Yet another informative and professionally created video. You are a wealth of knowledge, I for one appreciate your experience and expertise. I will be measuring all of my new magazines as I've picked a number of new 1911's in the past year.
I'm typing this as I'm watching/listening to this RUclips video. I really wish the 10-8Performance 1911 magazine article was still available as it's helped so many folks in the past. It might be dated, but the info is still relevant and many/most of the referenced mags are still current and new. I know some folks learn well by RUclips, but others learn by studying an internet article. I hope you bring back the 1911 magazine and some of the other articles to your website someday.
I wholeheartedly agree! When I was breaking in my Kimber Raptor II 5", wanted to know what was the most reliable mag in that gun, so I cycled through Checkmate (labeled Kimber that came with the gun), Wolff, Ed Brown, Tripp Cobra, and Wilson, never running the same mag twice in a row, and kept detailed records for the first 2000 rounds through that gun. I threw out the results of the first 200 rounds so that the gun had enough rounds to settle in. After that I found the the Checkmate had a few FTFs on last two rounds and twice again on the last round, Wilson had a FTFs on first round, and the Wilson had a double feed on second to last round, the Ed Brown had an FTF on the third round. No failures with the Trip Cobra or Wolff mags. But the problem with the Wolff mag was that it would sometime stick in the mag well after pressing the mag release, I don't know if it was the glossy bluing, but it did measure slightly wider than the rest. So that left the Tripp Cobra as the "winner" of my not-so-scientific magazine "shootout".
I have a Series 70 I bought in 1973 and just put it into service. I needed extra mags and was told the Wilson Combat were the ones to get so I bought 3. They hold an extra round so the mag sticks out a bit. I hope I did well on the purchase.
Great video! I bought 8 Kimber Tac Pro mags when they came out years ago. I was competing in IDPA with a 1911. After about a year and a half, maybe 6,000 rounds total through the various mags, I started having issues with them. I called Kimber and they told me the mag springs had most likely lived their life cycle, but they would sell me new springs for $8 a piece. The mags promptly went in the Equipment Exchange on arfcom. I shoot my Glocks and M&Ps way more these days, but I am going to dig out my 1911 stuff this afternoon and examine my mags!
Excellent video, no more 10 rounders for me. Had two out of three older CMC cause give me problems this past range session. One last comment, you should try not to look up so much while commenting . Keep up the good work.
Hilton, at one time (like a decade ago or more) you used to recommend as a bombproof 7-round mag a Chip McCormick Powermag tube retrofitted with a Tripp Research Super-7 kit. Do you still recommend this setup for those of us that still prefer a 7-round mag?
Thank you for the video. Regarding 2011 mags, which I suspect are similar in many ways. Since they merge from a double stack into a single column, does that place significantly more pressure on the feed lips? If so, does that reduce their service life and require more vigilance for users?
I suggest minimizing how often loaded/partially loaded 2011 mags get dropped due to the weight of the column of rounds. The shoulder where the stack goes from double to single is also a stress point and damage/wear to the geometry and surfaces there can contribute to a log jam of rounds.
Thank you this information accurate i personally load 1 rd less in all my magazine THIS makes less stress n magazine last longer .also life of a magazine
Would it have been a good idea to discuss feed lip design? There are tapered feed lips (orginal GI), parallel feed lips (wadcutter), and hybrid feed lips (a cross between tapered and parallel). If I'm not mistaken, the best example of the 1911 controllled feed design happens with a tapered feed lip magazine running ball ammo. I'd venture to guess the hybrid design is best if one is running ball, wadcutter, and hollow point ammo through their mags. I'm not sure, though. Do you have an opinion about what feed lips are best for each general type of ammo?
Really awesome video! Do you have ideas on how to solve nosedive problems? I have 5 8 round Chip McCormick mag's and they work great with fmj round nose but they won't feed any flat nose, hp or jhp. They may feed these types of rounds if you only load one or two but never a full magazine. I also have 2 Wilson Combat 10s and one WC 8 round and they all have the same problem. Works great with round nose but not with flat's or hp. The gun I have is a custom 1911 with 5" kkm bull barrel. I would be very thankful for any help in this matter !
