The Art and Science of Keeping Your 1911 Running

[revchuck38]

Note those are for welded base plates, while RevolverRob is looking for a more compact pad for a mag with a removable base plate. Those pads you linked won't work for his application.

Brain fart on my part, thanks! All but one of my 1911 magazines have welded bases.

[theJanitor]

This thread reminds me that if you want to keep your commander running, the first step is to not buy one from Les Baer

[Shorikid]

This thread reminds me that if you want to keep your commander running, the first step is to not buy one from Les Baer

Don't they build their commander models on a government frame and just use a shortened slide?

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[theJanitor]

Don't they build their commander models on a government frame and just use a shortened slide?

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LB uses a gov't frame and cuts the end of the dustcover off to match a commander slide. He doesn't remachine the frame to Colt's commander specs. here's a pic of my Colt LW commander frame and my steel LB commander frame.

[Shorikid]

LB uses a gov't frame and cuts the end of the dustcover off to match a commander slide. He doesn't remachine the frame to Colt's commander specs. here's a pic of my Colt LW commander frame and my steel LB commander frame.

I have no personal experience, but I have read about the shorter slide travel causing timing issues. Innovation is one thing, short cutting in the face of a proven design makes no sense to me.

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[KevH]

On the topic of magazines...

Be careful with the extended mag tubes such as the ETM when taken in combination with plastic baseplates. I've had "over insertion" issues with these when running the gun hard, especially doing slide lock reloads. The flex in the plastic base plate and the length of the tube allow the magazine feed lips to pop up just enough to scrape the bottom of the slide and hang the gun up. The exact same mags with metal base plates solve the problem. I've seen the same thing happen with CMC Powermags when pushed really hard.

My preferred magazine is the Wilson 47C (7 round with steel low profile base plate). I've yet to find a gun they don't work well in.

[JTQ]

On the topic of magazines...

Be careful with the extended mag tubes such as the ETM when taken in combination with plastic baseplates. I've had "over insertion" issues with these when running the gun hard, especially doing slide lock reloads. The flex in the plastic base plate and the length of the tube allow the magazine feed lips to pop up just enough to scrape the bottom of the slide and hang the gun up. The exact same mags with metal base plates solve the problem. I've seen the same thing happen with CMC Powermags when pushed really hard.

My preferred magazine is the Wilson 47C (7 round with steel low profile base plate). I've yet to find a gun they don't work well in.

I have seen that complaint, with pictures, but I seem to recall (possibly erroneously) it was a combination of the longer tube with the polymer bumper pad and the front strap of particular 1911's. I can't recall if is an issue across a variety of gun manufactures, or limited to certain (one?) makers with a slightly different front strap? I want to say it was a Dan Wesson issue, but I can't recall?

I don't have any ETM's, I also prefer the 47, and don't have a Dan Wesson, so it's not an issue for me and didn't follow it very closely so I could be in error.

[03RN]

Good to know. I really like the low pro steel baseplates in my Vickers mags.

[JonInWA]

I have seen that complaint, with pictures, but I seem to recall (possibly erroneously) it was a combination of the longer tube with the polymer bumper pad and the front strap of particular 1911's. I can't recall if is an issue across a variety of gun manufactures, or limited to certain (one?) makers with a slightly different front strap? I want to say it was a Dan Wesson issue, but I can't recall?

I don't have any ETM's, I also prefer the 47, and don't have a Dan Wesson, so it's not an issue for me and didn't follow it very closely so I could be in error.

That's correct regarding the polymer basepads and frontstraps. The problematic ones were 1911's where the flat at the bottom of the frontstrap was thinned, ostensibly to help in reloading. It acted as a chisel to the polymer basepad's front lip, wedging itself between the basepad and the magazine tube, inducing over-insertion.

The best solution for 1911s with that type of a frontstrap bottom was to use welded baseplate magazines, unfortunately. Nighthawk Custom provided that "feature" unasked on a Talon II that I'd otherwise custom-spec'ced; it was exceptionally frustrating. It wasn't a specified feature; apparently the Nighthawk Custom gunsmith who assembled added it at their whim, as I don't believe all NHC 1911s had it. It was a graphic example of good intentions run amok; I suspect the frontstrap "ramping" was provided because I'd specified that I did not want an additional extended magazine well.

Even with tightly fitting polymer basepads it continued to be an issue, so I simply universally went to welded basepad magazines with that specific 1911.

Best, Jon

[SW CQB 45]

happened to me with hard to seat (slide in battery) 10 round CMC 9mm mags

I have since replaced the plastic bases and these are great 9 round mags.