Colt 45 and Factory 8 Round Magazines

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Gentlemen, A word of explanation. I retired in 1999 with over 24 years of active duty including combat time (Combat Action Ribbon). Despite my combat time in four tours my 45 (two tours) was kept in a shoulder holster or hip holster with no round in the chamber. Panama, DESERT STORM and Somalia were different... Beretta 92FS holstered but a round in the chamber. It was not until I retired in Virginia and got my CCW that I started to carry full time. I love classic arms like the Detective Special and S&W Model 36/60 or S&W Model 15 and carry these routinely. I carry my Browning HP with round in the chamber, hammer down and weapon on safe. Same is when I carry my Beretta 92FS or Beretta 82F. I carry my Glock 26 or Gen 2 and 5 loaded with round in the Chamber. Carry decisions are based on where I am traveling to..... local carry equates to light carry.... Northern VA on RT 95 is Hi-Cap Carry. My practice sessions are weekly with my current carry gun of the week. Bottom line is that my concealed carry experience is really only 20 years and many days the piece must be carried in my helmet bag and left in my car because the Doctors office bans all firearms except Law Enforcement. I just feel uncomfortable with the Colt Automatic Single Action and this includes the Colt 32/380 line (Mustang, Pocketlite, Govt Model and Pocket Hammerless). The Colt Automatic 45 is a great piece and I love it but it is dated, Its just my preference. By the way, my Colt is replacing my Browning HP as a "House / Anti Home Invasion Gun." I appreciate all your comments. Thanks
 
Bedfordtec said:
I carry my Browning HP with round in the chamber, hammer down and weapon on safe.
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Can you do that with the Browning Hi-Power?

You can't engage the safety on a 1911 with the hammer down. I always assumed the Hi-Power was the same. Not that it makes much difference since pulling the trigger on either, with the hammer down won't do anything.
 
Agree. It has been a long time since I had a Browning and I never explored that condition of readiness.
It means you have TWO operations to complete before you can fire.
Two too many. If you don't trust yourself with cocked and locked, get a Beretta.
 
Old Dog said:
Just speculation, but I'm thinking that was an amazed response to your statement (a bit of hyperbole, perhaps? -- "you'll never find a more reliable ...").

Some of us would respectfully disagree with your position on the USGI magazines ... our opinions based on years of experience with them, not what we see on internet forums.
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At 71 y.o. you best believe I know a thing or two about these guns bub.
 
Well, you've got me beat by a handful of years, but I still disagree with your perception of the USGI magazines' reliability. My age has zero to do with establishing my bona fides relative to the 1911, though I did carry one regularly, shoot them often, and instructed the pistol for more than half of my military career. Alas, by 1993 we'd completed our transition to the M9 ... so I got to go to the desert with, you guessed, crap GI mags manufactured by Checkmate for that pistol.

Wish I had a dollar for every guy I know that ever went to a gunshow, came back bragging about the great deal he got on GI mags, a pile for 6 bucks a pop ... and then took them to the range.

No GI mags in this pile ...
mags.jpg
 
My Ruger SR1911 I have run the factory 7 and 8 round mags and they have been good so far, but the best mags for function have been Promag 8 rounders. I have close to 3500-4000 rounds and still going great.
I am sure that they will all fail this weekend but for now I am happy.
YMMV
 
I see this as a mechanical issue, spring fatigue. Reminds me of the notorious "jamming" issue of M-16's in 'Nam. By my arrival in 1969, the powder, and mechanical issues were addressed, but some still had malfunctions from stovepipes. Somebody figured out it was spring tension. When we received loaded mags, the first thing we did was strip off 2 rounds. So I carried 50 or more mags loaded with 18, and never had a stovepipe. Ten's of thousands rounds fired and never had a malfunction with my much abused and poorly maintained M-16.
When I got my Colt 1911 Gold Cup Trophy, I disassembled the two mags. Same space internally - so what's the difference? Spring compression.
Obviously, some manufacturers have found that better springs hold up better.
My 1911 is in my bedside nightstand with one in the chamber and six in the mag. Another 3 mags are close by. If I have a shootout in my bedroom, it'll be over one way or another before I empty one mag.
 
wst38tx said:
When I got my Colt 1911 Gold Cup Trophy, I disassembled the two mags. Same space internally - so what's the difference? Spring compression.
Click to expand...
Usually, the primary difference between a 7 round and 8 round mag (the spring is a secondary difference), with the same tube length, is the follower. You can't get 8 in a tube with the typical 7 round follower.
 
I have 30+ 8-round mags of different makes. Of those, I have never had a problem w/ Wilson or Tripp Research.

Get some training w/ your 1911 and carry it in Condition-1.
 
Bedfordtec said:
Gentlemen, A word of explanation. I retired in 1999 with over 24 years of active duty including combat time (Combat Action Ribbon). Despite my combat time in four tours my 45 (two tours) was kept in a shoulder holster or hip holster with no round in the chamber. Panama, DESERT STORM and Somalia were different... Beretta 92FS holstered but a round in the chamber. It was not until I retired in Virginia and got my CCW that I started to carry full time. I love classic arms like the Detective Special and S&W Model 36/60 or S&W Model 15 and carry these routinely. I carry my Browning HP with round in the chamber, hammer down and weapon on safe. Same is when I carry my Beretta 92FS or Beretta 82F. I carry my Glock 26 or Gen 2 and 5 loaded with round in the Chamber. Carry decisions are based on where I am traveling to..... local carry equates to light carry.... Northern VA on RT 95 is Hi-Cap Carry. My practice sessions are weekly with my current carry gun of the week. Bottom line is that my concealed carry experience is really only 20 years and many days the piece must be carried in my helmet bag and left in my car because the Doctors office bans all firearms except Law Enforcement. I just feel uncomfortable with the Colt Automatic Single Action and this includes the Colt 32/380 line (Mustang, Pocketlite, Govt Model and Pocket Hammerless). The Colt Automatic 45 is a great piece and I love it but it is dated, Its just my preference. By the way, my Colt is replacing my Browning HP as a "House / Anti Home Invasion Gun." I appreciate all your comments. Thanks
Click to expand...
Amazing that you carry Glocks in condition one, but yet have the hammer down on a BHP. Hmm. I'd suggest the 1911 and BHP to be safer hammer back, safety on, w/ round chambered.
 
Haven't dealt with any Colt magazines. Wilsons are by far the best. Although my 8 round Ed Brown magazines have had no issue loading all 8 and 1 in the chamber. One of the Achilles heel of the 1911 is capacity. And the platform is picky about magazines. It is worth the expense to find what magazines work best and carry as much ammo as you can.
 
I have had good luck with 8 round shooting star/ McCormick mags, as well as Wilsons.
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My experience as well. Those brands have worked just as well as 7 round mags for me, in my pistols.
 
I've always used and carried 8 round mags in all my 1911s including a handful of colts. I read that too online about 8 round mags being untrustworthy and unreliable etc. those anti 8 rounder cheerleaders remind me of the mim parts fear folks. usually they are the same folks too.

I dont believe it myself. I've shot so many rounds through various 1911s with 8 round mags from various makers including colt flush bottom oem ones. im not worried and will continue to be an 8 round mags user.
 
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