Sir, you state in the video when the spring is shot, the whole magazine should be trashed. Does that pertain to the Chip McCormick railed powermags that have reinforced feed lips? I'm wondering if the spring is shot on that mag, maybe it only needs a new spring.
Great video as always....i have several Mec-Gar 10rd 9mm mags which all have the plastic follower. Is it possible to replace the follower with a anti tilt follower. I have had to many failure to feed due rounds nose driving
@hiltonyam concerning the life of magazines: would it be a good idea to have a set of mags that are used for EDC and a separate set that you take to the range?
great video!!! lots of really good info. do you think you could do a 9mm single stack version of the video. i think that there are more variables with the 9mm mags being a very different cartridge from the .45 acp. i really curious about this since this will be my first season shooting IPSC classic division and shooting minor. thanks
I'll keep it in mind but other than the construction format of the 9mm mag, the inspection points are the same. Just make sure the mags work with your gun/ammo combo and go from there.
Hi, thanks for the informative video. Also wondering what's really the difference in wear on the magazine between a slide lock reload and a regular reload? Thanks!
Signifcant. Slide lock reloads stop the mag on the base pad and the column of rounds accelerates and stops against the feed lips. Neither of those happen with a slide forward reload as the top round stops against the slide and cushions the impact of seating the mag. Night and day.
@@108Performance thanks for the info. Guess I will be bringing the slide forward from now on before reloading from empty unless I'm in a firefight, lol.
@@sctm81 Don't do that. Train properly - you don't get to preplan reloads, so train slide lock reloads. As I note in the video, magazines are disposable - use them up. That's their function.
LOOKING to get a neww single stack 1911 . LOVE the 10-8 pistol YOUU used too build . Who whould You reconmend building me one . I'm a left hand shooter and need a light rail . love Your channel !
I'm not Hilton, but I've shot both systems for 3 decades now. I can say without reservation that Glock magazines do NOT wear out feed-lips like 1911 magazines (any brand). Glock mags simply last longer. I replace springs about once a year and floor-plates much less often. Glock's not a perfect system, but their magazines are one thing they consistently get right.
@@grantorino2009 I agree with you. Same experience as you over the past 30 years. My reason for asking has to do with procedures for clearing open slide stoppages (double feed and failure to extract). When I ran 1911's back in the 90's, I was taught to lock the slide back, drop the magazine, if I saw a stuck case to then optionally rack the slide 3 times, insert spare magazine, rack the slide, and fire. When I started running Glock in the 2010's, I was taught to simply rip the magazine, re-insert the same magazine, rack the slide, and fire. While this is definitely faster than the aforementioned legacy method, I've always felt this procedure was more directed at limp wristed induced double feeds and not directed at double feeds due to out of spec magazine lips, nor directed at failures to extract. So with polymer frame guns and this faster procedure, the trade off is you are hoping the root cause was not a fault magazine or failure to extract.
You guys are on the right track. In 9mm Glocks, magazines tend to last an extremely long time. The geometry of the lips/tube and feed way path are totally different than a 1911 and the feed lips don't take the same abuse and street. I have seen a ton of Glock mags fail in .40, but rarely in 9mm (in stock configuration).
My set of used p220 mags on their at from eBay!!! Now u have me worried 😂 well I can send em back if they don’t work properly. I got 10 rd blued i should probably got 8 rd stainless for only 10$ more
That annoying noise with the chapter headings has driven me off your channel. This could be informative, but I can't stand the blast of deafening kaka.
108Performance ha, no, not in daily use. Some of them are Colt marked SS checkmate 8 rounders. A few of them, I dropped some Tripp Research 7 round “kits” into and kept driving. I will make sure to double check my older magazines.
Because it would be to thick to fit in the magwell. You can't get the strength from the polymer thin enough to fit the magwell and still be strong enough to hold the rounds.
I don't think that you should suggest putting worn out or defective magazines on EBay, you could cost someone their life doing that, drawing a gun and the magazine error jams the gun in an emergency or protection of life scenario.
Anyone purchasing defensive use magazines from an eBay listing of *used* magazines or a listing such as mine which shows "For parts or not working," has bigger problems at hand.
