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These are what I got online for my 9mm semi-auto and they would be better than aluminum so it seems:
Dropping Slide on Empty Chamber--Bad for Gun
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Dragonfly
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The instructions that came with a Nighthawk Custom pistol I used to own said that while dry firing was fine and encouraged dropping the slide on an empty chamber was not recommended. I figured those guys knew what they were talking about.
trackskippy
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The main problem I have with "dummies" is, they look like loaded ammo when in the gun. Snap caps, are usually readily identifiable with a quick glance.
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
I don’t work for Charles Daly, or pretend to know about their pistols intimately, but it shouldn’t be.
All these parts should be hardened. Surface hardened at the least. Riding the hammer with thumb pressure at break puts increased forces on surfaces that we don’t really want to wear or change, but to cause functional damage seems a stretch.
I am sure a target trigger, tuned to a shooter, can be changed with hard use or misuse, but I try to remember these pistols were designed for horsemen. Not the easiest and cleanest life ever. I wonder what trail dust does to a sear that soft.
However, Bill Wilson and Hilton Yam stated damage WILL occur with every bad manipulation. And I know they shoot more than I.(For sure they’re smarter, about firearms, I got ‘em on wood and trees…
)On a true half cock 1911, at half cock the hammer and sear are locked together, preventing movement until the hammer is at full cock again. (If that isn’t a safety, what is?)
Just bumping the hammer spur on a stirrup in this condition would put more stress on the sear and hammer faces than a thumb-fire, I would think.
I always carried my first 1911 Condition One, my hands are large, and it protects the action best from the infiltrating debris of my carpenter lifestyle. Of the many hundreds of times I’ve let the hammer down on my Taurus, the trigger has only gotten better. I don’t believe Taurus would be having better parts than Wilson…
Still, I am a risk mitigator, now that I’ve survived my stupider days. I’ll keep on trucking as I have with mine, but don’t recommend it for others. I don’t do it on my Silverback, it came with such a glint edged trigger. Actual perfection.
But I admit, had I not heard of it, I would. It seems silly to think the pistol loading and cocking itself would be less wearing than a thumb down.
I have been wrong before…
Seriously...That's your opinion and your opinion only...
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To Pachmayr's credit, they are sending me a new pack of snap caps, but I am not sure what I will do with them, maybe get a refund at the gun shop and buy the B's Dummies in either nickel or brass.
As for 8 vs. 7 round magazines, I think the lump of plastic sticking out the bottom of the grip spoils the look of the gun, but in a gunfight I would be glad for the extra round. Nonetheless, for now as a range toy it doesn't matter. If I want to eye candy the gun I can just pull out the slide and look at it that way.
As for 8 vs. 7 round magazines, I think the lump of plastic sticking out the bottom of the grip spoils the look of the gun, but in a gunfight I would be glad for the extra round. Nonetheless, for now as a range toy it doesn't matter. If I want to eye candy the gun I can just pull out the slide and look at it that way.
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JTQ
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Realize, when considering full size 8 round 1911 magazines, there are three lengths.
There are flush fit 8 rounders. This length tube was designed to hold 7 rounds of .45 Auto ammo. To get 8 rounds in that tube length some compromises have been made in the spring and follower.
There are slightly longer tubes. These are the early "improved" 8 rounders. These are also really 7 round tubes with classic examples being the Wilson 47D and Chip McCormick (CMC) PowerMag. These tubes will extend beyond the bottom of the mag well (non-mag chute equipped guns) even without a bumper pad. They are only slightly longer than a flush mag to allow the tube to wrap around the steel internal base plate.
Then there are extended tube 8 rounders. These are mags that were designed from the ground up to hold 8 rounds and not merely converted 7 round mags. Examples of these would be CMC Railed PowerMags (RPM), Tripp CobraMags, and Wilson ETM mags. There are others, most of which are identified by a flared bumper pad that wraps around the bottom of the tube rather than just on the bottom. If you want an 8 rounder that will be easiest to seat with the slide forward (8 + 1 carry) these are the ones to choose.
