Reliability/durability of 9mm 1911 magazines

[Bubba Dremel Customs]

I have a custom 1911 build coming up soon with a smith and I've been debating on whether I should get a 9mm build or if I should just stick with 45ACP. I've read through a few of the threads on here about 9mm 1911's and while there still doesn't seem to be a consensus on whether a 9mm 1911 is reliable enough for carry or the nightstand, I've read enough good stories on 9mm 1911's to almost want to take a chance on one.

I say "almost" because the one thing that still bothers me is reports that I hear about the 9mm 1911 magazines. What I remember reading on here is that 9mm 1911 magazines die at low round counts and they tend to fail without any warning. If this is true then this is probably a dealbreaker for me, if a 9mm 1911 mag can just go bad anytime at a moment's notice. Is this a universal experience for those of you who shoot 9mm 1911's?

[TOTS]

All I can offer is that I am at about +- 1K through each of the three Wilson Combat ETMs (10rnd) that I have and am not experiencing any issues. Just under that through the two Checkmate mags that came with my Valor. The only issue with either of the Checkmates is the base pad on one was slightly too long and upon an aggressive reload would have the sharp checking on the front strap biting into the plastic and I’d have to manually strip it out. After filing it down some, no more binding. Probably the most information would come from Todd’s write up on his SA.
http://pistol-training.com/archives/8839

[JTQ]

I'm not a 9mm 1911 shooter, but I do follow the 1911 mag world with some interest. I have not seen any comments particular to 9mm 1911 mags failure rate.

Any mag can fail, but there isn't anything, well I suppose other than the back spacer, that is significantly different about a 9mm 1911 that would be any different from a .45 Auto 1911 mag. The tubes are the same, the followers, base pad, springs, etc.

[SW CQB 45]

from a shooting standpoint, I have never experienced a 1911 9mm mag fail.

I had a DW Valkryie 9mm Commander that just ran.

What I dont like about 9mm mags (mainly 10 rounders)...


they are much more difficult to load, 8/9/10th rounds.

7/8/9/10th rounds are hard to download by hand.

I would find the top round in the mag will slide forward causing issues with tac mag changes.

I would find the top round to have slid off in my .45 mag pouches (not sure if a 9mm specific mag pouch would fix that)



My Opinion, they are trying to put 10 rounds in a mag tube designed for 9 rounds.

So I tried some Tripps which have a longer mag body, the top rounds would strip off too easy from a mag pouch or tac mag change.

Whats funny, none of these issues affect the function of the gun. Keep the mag in and shoot.... it runs.

I am speaking from LE standpoint.... where we have to download for specific round count, or tac mag or full reloads.

I was shooting 9mm in LE accuracy type competition (using 9 round MecGar) were my rounds were loaded to certain round count for a specific stage. I would end up a round short in the mag only to find the missing round laying inside my mag pouch.

CMC 10s hardest to load hardest to strip and hardest to "click in" the frame. But ran 100% (I had an over insertion with a CMC because of the plastic base pads being chewed up by checkering. See pic)
Tripps, exact opposite, easiest to load and easiest to strip. But I did not care for the top round to move fwd with ease. But ran 100%
WC, kind of an in between.... ran 100%
MeGar 9s, which I still have about 25 with my PPC 9mm.... I like them the best, but still quirky like the others. They ran 100% for me.

I fixed my problem with 9mm mags by switching back to .45ACP.

Your mileage may vary and again, these were my experiences. Part of me wants to sell my PPC 9mm but its accurate and reliable.

https://i.imgur.com/z10KjuOh.jpg

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https://i.imgur.com/BY9ZILQh.jpg

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https://i.imgur.com/8aMar9th.jpg

[flyrodr]

I have around four 1911 9mms of various iterations (full-size steel, down to 3.5" compact). I've had a very, very few issues which MIGHT have been mag related. And fewer than in my .45 1911s. I primarily use Tripp Cobra or Wilson mags. I really don't consider the 9mm 1911 any more problematic than a .45. Speaking only of my experiences. Thousands of rounds through the 9s, 10s of thousands through the .45s.

[1911Nut]

SW CQB 45 said:

"My Opinion, they are trying to put 10 rounds in a mag tube designed for 9 rounds".

Anyone who has much experience with a 9mm 1911 pistol will almost certainly agree completely, I would think.

[TheRoland]

I've had no end of 9mm 1911 issues, and have never made it through a whole match without at least one malfunction.

But none of the issues have been magazines wearing out.

[Jason Burton]

I have a custom 1911 build coming up soon with a smith and I've been debating on whether I should get a 9mm build or if I should just stick with 45ACP. I've read through a few of the threads on here about 9mm 1911's and while there still doesn't seem to be a consensus on whether a 9mm 1911 is reliable enough for carry or the nightstand, I've read enough good stories on 9mm 1911's to almost want to take a chance on one.

