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Suggestions on best 1911 replacement mags

7K views 90 replies 48 participants last post by  fnfalman 
#1 ·
I have a standard size Sig 1911 that came with two magazines. I was looking to buy a couple extras, and then I damaged one of the originals. Now I certainly need a few extra. I've noticed that I have all kinds of choices and I was told a couple times that Wilson Combat makes good replacement mags. I have a trigger upgrade from Wilson Combat so I'm confident in the quality of their parts, I'd just like a little more direction on what to actually purchase. If someone agrees that Wilson is the way to go, can you please let me know what is the actual magazine you would suggest? If someone thinks that something else would work better, can you please let me know what that is?

Thanks a lot...
 
#6 ·
I had a Wilson mag - and honestly, I think it is fair to say "you overpay for what you get" yes it's nice, and reliable, but you can get reliability and durability for much cheaper.

I had a set of Chip Mick 8-rds I got for $20/ea on sale from CTD - awesome reliability running in my CCO, SR1911 and RIA M1911A1.

I also had good luck with the Springer replacement 7rd mags - you can get them off the website for about $22-25. Had some issues with them in my RIA, but I guess it was a break in and they were fine after about 100 or so rounds.
 
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#8 ·
I've had good results with Wilson's 47D 8rd Mags. I buy a few at a time when they're on sale. The cost difference between cheap and quality mags isn't that much to skimp in this critical gun component.

 
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#77 ·
What caliber 1911?

My preference, .45 - Wilson
9mm, .38 super, .40, 10mm - Tripp.
Wilson ETM or 47D's in .45. I use them for carry mags and competition.
Dawson or Tripp for 9mm. I use them in IDPA, USPSA and Steel Challenge.

In .45, I've probably put, easily, 20,000 rounds of downrange with Wilson mags and have never had a mag problem. (Yet).

In 9mm, I did have to clip a couple coils off the mag spring of Wilson ETMs to make them run right. Good for practice, but I don't use them in a match...
 
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#17 ·
I had a Wilson mag - and honestly, I think it is fair to say "you overpay for what you get" yes it's nice, and reliable, but you can get reliability and durability for much cheaper.


Wilson sells a bunch of different mags so you might want to be a little more specific.
 
#22 ·
Wilson's are good, but over priced and over hyped. Chip McCormick is how I roll. Of course, Tripp, Metalform, Mec Gar all have great 1911 mags. I have used all of them w/ no probs. :supergrin:
 
#26 ·
I started shooting NRA action pistol back in the 90's, and after graduating from my Browning High-Power to a Colt 1991, I chose (at friends and competitors advice) Wilson Combat 47D magazines. Bought them from a mail order company, Denny's Shooter's Supply, and they seemed to be expensive, but worked well, at first. After a period, they started to fail to lock the slide open on the last round periodically. I always felt that those mags (from the 90's, at least) felt thin and pliable compared to others.
After I became involved with Bullseye shooting with the Navy, I got in on a group discount buy (through the USNST) on Metalform magazines, blued 7 rounders with a metal, rounded follower and a solid, welded baseplate. Those worked and were cheap, like under $10 for that variation, in the late 90's/early 2000's. They ran well, including in tightly fitted NM pistols, which were sluggish when fresh from Crane.
I, myself, gave up on the Wilsons and stayed with the Metalforms, which were basically right up the street (more or less) from the Sub Base in Groton (their website now says Warwick, but I swear I remember them in Newington or Meridan?)
hey were cheap and worked, and I got a set of 8 later for my wife's 1991 (which she liberated from me after fairly full, 90's vintage customization) and another set for my Springfield stainless 1911 (which I bought to replace the 1991...) Both of these were stainless, with round top metal followers and rubber bumpers.
I always stayed away from 8 rounders, until a couple of years ago, when I tried a pair of Novak Acti-Mags, which ran flawlessly and never failed to lock the slide open, a problem with nearly all 8 rounders I had used in the past. I bought 6 more of those and they have all ran great. They are Italian, if I recall.
 
#29 ·
I chose (at friends and competitors advice) Wilson Combat 47D magazines. Bought them from a mail order company, Denny's Shooter's Supply, and they seemed to be expensive, but worked well, at first. After a period, they started to fail to lock the slide open on the last round periodically.


I have several 47Ds and they are great mags if you baby them. If you leave them fully loaded, for a long time, though it's quickly apparent the spring is not up to snuff. The problem is they were never designed to be a 8 round mag, there is just not enough room in the body to hold a proper spring.

I got in a huge argument several months with a shooter that swore up and down that I didn't know what I was talking about. His point was he had 20 of them that they all worked 100%, but admitted several of them didn't lock the slide back after the last round. :upeyes: I do agree with Flipper to a point that if you are happy with a seven round mag some of the lower end ones work well.

If you insist on an eight round mag pick one that designed as an eight round one. Either the Power Mags or Cobra Mags are a top choice. You can always use cheap mags for practice and save a couple $30 mags for carry, not a big deal.
 
#34 ·
McCormick mags used to be my go to. But my two newest 1911s don't like them. So, Wilson Combat gets my vote.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
#28 ·
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