Edit to add: All things being equal, expect better performance and longer spring life from a flush 7 round mag over a flush 8 rounder. An extended tube 8 rounder (the last category above) will probably perform similar to a 7 round mag.
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aaaaa
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Here is how the stock 8-round magazine sits, so it should perform similar to a flush 7 round.
JTQ
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I believe that is an extended tube 8 rounder. Your pad wraps around the bottom of the tube and is not just extended beyond the bottom.
Examples using the CMC line-up since they make all three lengths
Flush: Match Grade. Also available with a bumper pad, but the tube is flush length. https://www.cmproducts.com/Match-Gr...CP-8-Round-Stainless-with-Base-Pad_p_203.html
PowerMag. Slightly longer, but only so you can slide a steel base plate inside the tube. https://www.cmproducts.com/Power-Mag-Full-Size-1911-45-ACP-8-Round-Stainless_p_193.html
RPM. Actual extended tube length. Note how the pad wraps around the bottom of the tube, and the pad is flared to allow that. https://www.cmproducts.com/Railed-Power-Mag-RPM-Full-Size-1911-45-ACP-8-Round-Stainless_p_211.html
Edit to add: Ayoob has a picture of the three tube lengths, from the back, in the mag picture in this article. Mag on the right - flush mag. Mag in the middle - slightly longer. Mag on the left - extended tube, note how the pad wraps around the bottom of the tube and the pad is flared to allow that.
https://www.thearmorylife.com/ayoob-is-the-1911-wrong-for-ccw/
Examples using the CMC line-up since they make all three lengths
Flush: Match Grade. Also available with a bumper pad, but the tube is flush length. https://www.cmproducts.com/Match-Gr...CP-8-Round-Stainless-with-Base-Pad_p_203.html
PowerMag. Slightly longer, but only so you can slide a steel base plate inside the tube. https://www.cmproducts.com/Power-Mag-Full-Size-1911-45-ACP-8-Round-Stainless_p_193.html
RPM. Actual extended tube length. Note how the pad wraps around the bottom of the tube, and the pad is flared to allow that. https://www.cmproducts.com/Railed-Power-Mag-RPM-Full-Size-1911-45-ACP-8-Round-Stainless_p_211.html
Edit to add: Ayoob has a picture of the three tube lengths, from the back, in the mag picture in this article. Mag on the right - flush mag. Mag in the middle - slightly longer. Mag on the left - extended tube, note how the pad wraps around the bottom of the tube and the pad is flared to allow that.
https://www.thearmorylife.com/ayoob-is-the-1911-wrong-for-ccw/
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For real? He seems pretty confident, but then I guess if your gun breaks in the Army they just issue you a new one?
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I just got some dummies. They are 1.25" long and cycle perfectly! The nickel case will hold up well too. Those aluminum A-Zooms at 1.20" were horrible. Jam City. Going to return them for a refund.
Targa
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It sure doesn’t sound or feel like your doing the gun any favors by doing it so I try to avoid it.
Alllen Bundy
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I mostly use dummy cartridges for testing and measurement of my pistol. As such, I want the cartridges to have the same friction coefficients as live cartridges. So I weed out the shortest few cartridges from each box, pull the bullets, empty the powder, and then use the shell case with the live primer for testing. I drill holes in the sides of the spent shell cases. Then I epoxy the bullets back in place, with some bullets at minimum OAL, some at medium OAL, and some at the maximum "Over All Length" specification. I mark the recesses in the shell cases where the marks will not be rubbed off with a red Sharpie marker.
I do not have any problems discerning these from live cartridges. I always make sure that every dummy round is accounted for when I return them to the box. A quick glance at the box and it's obvious that all of primers are spent. A live cartridge would stick out like a sore thumb. I also keep an exact inventory of my live ammunition and account for every single live round and make sure that it is either in the chamber, in a magazine, or in the live ammo box.
I have 5 different model cartridges and 36 dummy rounds total. I will not use steel or aluminum cartridges.
