I just purchased a Colt 1991A1 Compact Model (officer) primarily for concealed carry. It came with a 6 round colt magazine and a 7 round Kimber magazine but I’d like to get a few more good quality mags for it. I’m probably going to be getting mags from Wilson Combat but am unsure whether to get the traditional 6 round magazines or the newer 7 round magazines.
My father, who has been collecting and using 1911s for about 40 years, says that he would never use anything but a standard 6 round magazine in an officer size pistol because the newer larger capacity magazines are not as consistent, not as reliable, wear out faster, and have issues with failure to feed on the last round. He says that if he had a 7 round magazine he would only ever load 6 rounds in it anyway because of issues.
Now, I haven’t had any issues yet with the 7 round Kimber magazine and my own online reading has led me to come to the conclusion that the issues with higher capacity magazines are only really an issue when you purchase “cheap” magazines and don’t seem to apply to good quality mags like those made by Wilson Combat etc. It seems like the only time people in the online gun community report problems with the functioning of the higher capacity mags is when they’re using the cheaper generic mags while those using the high end mags do not have any issues.
If I have one magazine in the pistol and am carrying two extras the additional 3 rounds I would gain from having 7 round magazines would increase my overall stopping power by about 16% which could be a big deal in a self defense situation (although it can be argued that if I’m going through ALL my rounds there’s something seriously wrong
). However, if that extra 16% reduces the overall functional reliability of my firearm it certainly would NOT be worth it.
I’d really appreciate everyone’s feedback regarding the 6 round magazines vs the 7 round magazines in a compact officer size 1911 . . . . . what are your thoughts and experiences? Is my father right or are his conclusions based on old information?
Many Thanks,
~ evenstill
My father, who has been collecting and using 1911s for about 40 years, says that he would never use anything but a standard 6 round magazine in an officer size pistol because the newer larger capacity magazines are not as consistent, not as reliable, wear out faster, and have issues with failure to feed on the last round. He says that if he had a 7 round magazine he would only ever load 6 rounds in it anyway because of issues.
Now, I haven’t had any issues yet with the 7 round Kimber magazine and my own online reading has led me to come to the conclusion that the issues with higher capacity magazines are only really an issue when you purchase “cheap” magazines and don’t seem to apply to good quality mags like those made by Wilson Combat etc. It seems like the only time people in the online gun community report problems with the functioning of the higher capacity mags is when they’re using the cheaper generic mags while those using the high end mags do not have any issues.
If I have one magazine in the pistol and am carrying two extras the additional 3 rounds I would gain from having 7 round magazines would increase my overall stopping power by about 16% which could be a big deal in a self defense situation (although it can be argued that if I’m going through ALL my rounds there’s something seriously wrong
). However, if that extra 16% reduces the overall functional reliability of my firearm it certainly would NOT be worth it.I’d really appreciate everyone’s feedback regarding the 6 round magazines vs the 7 round magazines in a compact officer size 1911 . . . . . what are your thoughts and experiences? Is my father right or are his conclusions based on old information?
Many Thanks,
~ evenstill
