[Colden]

I am trying to narrow down selection and standardize on a good 1911 magazine design. I have a few requirements in mind, so please look over these before suggesting 47Ds. :)

-- 7 rounds
-- feeding lips that are made tough and don't deform/open with time
-- flat follower (with dimple) that stays put and doesn't twist in any direction
-- tough spring (to begin with) that doesn't require upgrades (I wish--ever)
-- properly welded base plate that doesn't crack and fall off
-- tough steel tube that doesn't crack down the weld line in the back
-- no plastic or polymer parts

Possible entries are Wolff 7rd magazines and perhaps some Metalform combination. What do you think?

[9mmepiphany]

do the CMC shootingstar or the tripp cobra mags qualify?

just curious, why a welded rather than removable base? i understand why you might not like polymer parts, but my favorite 1911 mag is the ACT-Mag marketed by Novak

[Colden]

I've had more than one removable base remove itself while in use. They may also be more prone to cracking.

I believe the Cobra Mag follower contains polymer and is round with long skirts. I don't know much about CMC mags, but I have heard evidence of the follower jumping in some cases. I am not sure if this applies to both styles of CMC mags. I can't find much info on the ACT-mags.

Also, who makes the body for Wolff mags? Why does it have 6 instead of 5 witness holes? Is it basically a Metalform body? If so, how is this different from standard Metalform mags in a similar configuration, other than the spring?

[stans]

I'm going to vote for Metalform or surplus, real military magazines.

[Marko Kloos]

After much trial and error, I've settled on CMC Shooting Stars with Wilson followers and springs. The Wilson followers don't eat the feed ramps on my alloy 1911s, and the CMC mags have numbered witness holes and fit flush into the guns. I don't like the base pad on the Wilson 47Ds...they add a half inch to the bottom of the gun.

[Archangel]

I also use CMC mags (in this case power mags) with wilson 47D springs and followers. Both with removable and welded floorplates. Both varieties have performed flawlessly, although the welded variety, when full, require a pretty good oomph to seat with the slide forward, even with a coil or two cut off the spring. But that's with 8 rounds. If you only want 7 rounds, just load to 7 and rock and roll.

Ditto everything that Marko said, except that I don't mind the 47D type basepad in a gun with a magwell.

FWIW, I use 10 round CMC power mags for IPSC, and have never had a mag-related malfunction. (probably pushing 10k rounds through these mags by now).