I do not have any problems discerning these from live cartridges. I always make sure that every dummy round is accounted for when I return them to the box. A quick glance at the box and it's obvious that all of primers are spent. A live cartridge would stick out like a sore thumb. I also keep an exact inventory of my live ammunition and account for every single live round and make sure that it is either in the chamber, in a magazine, or in the live ammo box.
I have 5 different model cartridges and 36 dummy rounds total. I will not use steel or aluminum cartridges.
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So I got the 1911 to the range and it ran ball ammo fine for a box of 50 but was choking on JHP. I got a Ed Brown magazine since then that I hope to try out next week. (Why Ed Brown when you guys gave me scads of mag recommendations above? B/C it is what they had in stock at the GS.)
Ed Brown says (per email inquiry): "Our magazines feedlips are modified hybrid to feed both hollow-point and target ammunition." FYI, there are three basic lip configurations for 1911 magazines: http://how-i-did-it.org/magazines2/read-my-lips.html
The mag that came with the gun is the Wadcutter style. I think the Ed Brown should be better at feeding JHP. Also I got some other JHP to try out. Initially I had the Ammo Inc. (the one I tested and jammed). I have since picked up some Sig Sauer that is more rounded and some Cavalry that looks like the same bullet as the Ammo Inc, but perhaps not seated quite as deep since it is about 0.02" longer. Images below. The two red lines are exactly parallel as I drew the one, copied it and then pasted it for the other line. You can see the height differences. We'll see how they feed. I plan to try all three and, who knows, maybe will have a triple disappointment.
Ed Brown says (per email inquiry): "Our magazines feedlips are modified hybrid to feed both hollow-point and target ammunition." FYI, there are three basic lip configurations for 1911 magazines: http://how-i-did-it.org/magazines2/read-my-lips.html
The mag that came with the gun is the Wadcutter style. I think the Ed Brown should be better at feeding JHP. Also I got some other JHP to try out. Initially I had the Ammo Inc. (the one I tested and jammed). I have since picked up some Sig Sauer that is more rounded and some Cavalry that looks like the same bullet as the Ammo Inc, but perhaps not seated quite as deep since it is about 0.02" longer. Images below. The two red lines are exactly parallel as I drew the one, copied it and then pasted it for the other line. You can see the height differences. We'll see how they feed. I plan to try all three and, who knows, maybe will have a triple disappointment.
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Well this is interesting. The longer JHPs at approx. 1.26" fit the Ed Brown magazine, but not the MacGar that came with the gun. In the MacGar they jam. Here are the two compared. I had to put an empty case above a round to get it to sit lower in the Ed Brown to compare with the one stuck in the MacGar.
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Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
Well, that’s no good.
Is the spring in backward, allowing the follower to not raise the nose? Or is the tube actually smaller? I’ve made rounds that don’t fit, but they universally don’t fit. I had to seat them more.
Is the spring in backward, allowing the follower to not raise the nose? Or is the tube actually smaller? I’ve made rounds that don’t fit, but they universally don’t fit. I had to seat them more.
JTQ
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Just for clarity, can we assume your "Ed Baily" magazines are actually, Ed Brown magazines? https://www.edbrown.com/1911-magazines/
That "How-I-Did-It-1911 Magazine" article, both of them, took a lot of effort, but most folks would be better off never having read them.
There are three types of 1911 feed lips, GI, wadcutter, and hybrid.
GI style feed lipped magazines were the original design of John Browning. These mags were designed to feed 230gr ball ammo. Generally, it is the longest .45 Auto ammo in normal 1911 dimensions. These longer rounds, with rounded noses feed very smoothly through GI feed lipped magazines. However, shorter rounds like semi-wadcutters, and hollow point rounds sometimes have trouble in GI feed lipped mags, so a new feed lip style was invented to handle shorter rounds, the wadcutter feed lipped mag.
Wadcutter feed lips were designed for shorter ammo, initially 200gr semi-wadcutters as used by competition shooters, allowing those shorter rounds to feed better than from GI feed lipped mags. Hollow point ammo is also usually shorter than ball ammo, and hollow point ammo usually feeds better from wadcutter feed lipped mags.