Those worn old mage are great for defensive range training. Perfect opportunity to do combat malfunction clearances! Why risk damaging new mags by droping them on hard surfaces? @@108Performance
Yet another informative and professionally created video. You are a wealth of knowledge, I for one appreciate your experience and expertise. I will be measuring all of my new magazines as I've picked a number of new 1911's in the past year.
I'm typing this as I'm watching/listening to this RUclips video. I really wish the 10-8Performance 1911 magazine article was still available as it's helped so many folks in the past. It might be dated, but the info is still relevant and many/most of the referenced mags are still current and new. I know some folks learn well by RUclips, but others learn by studying an internet article. I hope you bring back the 1911 magazine and some of the other articles to your website someday.
Thank you for your insightful feedback, I appreciate it.
Tripp Cobra Mags are my go to for both 45 and 9mm.
Same. It’s the only mag that will function properly with hollow points out of the package. I’ve had issues with every mag except Tripp in 9mm and 45.
@@darrenbishop4327 Really?! So you've had issues even with wilson combat mags?
@@kennethowenocampo73 Yes. I bought two new 47d mags in 45 and neither one feed properly.
I wholeheartedly agree! When I was breaking in my Kimber Raptor II 5", wanted to know what was the most reliable mag in that gun, so I cycled through Checkmate (labeled Kimber that came with the gun), Wolff, Ed Brown, Tripp Cobra, and Wilson, never running the same mag twice in a row, and kept detailed records for the first 2000 rounds through that gun. I threw out the results of the first 200 rounds so that the gun had enough rounds to settle in. After that I found the the Checkmate had a few FTFs on last two rounds and twice again on the last round, Wilson had a FTFs on first round, and the Wilson had a double feed on second to last round, the Ed Brown had an FTF on the third round.
No failures with the Trip Cobra or Wolff mags. But the problem with the Wolff mag was that it would sometime stick in the mag well after pressing the mag release, I don't know if it was the glossy bluing, but it did measure slightly wider than the rest.
So that left the Tripp Cobra as the "winner" of my not-so-scientific magazine "shootout".
My 10rd Tripp had a failure to feed
I have a Series 70 I bought in 1973 and just put it into service. I needed extra mags and was told the Wilson Combat were the ones to get so I bought 3. They hold an extra round so the mag sticks out a bit. I hope I did well on the purchase.
Stick with my cited inspection points and you'll likely do just fine with them.
Have you tried any other brands besides the wilson combat? And how are the wilson combat ones holding up? And were they the 7 or 8rd?
Great video! I bought 8 Kimber Tac Pro mags when they came out years ago. I was competing in IDPA with a 1911. After about a year and a half, maybe 6,000 rounds total through the various mags, I started having issues with them. I called Kimber and they told me the mag springs had most likely lived their life cycle, but they would sell me new springs for $8 a piece. The mags promptly went in the Equipment Exchange on arfcom.
I shoot my Glocks and M&Ps way more these days, but I am going to dig out my 1911 stuff this afternoon and examine my mags!
Excellent video, no more 10 rounders for me. Had two out of three older CMC cause give me problems this past range session. One last comment, you should try not to look up so much while commenting .
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the feedback, genuinely appreciate it!
Very informative-thanks!
Hilton, at one time (like a decade ago or more) you used to recommend as a bombproof 7-round mag a Chip McCormick Powermag tube retrofitted with a Tripp Research Super-7 kit. Do you still recommend this setup for those of us that still prefer a 7-round mag?
I subscribed because I appreciate Experts in their field. The level of knowledge is only obtained from years of experience.
Glad I came upon your channel!!! Another Great education video!
Wilson Combat ETM HD/+P & Wilson-Vickers ETM-V magazines are the gold standard and Wilson guarantees them flat wire spring and all for life!
Excellent and articulate. Thumbs up vid.
I've never considered magazines "disposable" as magazine manufacturers don't charge disposable prices.
We bought a CM 10rd .45 mag at a gun show, blew my Mind that a single mag Cost 4,500pesos and the cheapest 1911 there is 20,000pesos like wth.
Thank you for the video. Regarding 2011 mags, which I suspect are similar in many ways. Since they merge from a double stack into a single column, does that place significantly more pressure on the feed lips? If so, does that reduce their service life and require more vigilance for users?
