[nitesite]

When I completed my training probation with the Sheriffs Dept I was allowed to qualify with and then carry a 1911 on/off duty. I bought these stainless magazines mail order thru some ad in Combat Handguns or American Handgunner or some such. They were part of my daily carry rig. If I remember correctly, I paid almost $20 each for them. But they have no markings on them whatsoever. Today, they continue to work flawlessly. I hope some of you might remember seeing them from over 20 years ago and know who made them.

http://www.gunpix.com/gallery/Miscellaneous_and_Oddities/1911 magazines 2web.jpg

http://www.gunpix.com/gallery/Miscellaneous_and_Oddities/1911 magazines 1web.jpg

[P95Carry]

Basically I haven't a clue! (Tuner????).

Could they be Chip mags ... or did MecGar make unmarked ones ... ProMag even?

Flawless function ... can't be bad then.

[1911Tuner]

Unusual feed lip design, but the followers are dead ringers for Metalform's.
If they were bought new, I'd have to say that they're Metalforms...though
I can't see 20 bucks a copy over 20 years ago. I'd like to see another good picture of the feed lips just to make sure it's not the camera playin' tricks on me agin' Scottish eyes. :cool:

Also...Do a straight-in shot of the left side of the magazine so I can see the
slidestop elevator.

[nitesite]

Tuner-

I think the feed lips are rather unusual as well. But durn things are sure formed to stay true and are very smooth.

It's very possible that the $20 figure is high, but I remember telling myself that if I was going to have them for duty carry I had better get pretty good ones. Maybe it was closer to $14.95 each... heckuva long time ago (to me).

I'll try to get some better shots tonight. I was chaos at the nitesite household and I had to set up a very hasty spot on the dining room table, under terrible lighting. Tonight's photos will be of better quality.

Thanks for helping!

Dave (nitesite)

[Old Fuff]

I don't have the magazine handy to check, but I believe I have one that is similar, and came to me about the same time through Caspian Arms. I doubt that they made it, but they may still have some of them around. This is a long shot because I am going by my (feeble) memory, but you might check and see.

[nitesite]

http://www.gunpix.com/gallery%2FMiscellaneous%5Fand%5FOddities%2F1911%20mag%20breakdown%2Ejpg

http://www.gunpix.com/gallery%2FMiscellaneous%5Fand%5FOddities%2F1911%20mag%20breakdown4%2Ejpg

[grendelbane]

I thought I had an answer for you. I have one stainless steel magazine from that time frame. However, it does not have a follower like yours.

[Rupestris]

I have a blued Metalform magazine with the same follower.
http://www.metalformmagazines.com
Mine does have a Metalform logo and ".45 A.C.P." stamped on the base tho. :confused:

[1911Tuner]

Oh yeah....It's a Metalform follower for sure. I didn't realize that they had been makin' that follower for that long.

[BluesBear]

If my memory serves me correctly.. and that's a big maybe lately, I rcall magazine just like those.

The ones I recall came from Vega as extra/replacement magazines for their pistols in the 1980-82 timeframe.

Back when I was a dealer I sold a few of the Vega pistols because they were just about the only game in town for Stainless Steel 1911 pattern pistols.
When I ordered extra magazines sometimes I got one that said "Vega .45 Auto" on the floorplate in typeface identical to Colt's with Pachmayr style followers or I got the plain base ones like that with what later was known to me as Metalform followers.

Now as to who actually made the stainless magazines way back then I have no idea. But as strange as it may seem to todays shooters, ANY stainless steel magazine (or any other gunpart for that matter) in that timeframe was unusual.

My semi-edumicated guess would be that your magazines in the photos are Metalform magazines made under contract for someone else (maybe Vega maybe not) and that's why there are no Metalform markings to be found.

As a side note I still had two Vega marked magazines whan I moved from KY to WA in 1999 but they were lost in the shuffle. They had always been 100% performers.

[nitesite]

Tuner, BluesBear, OldFuff... well heck, all of you!

Thanks for jumping in and helping me with my question.

They work as smooth and reliable as one could hope for. Wish I could have bought more, but it sounds like I'll go with more of the 'new' Metalforms.

And I remember some other deputies commenting back then that they oughta get some stainless mags as well but hadn't seen any in stores. So I guess they were fairly unusual.

Thanks All!!!

nitesite

[Jim Watson]

I once had a pair of the old Laka magazines with that follower and still have a couple of Kart brand magazines with the same style. Metalform makes a lot of sheetmetal products besides magazines and I wonder if they were maybe supplying followers or even whole mags to other companies before they started selling them under their own name. They have been in business over 30 years.

[Andrew Wyatt]

those look like the lakas i have.

are they hard to seat?

[sm]

Clark's ?

Sure reminds me of some 7 rd Clark's , can't place how long ago though. In fact I think Clark's still sells these...