Thread title says it all.
Also, if Bill Reihl chimes in, I have a question:
What 1911 magazines do you prefer and why? I'm thinking of picking up some CMC, or Tripp mags.
Thread title says it all.
Also, if Bill Reihl chimes in, I have a question:
What 1911 magazines do you prefer and why? I'm thinking of picking up some CMC, or Tripp mags.
Originally Posted by montanadave
P-35's are controlled feed. The round's rim slides up the breech face under the extractor's hook.
Rosco
I'm not sure the Hi-Power is any more or less reliable than many other guns of that time seem to be. If so, I never noticed it.
"PLAN FOR YOUR TRAINING TO BE A REFLECTION OF REAL LIFE INSTEAD OF HOPING THAT REAL LIFE WILL BE A REFLECTION OF YOUR TRAINING!"
I think Bill covered this at least tangentially in another recent thread, essentially stating that a staggered cartridge double-column box magazine is inherently more efficacious (and problem free) than single-column magazines are.
That makes a lot of sense to me, in terms of cartridge presentment positioning and presumably less retentive friction from lower cartridges in the cartridge stack.
My OEM (MecGar) .40 Hi Power magazines have been flawless performers, in 3 different .40 Hi Powers over a roughly 18 year span. I literally can think of only one magazine hiccup and that was with a MecGar aftermarket non-mousetrap sprung .40 magazine, which possesses a different follower leg design (which apparently is more problematic).
The best single stack magazines I've experienced have been HKs (for my P7 PSP), Walther (for my several P5, P5C and P1/P38s), SIG P210, SIG-Sauer P220 (concerning both 9mm and .45 ACP magazines), Ruger P90 and Beretta 92 Compact L Type M. Late war milled-tube P.08 Luger magazines have been excellent also, but after tuning (both of the gun and all but one the magazines) by the late John Martz.
Best, Jon
I will be on the hunt again some day.
But... I have opinions and theories on this one and I'm not Bill Riehl.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wJvT3Cd4iME
Chip McCormick appears to be the father of the 8 round 1911 magazine (or at least a high enough quality one for it to grow popular).
In the above video, Rob Leatham, Chip McCormick, Brian Enos, and other greats from the early 90's chat about shooting, gear, guns, etc. they all are shooting 1911's.
What is interesting to note is all of these early adopters were competitors (in this video, IIRC) in IPSC.
Others feel free to weigh in and tell me I'm wrong; if I am.
I'm getting to the point so be patient.
I've developed my own theory from my own experiences, that unfortunately most 8 round 1911 magazines aren't as reliable as their 7 round counterparts. I've witnessed issues of springs I believe taking sets; this has manifested in failures to lock back, etc. my examples were: Wilson 47D's, Chip McCormick Power Mags, Wolff 8 rounders, Night Hawk Custom flat base 8 rounders, and factory Dan Wesson 8 rounders, and I even upgraded the springs and followers on my DW magazines.
This is also why people who run 1911's change their mag springs more regularly.
Now, any engineer will tell you springs (in most metals) will only wear/weaken by usage. Which is true. However, it is also true that if a spring is stretched or compressed past certain parameters it will not return to it's prior shape. An example would be taking a 1911 magazine spring and stretching it to a straight wire, or putting it in a press and smashing it into a disk.
Now back to IPSC, IPSC requires that guns be in classes. These classes have requirements like weapon size, magazine size. Things like flush fitting magazines or non-stock form factor magazines.
I had a light bulb moment watching that video. Chip McCormick found a way to fit 8 rounds in a 7 round magazine and developed a pretty functional magazine. However, Chip McCormick was also looking for a competitive advantage and once he had one; his competition did the same. Chip being a competitive shooter, didn't need extreme reliability though these magazines were fairly reliable. Example, Norgon extended magazines in AR's. Reliable enough for competition, but not combat.
So, what supports my theory that they're learning the magazine body is too short is both the Tripp Magazine and Wilson's new ETM have longer magazine bodies. Also, manufacturers such as Chip McCormick putting stronger and stronger springs in their magazines.
These are the cutting edge of 1911 magazines. Flat wire springs may change some of the equation, but at this point if I was going to try a 1911 magazine. I'd try Tripp's first, the guy was a founder of STI (The T in STI) (ETA: and I also believe he's a solid designer). I think they're better because I believe the followers are better being partially metal, I like the geometry, and other features.
I also dislike the Chip McCormick followers; but that's another topic.
God bless,
Brandon
ETA: I also think improved follower shape and design in the Tripp's and Wilson has helped mitigate some of the spring issues.
I can go in more detail later.
Last edited by BWT; 08-20-2014 at 07:31 PM.
I'm not sure that the BHP is all that reliable. I have seen plenty of failures to feed with them, and some failures to eject as well. My sample size isn't large enough to mean all that much, and some of that was with the old internal-extractor models, but from what I've seen I'd rate most post-1980 9mms as more reliable than a BHP.
It makes a lot of sense to me, but not in the sense of the 2011 type pistol...which is supposedly less reliable because of the double column magazine? I'm confused on that point.
I was also shooting a Commander length 1911.
The STI magazines most people use are known for quality control issues, further made worse by trying to feed .40 and 9mm in a 1911 (too short, too little energy).
A double stack magazine is a double stack magazine, in the same way a Lada and a Toyota are both cars. Just because they both have four wheels doesn't make them the same.
An SVI uses high quality magazines, and when feeding .38SC, 9x23, .45, 10mm (or .40L to an extent) is especially reliable.
One would think, then, that long guns such as the AK- and AR-pattern rifles, which are not constrained by having to feed their rounds past a trigger mechanism in a grip small enough to be grasped by a human hand, would go for this efficient "funnel" type magazine, rather than using the alternating "left-right-left" feed pattern that they do, no?
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