9MM 1911 Mags

[Walkalong]

I have a S&W 1911 in 9MM, and a Colt in .38 Super that I have a 9MM barrel for. I have been running old Wilson plastic follower mags in it The kind that shipped with it) and it has run very well. I can't remember a malfunction. I have been running Check-Mate mags in the Colt and can't remember a malfunction. During this time the "Springfield" mag with the built in "feed ramp" was touted as the best. Dunno. Both the Wilson and the Check-Mate have a spacer in the rear of the mag to get the rounds close to the front of the mag since it is shorter than a .45 ACP.

That said, there are some interesting newer choices out there now. I just bought three which all have the "feed ramp" built in, copying I suppose, the "Springfield mag. Two have a rear spacer, and one has a crimped in middle in the front to take up space.

I plan to test them with a variety of 9MM ammo. (One of these days.

The Metalform and Chip McCormick both release the round at about the same spot. The Wilson holds it a bit longer before releasing it. The Chip McCormick doesn't have the dimple in the middle of the follower. I wonder why?


Anyone else have these mags? How have they performed for you?

 

[Walkalong]

One more pic

 

[bannockburn]

Walkalong

I have always used Colt magazines in my .38 Super and 9mm. guns. Never a problem with any of them. Will be interesting to see how the new magazines fare.

 

[Walkalong]

I have a Colt .38 Super mag, but bought the Check-Mates to run 9MM in it. Didn't think about looking for Colt 9MM mags. Don't remember why not.

 

[railroader]

Of the mags you have posted I have only used the metalform mags. They have worked great for me. The one thing about them they are hard to unload the rounds out of them.

 

[Kp321]

I have a Springfield RO in 9mm and use Metalform, Checkmate, and Colt mags with it. I have never had a failure to feed with any of those, but the Colt doesn't always lock back on last round. The Colt mag was purchased used and could probably benefit from a spring change. No big deal anyway, I use it for my "Barney mag".

 

[JTQ]

The Chip McCormick doesn't have the dimple in the middle of the follower. I wonder why?

The dimple is there to prevent last round inertial feed. However, the WilsonCombatRep has explained on a couple of forums over the years mags with wadcutter feed lips don't really need the dimple since the wadcutter feed lips hold the round more securely than the old GI tapered feed lips.

 

[Jim Watson]

9x9mm magazines usually work well, whether the 1950 Colt rear spacer or the SA Front Ramp.
The Metalform 9x.38 Super mag with round follower feeds 9mm quite well. It is the only mag a friend's 9mm Kimber would run on.

Of 10x9mm magazines, the Tripp has done well by me, except they are on their third springs. About like Wilson 47D .45s.

The CMC XP may be better.

Wilson ETM with plastic follower feed but are not 100% on slide stop, I use them on the IDPA slide lock reload.
Wilson ETM 2 with metal follower - WITH pimple - is in trials here.

I have a number of Metalform 10x9mm. None have their original follower or spring. They did ok from new but did not last. They are ok with a conglomeration of Metalform round and Tripp "butterfly" Super followers and springs.

 

[tcj]

I use the CMC's exclusively and have never had a problem.

 

[Walkalong]

The one thing about them they are hard to unload the rounds out of them.

With hollow point ammo the Wilson and Metalform were hard to unload. The stiff spring held the back so tight it would nose dive into the "ramp". I had to hold the nose up with something while pushing the rear of the round. They were hard for about 5 or 6 of the rounds. With the Chip McCormick mag the first two rounds were a SERIOUS PIA to get out, but then the others were easy.

I hope to shoot them this weekend. I have two types of JHPs loaded (Actually three, but only a few of the third one), three types of 124 Gr plated HPs loaded, and some RN ammo. These have all fed from the mags I have, and also from the mags for my 9MM AR.

Keep the stories of y'alls mags coming.

 

[Walkalong]

Wilson ETM 2 with metal follower - WITH pimple - is in trials here.

Would be very interested in the outcome. You will shoot them much more than I ever will.

 

[cfullgraf]

I'll be interested in the results as i just got a Springfield Range officer 9x19.

I have Springfield and Mecgar magazines but have not fired the gun yet.

I think all my 38 Super magazines are Colt. They feed round nose bullets and 158 SWC's (.358" dia) just fine.

(FYI, I have an old 38 Super barrel that head spaces on the rim and chambers the 158 SWC's just fine. The new barrels that head space on the case mouth won't chamber the SWC's.)

 

[highlander 5]

I have Wilson,Checkmate,Metalform and Tripp mags for my various 9mm 1911s and never had a failure to feed.

 

[rbmorse]

I've fired 1,100 rounds through my Kimber Stainless Target II (9mm) using the Wilson ETM gen 2 magazines without a single FTF. I only shoot 124g plated or FMJ ball ammo, though.

 

[dekibg]

still problems for me ...

I often had a failure to eject on the last round with my 9mm 1911 from Citadel ( RIA) with original Metalform magazines .
recently, I purchased $20 Checkmate magazine at the gun show.
Those FTE's on the last round are less frequent now but they still happen sometimes :banghead:
What else should I check :
- Extractor - tension seems fine based on instructional youtube videos with ability to hold the round or shell. Should I play with it and bend it just a little bit more ?
- Slide stop ? It always locks after the last round fired
- Recoil spring ? I have the original one, not sure how many lbs. is that one...

