Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

1911 mags that suck


Dantankerous

Recommended Posts

I have had the distinct displeasure of discovering perhaps the crappiest 1911 mag on the market.

 

I bought them for Wild Bunch but wanted to show you all the terrible QC and build that goes into these.

 

I bought three and all three have failed with fewer than 300 rounds a piece through them, all factory 230 grain ball ammo.

 

Base plate failures each. The first mag had its base plate pop off while in my mag pouch on my belt. BOING! What in the world????

 

The second at the range... base plate came off and dumped the ammo, follower and spring onto the floor. So I immediately looked at the third of this trio and fond its welds were giving way, soon to fail.

 

I cannot remember where I bought these nor what brand they are but I am posting pictures of the two that most recently failed. Perhaps someone can ID these by the markings on the base plate.

 

If'n I was prone to giving 1911 advice, I'd suggest staying faaaaaaar away from these gems.

 

 

1911.jpg

1911a.jpg

1911b.jpg

1911c.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 71
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Just a situation with Metalform mags that just did not preform properly.   Contacted Metalform and they replaced them.   Have used their mags for years with good results,  .    You got nothing to lose a this point.   GW

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Base plate failure is not uncommon.  I had a Chip McCormick base plate weld failure.  I was on a Wild Bunch stage and slammed the mag into the 1911 and all the bullets came out the bottom after I removed my hand.  That took a long second to diagnose. :wacko:  I sent the mag  back to CMC and they sent me a new mag.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Howdy, 

At one time Colt mags with McCormick innards were supposed to be the best.

There was a company making rather pricey mags that were

great but not widely available.

Cant remember the name now, maybe later....Tripp is the real good one....

or at least were a few years back.

Best

CR

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I run McCormicks in my EDC 1911, never had a problem. The Mags I DID have a problem with were Meg Gars. Now I know that they make the factory mags for a lot of guns, but the ones I had, three out of four cracked on the left "ear", causing the gun to lock up tight. 

The McCormicks have not done that with a LOT more rounds through them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Badlands Bob #61228 said:

Does Wilson make a  1911 magazine with a welded base plate?  The removable base plates are not legal for Wild Bunch.

Removable base plates aren't legal? Base pads aren't legal, and magazines must fit flush in the mag well, but a plain removable base plate isn''t legal either??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

Removable base plates aren't legal? Base pads aren't legal, and magazines must fit flush in the mag well, but a plain removable base plate isn''t legal either??

 

Wild Bunch Shooters handbook, Page 5.

•Magazines must be standard length and cannot hold more than eight rounds. No extended base pads on magazines. This means NO base pads of any kind.

 

 

Wow, I feel like PWB.B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The second I began reading your post I thought "I'll bet he's talking about Metalforms". Sure enough! About 20 years ago I was running Metalforms almost exclusively, then I had three mags suffer baseplate failures and ended up throwing all of them in the trash. So it looks like they're still having problems with bad welds all these years later, unless you happened to buy some old mags.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Sixgun Sheridan said:

The second I began reading your post I thought "I'll bet he's talking about Metalforms". Sure enough! About 20 years ago I was running Metalforms almost exclusively, then I had three mags suffer baseplate failures and ended up throwing all of them in the trash. So it looks like they're still having problems with bad welds all these years later, unless you happened to buy some old mags.

 

Hard to say if they were old stock. Purchased less than a year ago.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Badlands Bob #61228 said:

 

Wild Bunch Shooters handbook, Page 5.

•Magazines must be standard length and cannot hold more than eight rounds. No extended base pads on magazines. This means NO base pads of any kind.

 

 

Wow, I feel like PWB.B)

Correct, but your statement was that removable base plates were illegal, not base pads. I have some Auto Ordnance mags with removable base plates. They're not extended mags, they have no base pad, but the base plate is removable. :mellow:
I checked the WB manual and don't see anything that says base plates must be welded or otherwise permanently attached.

