Ya I know it was already covered but let's revisit the subject since it needs a thread of it's own

What mags do you use in your 1911 and why?

I've got Chip McCormick 8rd mags of some kind that are tuned to the Colt & have never had any problem with them & a few GI 7rd beater mags & need to get some more mags.

Have never used Wilson mags, always wanted to but never got around to it...

Been looking around at different ones & it seems Wilson, Tripp, Nighthawk, McCormick and quite a few other makers all have 8rd 1911 mags & a few make 10rd mags.

Been thinking about having a 8rd mag in the pistol & 2 10rd mags for open carry & 8rd mags for concealed.

Thoughts????

I use Chip McCormick Power Mags. I have a couple of King's mags, and a pile of USGI laying around that seem to work well too. I have tried Wilson's, but they didn't seem to do anything that the CMC's didn't do. I worked the snot out of them in a couple of classes, and had only one failure, the doo-hickey that retains the base plate somehow got jammed cockeyed, and the plastic baseplate came off. I popped it back straight, and haven't had an issue since. When it originally happened, I was ready to junk the lot of 'em, but that's when one of the instructors told me it happened every once in a while with his Wilson's, and that he was thinking of swapping over to CMC's, simply due to the cost difference.

I use Wilson mags exclusively, but people talk about Tripp mags like they are the bee's knees. Oak will undoubtedly be here soon enough speaking about how any magazine other than Tripp's are inferior pieces of crap.

After my sand testing I needed to break down my test mags and clean them out. This gave me the idea to do a comparison of the different types of 1911 mags I have. (All have a good track record for reliability with me. The McCormick is the only one to have had a single failure to feed)

The mags I will be comparing are, (From left to right), Wilson 47D, Kimber KimPro Tac Mag, Chip McCormick (Shooting Star), and Novak (PSI ACT Mag).
All are 8 round capacity .45 acp mags.


There are two modes of disassembly here. The Wilson, Kimber and Novak all have removeable floor plates. Simply depress the retaining plunger with a punch and slide the floor plate off the bottom of the mag. The Wilson and Kimber each have a secondary floor plate that retains the spring as you remove the floor plate which makes disassembly slightly easier. The Novaks secondary plate is free to come out, so be cautious that you don't launch the internals.


The Chip McCormick has a fixed floor plate and disassembly is done by removing the follower by squeezing it and sliding it forward until it is free to come out. (This is not a Power Mag, which would have a similar removeable floor plate like the the others pitured above.)


A comparison of the mag bodies shows that there are significant variations in length, though they all have 8 round capacity. This is where the arguments over longevity and reliability come to play as spring fatigue can become an issue, as demands of the springs are significantly different from design to design. (More on the springs later.) Also, note the Wilson and Novak have curved cutouts at the rear of the feed lips while the Kimber and McCormick have square cuts. Rear seam welds also vary in their smoothness. The Kimber and Novak welds are smooth enough to almost be invisible.


The Wilson mag tube is 4.469 inches in height at the rear and has inward floorplate retaining tabs.
The Kimber is 4.466 inches and also has inward FP retaining tabs. Th Kimber comes with three separate floorplates of different thicknesses for concealed carry and competition.
The McCormick is 4.547. It has a welded floorplate that is drilled for a bumper pad.
The Novak is longest at 4.754 and has outward floor plate retainer tabs.

The thickness of the steel used in the magazine bodies was fairly consistant among the four reviewed here.
Wilson - 0.024" Stainless
Kimber - 0.025" Stainless
CMC - 0.025" Stainless
Novak - 0.024" Polished Blue

Springs were highly varied in design and length. My micrometer wasn't large enough to measure the length of the Wilson and Kimber springs, so I'll just let the picture do the speaking. I'm not sure of construction materials of the springs, so someone else may be able to chime in here. I did measure the diameter of the spring wire of each. You can see the Novak has a unique variable diameter twist to it that is more narrow at the top.
(L to R Wilson, Kimber, McCormick and Novak)


Wire Diameter:
Wilson - 0.045"
Kimber - 0.047"
McCormick - 0.045"
Novak - 0.048"