A competent 1911 builder can certainly make a 9mm 1911 reliable. Even though I believe that on a long enough timeline the 45ACP Government Model will be the most reliable 1911 configuration, a single stack 9mm 1911 can be a solid platform... it just takes some different "tricks" and points of attention to get it there when compared to a 45ACP gun.


I say "almost" because the one thing that still bothers me is reports that I hear about the 9mm 1911 magazines. What I remember reading on here is that 9mm 1911 magazines die at low round counts and they tend to fail without any warning. If this is true then this is probably a dealbreaker for me, if a 9mm 1911 mag can just go bad anytime at a moment's notice. Is this a universal experience for those of you who shoot 9mm 1911's?

I like and use Wilson and Metalform 9mm magazines and I would say that magazines in general (all magazines regardless of caliber) all have the same factors at play when it comes to wear. Given the current magazines available from the manufactures I mentioned I don't recall seeing any premature wear due simply to the caliber.

[Rock185]

I've had a succession of 9MM 1911s over a lot of years, and certainly cannot add much to what Mr. Burton said. I can only say that, with one exception,my ramped barrel 1911s have been very reliable for me. Most of the 9MM magazine complaints I've seen involve the 10-rd. magazines. Perhaps because I only use the 9-rd. magazines, my 9MM guns just work. I wouldn't hesitate to carry one of my 9MM 1911s if I so desired. Some of my 9-rd. magazines have been used for I don't know how many years without issue. Over time, my favorite for 9MM 1911s has become the Metalform 9-rd. front ramp type......ymmv

[JRV]

I have thousands of rounds through ETMs that are STILL hard to load. Feed lips haven’t moved.

My Mec-Gars wore out real fast. Lost tension, one pair of cracked feed lips.

[FrankB]

57619
Both 9mm mags. The mag on the bottom is a Dan Wesson, and the other a Wilson Combat. The DW doesn’t have the spacer down the spine, so the lips hold more of the casing. In fact, I slapped the WC into my Dan Wesson Vigil one time, and the top round flew out of the ejection port! The magazine was new, so I’ll attribute that to a lack of holding power.

[JHC]

I've got zero complaints about my Wilson 10 round ETMs and Chip McCormick 10 rounders. Most of my shooting by far has been with a handful of ETMs I keep in the range back. Going strong. Not super hero levels of volume per mag yet.

[Jim Watson]

If nine is enough, the Metalform/Springfield Front Ramp is excellent and the original 1950 Colt rear spacer type is good.
MY 9mms feed out of Metalform .38 Super magazines with the rounded, full skirted follower.

If you want ten for ESP or SS, it gets more complicated.
I bought some of the first Metalform 10x9s. I was surprised they had rear spacers after the success of the Front Ramp. They started out OK but did not wear well. I tinkered with them and ended up discarding the spacers and putting in Super springs and followers. They are good enough for practice.
Strange, everybody speaks well of Dawson magazines which appear to be Metalforms with Dawson aluminum bases.
Likewise the ones now sold by Brownells seem to be doing well.

Wilson ETM-0 and -1 started out well but lost it along the way. I gave them to a Springfield shooter who says they are fine.
I have one ETM-2 which is thus far trouble free.

Tripp Cobramags feed well but are cut low in front and are as said, prone to stripping a round upon a Tac Load or pulling from a tight Kydex carrier. So I use them for the LAMR at IDPA. I have replaced some springs when slide lock got spotty.

McCormick XP magazines with front ramp are my favorite. They feed well and don't eat springs. Unfortunately when Chip sold out to Bill, they changed to a rear spacer.
I have one of those CMC Range Pros and it is thus far trouble free.

A poster found that the latest version MecGar solved his 9mm problems. So I bought a couple. They feed, slide lock, and drop free, but it will take a while to test their longevity even though I am taking them to every match and practice.

[SW CQB 45]

I need to make a correction and addition to my previous post.... (I dont have the edit function to correct my original post)

my 9mm 9 rnd factory style mags are not MecGar.... they are Metalform 9s.

9mm CMC 10 rounders..... my first batch of mags had to be slammed into my SACS Custom Carry in order for them to seat with 10 rounds. CMC suggested I cut a 1.5 coils off the mag springs... which I did. Still had to do a hard seat. Even with all the trouble CMCs gave me, they ran 100%.

CMC said to send them back, and the second batch.... were not as bad to seat but when I got my Valkyrie.... the checkering on the front strap chewed away a channel on the plastic mag base, which caused the over insertion.

Did I have a mag preference.... YUP

Metalform 9s
CMC 10s with only 9 rounds in the mag. much easier to seat

[19852+]

I have three of the Tripp 10 rounders in 9mm and one in .38 super auto. They are anything but easy to load that 10th round.. Very reliable. I have one Mecgar 10x9 and it is hard to get that 10th round but is equally reliable. My Colt does feed from my supply of .38 SA mags too.