AutoOrdnanceMag.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately there aren't many GOOD flush-fitting 1911 mags out there. Colt's factory mags are made by Checkmate, but while the tube and follower are well-made the springs are a bit weak in my experience. Currently I'm running old 1970s-era Colt and GI contract mags and new ones with Wolff springs in them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buy once, cry once.  Tripp Cobra magazines

 

http://www.trippresearchinc.com/7r-45-wg/

 

I run them in my duty guns and my competition guns.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not that is problem was the posters problem, but this is common with mags that have been repeatedly slammed in when the slide is locked back.  Nothing to stop the mag except the front lip.     GW

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

This is a Wilson Combat magazine with a short base plate.  My understanding is that this is illegal for WB.  I'm not aware of any 1911 magazine that Wilson makes that is legal for WB.  I think the one J Bar posted a picture of would be legal because the baseplate doesn't go below the side of the mag tube.  

Wilson 1911 mag.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

You wouldn’t have this problem if you used a Glock, especially in 9mm....:P

 

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself...:lol:

You must take you meds, 1hr before post'n.........:P

OLG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

You must take you meds, 1hr before post'n.........:P

OLG

 

I was just emulating what happens when someone is talking about Glocks or 9mm’s. Some Jasper always jumps in with (know-it-all voice ON) “You should be using a man’s gun in a man’s caliber, like a 1911 in .45ACP”. :P:lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Glock 20 is a 10mm; wussy compared to a .45 ACP (not!).

 

The reliability of Glocks in any configuration is far better than 1911's. I use them in IDPA and ASI, preferring a .40 S&W, though I have 10mm and .357 Sig. and had a .45 ACP which I foolishly sold. That said, I shoot Wild Bunch with a Ruger SR1911, a fine gun once you spend a bunch for $40 Tripp magazines which work almost as well as the $20 Glock magazines.

 

Church Key

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A 1911 is like any other semi-auto handgun in that it won't run well with cheap magazines. And yet it's amazing how folks refuse to pay $30 for quality mags and then complain that their 1911 jams when they're running $10 mags bought on CDNN. Most other factory semi-auto mags from HK, Walther, etc run $30-$40 so that's really the going rate if you expect to have decent mags that hold up with use. Lawman Mark is correct, get some Tripp mags or equivalent and watch most of your 1911 functioning issues go away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use Wilson Combat 8 round magazines for all my other 1911 use but will certainly look into Tripp magazines for Wild Bunch. I've been using a hodgepodge of 7 round magazines for Wild Bunch including Kimber and Colt and whatever comes with Springfield Armory and have never had a problem until these 3 all grenaded themselves. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Dantankerous said:

I use Wilson Combat 8 round magazines for all my other 1911 use but will certainly look into Tripp magazines for Wild Bunch. I've been using a hodgepodge of 7 round magazines for Wild Bunch including Kimber and Colt and whatever comes with Springfield Armory and have never had a problem until these 3 all grenaded themselves. 

Have you made contact with Metalform about this?

OLG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Have you made contact with Metalform about this?

OLG

 

I have not yet done so. I'm still looking for what's left of magazine number one that failed so I can deal with all three of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/10/2018 at 11:06 AM, Sixgun Sheridan said:

Unfortunately there aren't many GOOD flush-fitting 1911 mags out there. Colt's factory mags are made by Checkmate, but while the tube and follower are well-made the springs are a bit weak in my experience. Currently I'm running old 1970s-era Colt and GI contract mags and new ones with Wolff springs in them.

And by Metalform.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/10/2018 at 11:14 AM, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

Buy once, cry once.  Tripp Cobra magazines

 

http://www.trippresearchinc.com/7r-45-wg/

 

I run them in my duty guns and my competition guns.  

And yet I have seen more Tripps fail lately than anything else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

And yet I have seen more Tripps fail lately than anything else.

Of the dozen or so I have (9mm and 45 acp) I've never had a problem with any.  Can't say that about Wilson or Chip McCormick.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.