Followers one of the most significant variations in mag design here.
The Wilson Follower is plastic and is skirted to prevent tipping during feeding of the last round. The Kimber follower is a teflon coated metal follower that also features a partial skirt at the front to prevent tipping. The CMC is one of the simpler designs that is simply folded stainless steel where teh bottom lip engages the slide stop, but it's design does allow tipping. (1911 owners with alloy frames have been known to complain that the stainless steel follower often tips and gets drivven into the frame and can cause some damage to the softer alluminum frame.) The Novak is also a simple stainless follower that has a skirt made by folding the front of the follower downward to also make the slide stop engagement shelf.

(L to R: Wilson, Kimber, CMC, Novak)





That's all I've got for now. Others can feel free to add their thoughts on how these features contribute to reliability.

Also, feel free to disect your mags if you have different ones than those featured here.

Awesome SSGN_Doc

Midway USA has McCormick mags on sale

Get the power mags, the shooting star aren't quite as good, IMHO.

Picked up 4 of these, could not find anything to justify the cost of the "upgraded" power mags.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productnumber=783573

This post has been edited by Rampy: November 14th 2009 1:00 AM

Those look to be exactly what I use.

people complicate this issue too much. i buy springfield armory factory mags off midwayusa and they always work in my oeprator--even the 10 rounder. these are made by metalform (they make the factory mags for colt and springer).

therefore i don't have any reason to spend 3 times as much on a wilson mag or changing out the followers and springs for something more expensive.

Oh, my Glocktalk buddy, if only this were true.

You see, the scenario you just listed is a wonderful one, in your circumstance. While Springfield Armory mags will work just fine for the average shooter, some of us want the very best, which means taking the step to higher quality mags. Tripp and Wilson are pretty much regarded as top-of-the-line mags, and that reputation didn't come out of nowhere. It came from actual usage at competitions and in the line-of-duty.

People aren't complicating the issue, some of them just expect the absolute best.

This post has been edited by pleaforwar: November 14th 2009 2:14 AM

You hang out on Glock Talk.....

I only expect and demand the best when it's my ass and my family's ass hanging out in the breeze.....

Thus I'm willing to pay for the best and still expect/plan for Murphy to make an appearance...

Just like when the wife wants to go to a store that is in a bad part of Denver (only one of these stores in the area) so we plan accordingly & the Wife and kids will be issued body armor, helmets & sharp sticks.....

Another forum that you used to populate?

Been a member since 99 over there & am still a member in good standing.......

When I purchased my Dan Wesson, I wanted to carry a total of 5 magazines for duty use. I had a bunch of GI mags, and the factory mag that came with the gun. I thought about it, and decided I wanted to use 8 rounders. I'd heard horror stories about some folks using cheaper magazines, so I decided to take a step up. When I bought them, they were $18.99 each. That was a very reasonable price for magazines that wouldn't fail me. I used the hell out of them, and they've always worked. They had a baseplate so I could be sure of ramming them home properly. They just worked. Some of the USGI mags I've used have worked just as well, but alas, were 7 round magazines.

Could I have saved a dollar or two here or there? Probably. Would they have worked just as well? Maybe. But when I was planning on betting my ass on that gun, I wanted absolute reliability. I achieved it. I see no need to change now.

that's cool, but how are they better than the factory mags i use (and always work)? because they're more expensive? my metalforms feed any kinda jhp i put in it, even after they've been fully loaded for quite a few months too

This post has been edited by HAL-2000: November 14th 2009 4:28 AM

I don't like to say they are more reliable because the use of these magazines are for different applications.

If I use a handgun sparingly, primarily for recreational or home defense, then I don't have to worry about top-of-the-line mags. That being said, if you want a 1911 that is SHTF ready, why not use what professionals and competitors use?

You like your Springer mags, and I am not trying to dissuade you from that. That being said, there isn't a need to say that people are in the wrong for owning Wilson or Tripp mags. Both of these companies are successful because of their reputations.

Hey, you forgot McCormick mags......or did you....

Where's Oak, he needs to chime in here

Off taking photos of his Baer and Wesson in various compromising positions.