1911 mags - 7 to 8 round conversion?

[toecutter]

So, this may be a stupid question to some. But I was tearing apart one of my 1911 mags for cleaning the other day, and I started wondering why the surplus 1911 mags I bought for $5 are somehow inferior to the commercial mags I would buy for $30. The thing I was wondering, is it seems there is no reason why you couldn't shave some metal off the bottom of the follower, and turn that 7 round mag into an 8 round mag with a bare minimum of time (measure, measure, cut). While I could see this potentially stressing the military spring, what if I were to replace it with one of those chromium silicon springs that sell for more than I paid for my mag?

Fortunately or not, I was never impressed enough with an 8 round mag to buy one (bare economics, I get +1 round spending enough money to buy mags to hold 42 rounds) however, this means I've never taken one apart.

Anyone out there care to shed some light on what the differences might be between an 8 round and a 7 round?

 

[wally]

If you cut the bottom of the follower to make room you will (a) over compress the spring and (b) the follower won't track correctly inside the body. It may work but usually not for long.

IF you want 8-round 1911 mags, get the CMC "Tactical" mags from www.cdnnsports.com. Usually have them for $10-15 depending in finish and if they have the "bumper pads" or not.

I've never seen the need for the expensive 1911 mags, all my 1911s work fine with the various "GI clone" mags out there for under $10 and the 8-round CMC and Mec-Gar/ACT/Novak.

--wally.

 

[toecutter]

Wally,

I'm more just trying to determine what the actual difference is. Do 8 round mags use a different follower? Different spring? Different mag body?

 

[CWL]

I think that you are contemplating a lot of work just to fit one more round into that magazine -and with total failure as a potential.

You should change out the springs to 8-rd ones first, then add new followers if necessary. There are a variety of different feed lips used on M1911 mags, these may still affect your ability to convert them into 8-rounders.

 

[ninja45]

Do not try to attempt to convert a 7 round mag into an 8 rounder but cutting and filing existing parts (i.e. spring and follower). Althought the mag body is dimensionally the same, the spring weight and follower is designed DIFFERENTLY.

Buy 8 rounder mags if you want your pistol to hold 8 rounds in your magazine.

 

[Obiwan]

And if you want it to be reliable...

Don't buy cheap mags.......

they are the feeding device for your pistol....not a ammo holder

 

[wally]

Yes the 8-round CMC have basically the same body, but very different follower and spring. Devel/Shooting Star used to sell conversion kits of the spring and follower, but these make little sense unless you can find them for about half or less of what CDNN sells the CMC mags.

--wally.