It’s apparently 1911 day today. Ladies and gents, don’t buy crappy magazines for competition or personal defense guns. I could write another 700 or 800 words just on that, but bottom line the majority of malfunctions in modern semi-automatic pistols are caused by the magazine. Get good magazines.
You can also buy crappy magazines, because everyone should practice malfunction clearance drills, but if you shoot a “public domain” platform like an AR15 or 1911, buy good quality magazines for serious work. I can’t tell you how many malfs I’ve seen at matches in 1911 that are 100% the fault of the gun-show special mags and were eliminated when the shooter switched to Chip McCormick/Metalform/Wilson Combat magazines.
Oh, and to answer your question – I use Chip McCormick mags exclusively in my 1911s chambered for .45 ACP.
Honestly, with 1911s it pays to test your guns. I have a bunch of McCormick mags, but my 1911 doesn’t really like them. But it loves Novak/Act mags. Go figure.
Yeah, that’s a stipulation I should have made. Find the mag that works with your gun, since all 1911s are not created equal and then buy a pile of those.
I never have to wonder about what magazines to buy my Glocks. 😉
CMC Power Mags are my full-size fave. Wilson for the Colt CCO though, it didn’t like CMC mags.
Midway has CMC mags on sale for a good price many times during the year.
And a general rule of thumb across all firearms:
Stay away from Pro-mag.
Seriously..the only company that can actually screw up an AK mag.
I’m going to agree with the importance of testing. As a new shooter, I went out and bought a bunch of Wilson mags on a friend/mentor’s recommendation, only to find out my 1911 hated them. Sold them at a loss, went out and did some testing, and ended up using Tripp CobraMags, which have run flawlessly. I imagine the opposite has happened too.
+1 to Jeff. Chip Mags caused the only non-limp-wristing malfs in my S&W1911s (Some days you just have a flinch to beat the band!)
Wilsons fixed that right-proper, its all I use!
I secone staying away from Promag, I have yet to get one that actually works.
My Springfield Armory 1911A1 likes Wilson Combat 8 rounders.
I still use the factory mag at the range but it occasionally fails to feed.
I think the second biggest 1911 problem is extractor tension.
I got a sweet deal on my virtually new 1911 because the previous owner said it kept jamming. For $200 I took a chance and found the extractor was way too loose.
Dunno if it was a factory problem or the guy dropped rounds into the chamber and slammed the slide down on it to bend it out of place but a half hour of adjustments and checking and it runs great now.
You guys who shoot guns with spring loaded extractors don’t know what you are missing out on with a 1911!
pdb,
“I never have to wonder about what magazines to buy my Glocks. 😉”
Try USA metal ones! They work great! ‘Cause a Glock runs with everything you put in it! Tommy Lee Jones told me so!
😉 :p