits too low. Count me as a skeptic until I can see where he filed the magazine catch slots. Mebbe he put them in a spot that would work.

I just paid nearly sixty bucks for two new Ruger magazines that I'm gonna shoot on the range until the springs croak (and they will) then replace them with Wolff. My other ones have already gone through that.

[Jim]

Okay, I'm clear that the Colt Commander mags don't fit the Ruger pistol. So, what's this about the Ruger springs going tango uniform and needing to get other springs?
As for craming the mag full, I don't. I only keep six in the mag as I learned a long time ago not to leave springs fully compressed.
How's 'bout one o' you gurus makin' this clear for me and ejukatin' me about these replacement springs.

[44man]

Even the mag springs in the .22 Rugers go haywire quick. I left 5 rounds in mine for a few days and the gun would not feed a full mag until I stretched the spring back. I don't know if Wolfe makes new springs for these and have to check.
Funny how you can leave a Colt mag fully loaded forever without a problem.

[9.3X62AL]

In this day and age of "rocket wire" magazine springs, there is ZERO EXCUSE for Ruger mags to be this way.

Example--my agency expanded its approved sidearms list to include Glock pistols in 1991. Light speed, I know. The armory staff got a few 9mm examples for demo from the factory, with 17-round mags. One of these they left fully loaded for a year, then tried it in a pistol. Ran fine. That same magazine is STILL left loaded at all times, and gets fired and refilled 1-3 times a year. Still going strong.

Glock sells their magazines for about $22.00 each. Ruger needs to wake up and smell the coffee.

[trickyasafox]

maybe i got lucky. i have 4 mags for my ruger mk II and never had a problem with the springs after 14-15k. the mags are almost always left fully loaded, for weeks and months at a clip. i don't believe that mag springs get worn out from being loaded, so long as they are not OVER-loaded. i prescribe to the theory that it is the repetition of loading and unloading that gets them.

but like i said, maybe i'm lucky

i cant attest to the quality of their centerfires though as i do not own one.

glock mags can be found factory new for about 16 bucks :) a steal if you ask me.

[44man]

I have six Mark II magazines and even 5 rounds in them for a few days will set the springs. You are extremely lucky! Even back a long time ago when the Mark I was $37.50, the springs went bad and had to be stretched once in a while.
If I put 10 rounds in mine for a few days, the guns are useless. As long as I just load and shoot, there is no problem.
By the way, Remington 870 and 1100 magazine springs will take a set after a day of hunting too and won't feed all shells.. I have replace dozens of them with Wolfe springs. Instant fix!

[trickyasafox]

wow! i never realized these were such a problem! 2 of the mags are the factory that game with the gun, the other 2 i assembled from parts ordered from the factory (if you did that you could save 4 bucks a mag!)

[35remington]

Tricky, here's the story with P97 and 345 magazine springs.

Initially, I didn't shoot my P97 that much, (same with the later 345) just left them loaded as my carry along in the truck pistols and bedstand pistols. I was into putting a lot of rounds through my 1911's at the time.

Later, realizing that they're Rugers and quite durable, and having more time for shooting them I started to give them some use. After awhile, a lot of use. They've held up well. Pity I can't say that about the magazines.

After relatively few rounds, like about 700 through the magazines (each) and after leaving them loaded off and on as my carry pieces (way more off than on over a few years), they started to have last round jamming problems with full power ammunition and those few +P loads I've shot.

Ruger is cramming 8 rounds of ammo in a space for 7 rounds. There is less room for a spring. Add to that the weaker spring and you've got future problems. What happens is the last round does not hold the round under enough tension to resist recoil forces, and it gets yanked forward (inertia vs. gun movement) and often escapes the magazine lips. The result is the last round may pop out of the gun without feeding at all, or it may pop out far enough to misfeed. This last takes a little work to get out of the gun and would certainly bugger up a fast reload.

I've had a few other feeding issues as well that are related to the springs and magazine design. This after absolutely flawless feeding for just short of 1500 rounds and off and on magazine loading for carry/truck use in a gun case.

Ruger has placed a crimp on either side of the rear of the magazine lips in an attempt to prevent this last round movement due to inertia but it does not work as well as the dimple on the follower on an original Colt specc'd 7 shot magazine.

On any eight shot, flush fit magazine that is the same OAL as a 1911 Colt 7 shot magazine, (1911's and Ruger .45's both included here) I would view them as issued as a potential jamming device that will turn south on you when you most need it. If you want to shoot 'em till they croak, do it for range use only. McCormick Shooting Stars intended for the 1911's are also prone to this.

For carry, upgrade to the Wolff +5% springs and also view these as having a finite life. Ironically, the original Browning 1911 7 shot magazine design does not suffer from this problem since he never tried extending the capacity to eight, coupled with the fact that the follower dimple is better located to keep the last round in place as the gun jerks around in recoil.

Hopefully, Ruger has/will upgrade their springs, but based on my past experience don't trust 'em with your life - ask Wolff to do that, but don't trust any spring forever in these magazines that really should be only 7 shot.

For some reason, everyone is allergic to making the magazines a little longer for the extra round, which would be the most important upgrade to get them to feed reliably for a lot of use.