What magazines are tried and true for the 1911?

[ultramag]

Another question...

Is anything about the magazine an integral part of the firearms break-in process? (I'm coming from the six-gun side of the house). I ask this because I'd like to feed the weapon about 500 rds of factory FMJ for the 'break in' period before I start reloading for it. 500 rds is going to cost a pretty penny and I want to make sure my money goes to the right components.

Yes and no...the magazine will obviously play a roll in the function of a 1911. The only way I would consider needing to run several hundred rounds through a specific magazine would be for carry. I never had problems with the ACT mag that came with my RI 1911. In fact, it functioned fine in all my .45's.

I'm not sure why you think you need the 500 round factory FMJ break in either, but that's spending a pretty penny for something completely unnecessary. I know my RI never even had a factory round through it. Invest in molds and lead and shoot more....if you run into some kind of problem you can't sort through then buy a box or 3 of factory ammo.

[Animal]

Ultramag: I'm under the impression that RIA consideres their 1911 broke in at 500 rnds. Perhaps I'm mistaking about the type of ammo?

[Artful]

Chip McCormick "Shooting Star" stainless 8 round magazines work for me
I used Devel and Pachmayer before that and in the beginning GI & Colt

[seaboltm]

For target shooting, who cares? If my life depends on the reliability of a 1911, Wilson is the only way to go in my opinion.

[ultramag]

Ultramag: I'm under the impression that RIA consideres their 1911 broke in at 500 rnds. Perhaps I'm mistaking about the type of ammo?

I'd be pretty surprised if it doesn't run fine out of the box. It's not made tight enough to need what I consider "break in". Either way, unless you have some kind of troubles with your reloads, the need for factory ammo isn't real. Even then, it's just a good verification of is something wrong with the gun, or the ammo....no need for 500 rds. IMO. I even broke in my Les Baer with reloads last year.

As stated before, my RIA 1911 ran fine on my standard reloads, ate everything and had no issues function wise right out of the box. I did detail strip it before it was ever fired and cleaned the excessive oil it was covered in from the factory. I just hate to see a guy drop $300 bucks on factory ammo for no reason. If you load .45 ACP I'd sure try before laying out the cash on factory loads.

[Animal]

I don't reload for it yet. That is good news though. I'll probably run 50-100 rds of winchester white box through it to get the feel for how it operates, then use my once fired brass for reloads. I'll have to get a set of dies and a mold before the reloading begins. At least I'll have some brass to work with by that point. Thanks

[daniel lawecki]

Chip McCormick I have 12 mags used every Thursday night for Action Pistol

[bearbud]

For matches, target shooting, plinking most anything of quality works. The Wilson is a quality magazine but I will not use it for self-defense. I use it in action shooting matches for over twenty years and they work great. (I still have some that I bought in 87 as the Wilson-Rogers match magazine.) If my life depends on it, I will only use a 1911 seven rounds magazine without a removable base plate. I have seen (only once, but I guess it is enough) how at the worst time, the base plate came off the magazine while the magazine was in the gun. A welded base plate is one less thing to worry about getting unfastened. It takes ten second longer to dismantle for cleaning, but it is bullet proof system. Also, I never found eight rds. follower that was as reliable for me as the original seven rds. follower. I tried them all from Devel (later shooting star/McCormick) in the eighties through the new polymer ones etc. But again they are very good for sport shooting. If I need to buy a self-defense 1911 magazines today it will be the 7rds non removable plate magazine made by Mecgar. I think that they make the majority of the magazines on the market these days. I have a bunch of old series 70s Colt magazine that were made by Mecgar. bearbud

[MtGun44]

Macormack Shooting Star mags sometimes spread the lips and give issues with feeding.
I'd take the metal 3D folded follower Metalforms over them any time, with genuine GI lipped
mags - ONLY available new now from Checkmate - as an equal unless you are shooting
very short nosed SWCs. Anything like H&G 68 or TCs or RN and the GI mags are probably the
most reliable and keep the gun as a controlled round feed design like John Browning
intended. The majority today have early release and parallel lips, removing the controlled
round feeding and stressing the extractor a lot more than ever intended. Hybrids with
tapered lips and early release are pretty good - Colts are this way.

Bill

[Groo]

Groo here
In my experience Wilsons were the WORST mags I ever got.
If you shoot hardball, Milspec mags will be best as the feed lips were designed just for that round.
If target swc rounds there is a design for that.
If all, most new aftermarket mags used a modified version that splits the difference.
The best mags I have found in many different guns is Metalform, they just seem to work.
I try to stay with as close to mill spec in loads and handloads as possible,just to keep things simple.

[waco]

I use Chip Mcormick

[John Allen]

Wilson is still my favorite mag. I do have mccormicks also and have not had a problem but I like the wilson combat ones.

[35remington]

The McCormick Shooting Star magazines were never intended for full power rounds. That some use them is not necessarily an endorsement, as they are more likely to malfunction than designs more suited to full power ammo.

The most "tried and true" 1911 magazines are those that feed the 1911 the way the original designer intended it to be fed. That would be a tapered lip magazine. If your magazine does not have tapered feed lips, it does not feed the 1911 the way JMB intended it to be fed. This is a step backward in reliability.

The interesting and rather sad part is most don't know this. The lips of the magazine were specified to be tapered for a reason. JMB knew what straight feed lips were and declined to use them in his design.

[philthephlier]

Chip McCormick "Shooting Star"

[kevindtimm]

The McCormick Shooting Star magazines were never intended for full power rounds. That some use them is not necessarily an endorsement, as they are more likely to malfunction than designs more suited to full power ammo.

The most "tried and true" 1911 magazines are those that feed the 1911 the way the original designer intended it to be fed. That would be a tapered lip magazine. If your magazine does not have tapered feed lips, it does not feed the 1911 the way JMB intended it to be fed. This is a step backward in reliability.

The interesting and rather sad part is most don't know this. The lips of the magazine were specified to be tapered for a reason. JMB knew what straight feed lips were and declined to use them in his design.

Chip McCormick "Shooting Star"

So, now we have a conundrum

[Animal]

http://shopwilsoncombat.com/1911-Ser...oductinfo/608/

I picked up 3 of these and 100rds of Armscore 230gr fmj. I figured everyone seemed to agree that Wilson was a decent brand. I chose the 7 rnd because it seemed "simple". I've noticed that people have complained from time to time with 8 rounders feeding. I also like the low profiled of the 7 rnd.

I hope everyone agrees that these will do the trick. I'll be shooting lead after my first 100 rds, so maybe these will be satisfactory.

[Artful]

Animal, we don't have to agree - your pistol has to agree

[35remington]

The fact is, Shooting Star magazines were never intended for full power rounds, just as I've stated. If anyone wants to know why, I'd be happy to elaborate.

Information, correct information, is a wonderful thing.

No conundrum here.

[Animal]

Animal, we don't have to agree - your pistol has to agree

Indeed!

[GT27]

Checkmate