[rd62]

I have a few ETMs for my Colt 9mm Commander. I too find the difficult to load the 10th round. The angle and tension on the top round also seems a little suspect. When I get it back from Evolution Armory I may have to try some Tripp or CMC mags. Has anyone tried Brownells 9mm mags?

[45dotACP]

I have a few ETMs for my Colt 9mm Commander. I too find the difficult to load the 10th round. The angle and tension on the top round also seems a little suspect. When I get it back from Evolution Armory I may have to try some Tripp or CMC mags. Has anyone tried Brownells 9mm mags?The Brownells 10 round mags I have are basically black metalforms.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

[steve]

I just picked up a dozen of these and tested them this morning. They all ran great in my Ruger 1911 9mm. No malfunctions and smooth feeding. My 10 round Metalform mags had a nose dive feed on a mag change twice.

I ordered them from Modern Sportsman and PSA for $12.95 each. (I ordered from both because I was unfamiliar with Modern Sportsman). Shipping was $7.95 plus tax and both placed drop shipped them out of Bossier City LA.

PSA is no longer listing them but Modern Sportsman is. I have never seen them so cheap.

https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/765595105324

[45dotACP]

I just picked up a dozen of these and tested them this morning. They all ran great in my Ruger 1911 9mm. No malfunctions and smooth feeding. My 10 round Metalform mags had a nose dive feed on a mag change twice.

I ordered them from Modern Sportsman and PSA for $12.95 each. (I ordered from both because I was unfamiliar with Modern Sportsman). Shipping was $7.95 plus tax and both placed drop shipped them out of Bossier City LA.

PSA is no longer listing them but Modern Sportsman is. I have never seen them so cheap.

https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/765595105324I have one of those and it's been suitably reliable for me.

One thing that surprised me was that when I bought an Alchemy Prime in 9mm, the magazines it came with were mec gars and they've been pretty great.

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

[gato naranja]

I prefer the Metalform "Springfield/Leatham" magazines with the front crimp. That being said, we are getting good use out of most everything else too, and part of that is probably attributable to the guns having been "broken in." But...

We believe in a "stated capacity curse." I have posted this elsewhere and am probably considered certifiable because of it, but we discovered early on that if we loaded any of the various magazines down by one round, we got better results. It is just our method now; saves us from running low on expletive fluid.

[TOTS]

One thing to note is that they are coated carbon steel. That’s why they are as inexpensive as they are. I had two that rusted through the coating pretty significantly. To the point that I took pictures and their CS refunded me under their warranty. I took the money and bought the Stainless WC 10 rnds which have been flawless for about 7K split evenly among 5 mags.

[steve]

One thing to note is that they are coated carbon steel. That’s why they are as inexpensive as they are. I had two that rusted through the coating pretty significantly. To the point that I took pictures and their CS refunded me under their warranty. I took the money and bought the Stainless WC 10 rnds which have been flawless for about 7K split evenly among 5 mags.


I have seen them in the past at $20 to $25. For $12.95 I grabbed a bunch and will use them as range mags.

[CSW]

I've been carrying and shooting a Springfield Champion RO Elite in 9mm for almost two years now.
The factory supplied Springfield mags would not accept the 9th round, ever. Early on feed issue as well[less than 100 rounds into the gun, 6 mis-feeds] was definitely the factory mags. Once I went to Wilson or the Ed Brown's, the issue stopped.
Wilson's are good to go, but I prefer the Ed Brown 9 round mags. Never an issue with them and they have a trade in program, where, you can send in your old mags of any mfg. and get theirs with the base pad kit for about 10 bucks a mag.

[19852+]

I have a custom 1911 build coming up soon with a smith and I've been debating on whether I should get a 9mm build or if I should just stick with 45ACP. I've read through a few of the threads on here about 9mm 1911's and while there still doesn't seem to be a consensus on whether a 9mm 1911 is reliable enough for carry or the nightstand, I've read enough good stories on 9mm 1911's to almost want to take a chance on one.

I say "almost" because the one thing that still bothers me is reports that I hear about the 9mm 1911 magazines. What I remember reading on here is that 9mm 1911 magazines die at low round counts and they tend to fail without any warning. If this is true then this is probably a dealbreaker for me, if a 9mm 1911 mag can just go bad anytime at a moment's notice. Is this a universal experience for those of you who shoot 9mm 1911's?

Since it a custom build why not try a .38 super? I have a standard Colt in .38 super that has demonstrated exceptional reliability with good mags. Mine even has a drop in 9mm barrel for versatility. IMO the .38 super auto being nearly the same OAL as the .45 is a better bet for for reliability. Magazines, if quality, should also be durable, I know mine have been over several thousand rounds. I have a mix of Tripp and Wilson combat. The early Wilson's had a plastic follower [as did their 9mm version], the current version has a steel follower. Mine have been reliable in dust and sand. I blew a case head a couple of years ago which destroyed the plastic follower in one of my Wilson mags. It also blew out the feed lips. I bent the feed lips back to spec and replaced the follower, works 100% now.