I suggest minimizing how often loaded/partially loaded 2011 mags get dropped due to the weight of the column of rounds. The shoulder where the stack goes from double to single is also a stress point and damage/wear to the geometry and surfaces there can contribute to a log jam of rounds.
Thank you this information accurate i personally load 1 rd less in all my magazine THIS makes less stress n magazine last longer .also life of a magazine
Thank you
Don’t early release style feedlips like on CMC’s and Wilson circumvent the proper controlled feed operation of the 1911?
Excellent video, learned much. What does 10-8 stand for?
Radio code meaning "in service" or "on duty".
Would it have been a good idea to discuss feed lip design? There are tapered feed lips (orginal GI), parallel feed lips (wadcutter), and hybrid feed lips (a cross between tapered and parallel). If I'm not mistaken, the best example of the 1911 controllled feed design happens with a tapered feed lip magazine running ball ammo. I'd venture to guess the hybrid design is best if one is running ball, wadcutter, and hollow point ammo through their mags. I'm not sure, though. Do you have an opinion about what feed lips are best for each general type of ammo?
Yes they’d something to do with good feed lips and follower 100%.
Really awesome video! Do you have ideas on how to solve nosedive problems? I have 5 8 round Chip McCormick mag's and they work great with fmj round nose but they won't feed any flat nose, hp or jhp. They may feed these types of rounds if you only load one or two but never a full magazine. I also have 2 Wilson Combat 10s and one WC 8 round and they all have the same problem. Works great with round nose but not with flat's or hp. The gun I have is a custom 1911 with 5" kkm bull barrel. I would be very thankful for any help in this matter !
Custom from who and who fit the KKM barrel
Sir, you state in the video when the spring is shot, the whole magazine should be trashed. Does that pertain to the Chip McCormick railed powermags that have reinforced feed lips? I'm wondering if the spring is shot on that mag, maybe it only needs a new spring.
Great video as always....i have several Mec-Gar 10rd 9mm mags which all have the plastic follower. Is it possible to replace the follower with a anti tilt follower. I have had to many failure to feed due rounds nose driving
@hiltonyam concerning the life of magazines: would it be a good idea to have a set of mags that are used for EDC and a separate set that you take to the range?
The basic mil-spec magazines shirt hollow points and everything 7 Rounders
Only mags I didn't have issues with so far are the Tripp Research 8 rounders.
Those are solid mags, used them a lot in the past.
Appreciate the video, but nothing about feed lips?
great video!!! lots of really good info. do you think you could do a 9mm single stack version of the video. i think that there are more variables with the 9mm mags being a very different cartridge from the .45 acp. i really curious about this since this will be my first season shooting IPSC classic division and shooting minor. thanks
I'll keep it in mind but other than the construction format of the 9mm mag, the inspection points are the same. Just make sure the mags work with your gun/ammo combo and go from there.
Do you have discounted, lightly used 1911 mags in your store? 😂
Impeccable content.
Thankyou for sharing your experience very helpful
Good stuff Hilton. Do you find bullet weight makes a difference in feeding In different slide lengths?
Bullet nose profile is the biggest issue - some lighter bullets are really short, and some JHP are super square and just unkind to feed.
Ed Brown does magazine exchanges for $10
Is that still current info in 2024?
@@HK-qj4im yup
Do you have used mags on the site
Hi, thanks for the informative video. Also wondering what's really the difference in wear on the magazine between a slide lock reload and a regular reload? Thanks!
Signifcant. Slide lock reloads stop the mag on the base pad and the column of rounds accelerates and stops against the feed lips. Neither of those happen with a slide forward reload as the top round stops against the slide and cushions the impact of seating the mag. Night and day.
@@108Performance thanks for the info. Guess I will be bringing the slide forward from now on before reloading from empty unless I'm in a firefight, lol.
@@sctm81 Don't do that. Train properly - you don't get to preplan reloads, so train slide lock reloads. As I note in the video, magazines are disposable - use them up. That's their function.
@@108Performance good point... thanks.
LOOKING to get a neww single stack 1911 . LOVE the 10-8 pistol YOUU used too build . Who whould You reconmend building me one . I'm a left hand shooter and need a light rail . love Your channel !