 

[gunfighter48]

I just bought a Ruger 9mm 1911 LW Commander. I also bought 4 Wilson ETM 500-9 mags for it. They work great with no malfunctions of any type.

 

[Walkalong]

I managed to get to the range today. I shot seven different bullets in all three mags using my S&W 5" 1911. I shot at least three mags with each, and when there was a problem I filled them again and tried the top round only again. All failures were the top round when loaded fully with 10 rounds.

X-Treme 124 Gr Plated HP @ 1.060 +/- OAL

Metalform: No failures

McCormick: Had the first round of the mag dive down into the "feed ramp" of the mag and stick. It did this twice in a row on the first round.

Wilson: The first round stuck down in mag. The next two tries did not.


Powerbond 124 Gr Plated HP @ 1.060 +/- OAL Pointier than the X-Treme

Metalform: No failures

McCormick: Had the first round of one mag dive down into the "feed ramp" of the mag and stick. The first round fed the next two times.

Wilson: No failures.


RMR 124 Gr JHP @ 1.120 to 1.125 OAL Out of stock. These were great bullets too.

Metalform: No failures

McCormick: No failures.

Wilson: No failures.


RMR 124 Gr Plated HP @ 1.085 +/- OAL (No pic ( Must be out of stock.), but "pointy". Shot very well in carbine)

Metalform: No failures

McCormick: No failures.

Wilson: No failures.


RMR 90 Gr JHP @ 1.065 +/- .001 OAL

Metalform: No failures

McCormick: No failures.

Wilson: No failures.


Fed 90 Gr JHP @ 1.090 to 1.095 OALNo pic, but very pointed, very small flat lead tip.

Metalform: No failures

McCormick: No failures.

Wilson: No failures.


Sierra 90 Gr JHP @ 1.018 +/- .001 OAL

Metalform: No failures

McCormick: First round in a mag nose dived and stuck on "feed ramp" of mag, with about 2/3s of the HP out of the mag. It did it two more times.

Wilson: The first round of a mag kerchunked, but fed. The next two kerchunked and fed but the fourth one stuck nose down on the "feed ramp".

----------------------

Metalform = No failures.

Chip McCormick = A couple of failures to feed on the first round.

Wilson = A couple of failures to feed the first round.


All the mags have very tight springs and are hard to load fully. The tight spring means the second round is exerting a lot of force (drag) on the top round, while the slide is pushing the top of the round. With the slide pushing on the top of the case head, and the spring causing drag on the bottom of the round, it makes them want to nose dive until rounds are fired and the spring pressure is not so great because the spring is extended a bit more. This happens in mags other than these. It is one of the reasons mag makers went to longer tubes with 1911 .45 mags when making an eight rounder. Less pressure from underneath.

I believe this, combined with the shorter OALS, and the blunter nose of the bullets that failed, is the combined culprit. A longer OAL with some of the bullets might fix it. The Sierra is going to be hard to load much longer. The PB and X-Treme could be, but this OAL works in everything else and if you only load nine in these mags. The Sierra is very short and has a large open cavity, making it prone to feed problems in a finicky gun, or a mag with very tight springs, and especially both. It did feed 100% with nine rounds in the mags.

Overall the mags did well, and there are certainly bullets/OALs that will work for pistol games where people want 10 round 9MM mags.

If I were betting my life on them, I would load them to nine rounds, and be picky about the JHP used.

Not a huge test, but a little data is better than no data.

 

[bannockburn]

Walkalong

Thanks for the testing and results analysis!

 

[Jim Watson]

In recent shooting, the Wilson ETM 2 is doing fine in the Springfield, spotty in the Colt; it will not always pick up the top round. This may be due to trying to run truncated cones and blunt coated RN up the "two piece" ramp. I have Xtreme plated RN on order, which were trouble free in that gun; slicker and pointier.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Than is for call the info Walkalong.

 

[jmorris]

When I picked up my first 9mm 1911 Springfield had a "get loaded" sort of deal going and I ordered a dozen mags because they were less than half price. Most of them wouldn't feed.

After looking for the problem it was inside the mag at the feed ramp portion. Looked like the die that punched the mag flat was likely worn and when it punched the flat left a bur, then when they were formed the bur remained on the inside of the mag. A round would begin to be stripped and the tip of the bullet would contact the shape bur and stop dead in its tracks.

To fix it I removed the follower and spring and rolled some sand paper around a dowel and sanded the bur away, all worked after that and the only problem I ever had with them.

 

[rbmorse]

Walkalong: somewhere in the sparse documentation for either the Tripp or Wilson ten-round 9mm mags (I have both and can't remember who recommended this) it says to fill the magazine to max capacity (ten-rounds) then put it away at least overnight and preferably for two or three days. This "packing" lets the spring take a set and is required for best reliability, especially when new.

 

[Walkalong]

Yes, I have no doubt some usage will help.

For what it is worth, the X-Treme, Powerbond, and Sierra Loads all run fine in my older plastic follower Wilson 9 round mags and the Checkmate 9 round mags. I haven't shot the others in them, as they are newer loads. I really like all the RMR bullets listed, as they all shot very well for me in my AR. The 124 plated at a leisurely velocity (1050ish) and the 90 & 124 Gr JHPs at full power levels.

The whole idea of course is to give IDPA shooters a ten round mag. There are going to be plenty of good bullet/OAL combinations that are going to run in these mags.