Do you think the feed lips on say a newer Glock metal lined polymer magazine can wear out like 1911 magazines do?
I'm not Hilton, but I've shot both systems for 3 decades now. I can say without reservation that Glock magazines do NOT wear out feed-lips like 1911 magazines (any brand). Glock mags simply last longer. I replace springs about once a year and floor-plates much less often. Glock's not a perfect system, but their magazines are one thing they consistently get right.
@@grantorino2009 I agree with you. Same experience as you over the past 30 years.
My reason for asking has to do with procedures for clearing open slide stoppages (double feed and failure to extract).
When I ran 1911's back in the 90's, I was taught to lock the slide back, drop the magazine, if I saw a stuck case to then optionally rack the slide 3 times, insert spare magazine, rack the slide, and fire.
When I started running Glock in the 2010's, I was taught to simply rip the magazine, re-insert the same magazine, rack the slide, and fire. While this is definitely faster than the aforementioned legacy method, I've always felt this procedure was more directed at limp wristed induced double feeds and not directed at double feeds due to out of spec magazine lips, nor directed at failures to extract. So with polymer frame guns and this faster procedure, the trade off is you are hoping the root cause was not a fault magazine or failure to extract.
You guys are on the right track. In 9mm Glocks, magazines tend to last an extremely long time. The geometry of the lips/tube and feed way path are totally different than a 1911 and the feed lips don't take the same abuse and street. I have seen a ton of Glock mags fail in .40, but rarely in 9mm (in stock configuration).
I need extras for my Kimber Ultra 2 .45 what's your suggestion
Video outlines the concepts so you can pick for yourself. Wilson ETM or CMC Power Mag if you can’t.
Hilton what's your opinion on keeping a magazine loaded all the time for home defense?
An empty mag kept for the same purpose would be useless
@@108Performance will the springs go bad being at constant compression?
@@azrael3758 Watch the video. Replace mags when they wear out from being used as needed.
@@108Performance, “A gun that’s unloaded and cocked ain’t good for nothin’”
Marshal Rooster Cogburn
My set of used p220 mags on their at from eBay!!! Now u have me worried 😂 well I can send em back if they don’t work properly. I got 10 rd blued i should probably got 8 rd stainless for only 10$ more
That annoying noise with the chapter headings has driven me off your channel. This could be informative, but I can't stand the blast of deafening kaka.
Gosh, I have some 1911 .45 magazines that are at least 15-20 years old 😳😳😳
If they haven't been in constant daily use for 15-20 years, they may well be fine.
108Performance ha, no, not in daily use. Some of them are Colt marked SS checkmate 8 rounders. A few of them, I dropped some Tripp Research 7 round “kits” into and kept driving. I will make sure to double check my older magazines.
I'm new to firearms, and even newer to 1911. Coming from Glock, why doesn't anyone make polymer magazines for the 1911 instead of the thin metal?
Because it would be to thick to fit in the magwell. You can't get the strength from the polymer thin enough to fit the magwell and still be strong enough to hold the rounds.
So my question is are metal feeders bad when it come to the feeding ramp
Will it damage it and cause issues in a 1911. Where you have to go to a gun Smith to replace it.
Metal feeders? If you mean followers, no. Your mags aren’t going to damage your gun.
i’ve seen metal followers like cmc ding alloy feed ramps with extended use
I have 50 (slightly used) mags for sale..hehe
I don't think that you should suggest putting worn out or defective magazines on EBay, you could cost someone their life doing that, drawing a gun and the magazine error jams the gun in an emergency or protection of life scenario.
Anyone purchasing defensive use magazines from an eBay listing of *used* magazines or a listing such as mine which shows "For parts or not working," has bigger problems at hand.
I don’t expect used magazines to be flawless. I don’t expect anyone else with common sense to either.
was a very stupid thing to say, and like most with inflated egos will not admit it
Those worn old mage are great for defensive range training. Perfect opportunity to do combat malfunction clearances! Why risk damaging new mags by droping them on hard surfaces? @@108Performance
Lol, smart people dont buy used shit...or anything off eBay....
The CMC mags will NOT feed the last round, ever. The OEM Tisas and Taurus mags function perfectly.
Thank you