Hybrid feed lips are an invention of Colt. They were designed as a compromise between GI and wadcutter feed lips. CheckMate may be the only current maker of hybrid feed lipped mags, though Metalform also used to make them.
The big, bad, take-away from those articles is the whole "Wilson Combat mags bypass controlled round feed." If true, the reason they would is because of their wadcutter feed lips. However, nearly every other 1911 mag maker produces mags with wadcutter feed lips, from Chip McCormick, to Tripp Research, to ACT-Mag, to Metalform, to Mec-Gar, to well, everybody. So if Wilson Combat mags do bypass controlled round feed, than so do almost every other mag used in the 1911. It seems as if this would be unlikely.
Mec-Gar, a Euro-Company, is world renown for their pistol magazines. They are the first choice for double column 9mm Euro-guns such as Beretta, SIG, and CZ. They are not the top choice for 1911's though. Top 1911 magazine options would be Chip McCormick, Wilson Combat, Tripp Research, Metalform, and CheckMate (Ed Brown's mag supplier).
That "How-I-Did-It-1911 Magazine" article, both of them, took a lot of effort, but most folks would be better off never having read them.
There are three types of 1911 feed lips, GI, wadcutter, and hybrid.
GI style feed lipped magazines were the original design of John Browning. These mags were designed to feed 230gr ball ammo. Generally, it is the longest .45 Auto ammo in normal 1911 dimensions. These longer rounds, with rounded noses feed very smoothly through GI feed lipped magazines. However, shorter rounds like semi-wadcutters, and hollow point rounds sometimes have trouble in GI feed lipped mags, so a new feed lip style was invented to handle shorter rounds, the wadcutter feed lipped mag.
Wadcutter feed lips were designed for shorter ammo, initially 200gr semi-wadcutters as used by competition shooters, allowing those shorter rounds to feed better than from GI feed lipped mags. Hollow point ammo is also usually shorter than ball ammo, and hollow point ammo usually feeds better from wadcutter feed lipped mags.
Hybrid feed lips are an invention of Colt. They were designed as a compromise between GI and wadcutter feed lips. CheckMate may be the only current maker of hybrid feed lipped mags, though Metalform also used to make them.
The big, bad, take-away from those articles is the whole "Wilson Combat mags bypass controlled round feed." If true, the reason they would is because of their wadcutter feed lips. However, nearly every other 1911 mag maker produces mags with wadcutter feed lips, from Chip McCormick, to Tripp Research, to ACT-Mag, to Metalform, to Mec-Gar, to well, everybody. So if Wilson Combat mags do bypass controlled round feed, than so do almost every other mag used in the 1911. It seems as if this would be unlikely.
Mec-Gar, a Euro-Company, is world renown for their pistol magazines. They are the first choice for double column 9mm Euro-guns such as Beretta, SIG, and CZ. They are not the top choice for 1911's though. Top 1911 magazine options would be Chip McCormick, Wilson Combat, Tripp Research, Metalform, and CheckMate (Ed Brown's mag supplier).
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JTQ
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Reading back to remind myself where I am in this thread, I found this...
In addition, magazines are a place where most 1911 makers do cheap out. Even some relatively high end makers ship their guns with mediocre mags, since the 1911 world typically uses aftermarket mags.
Charles Daly firearms, are in general, entry level. They aren't junk, but they aren't top level, and not even mid-level.
In addition, magazines are a place where most 1911 makers do cheap out. Even some relatively high end makers ship their guns with mediocre mags, since the 1911 world typically uses aftermarket mags.
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SAAMI spec for .45 ACP is 1.275 OAL. I would not expect a JHP at 1.275 to fit because of the wider tip, but the 1.26" should fit. I suspect the Ed Brown mag is slightly wider at the bullet side. The MacGar has a lot of play when inserted in the mag well, but the Ed Brown fits more snugly. I don't think the springs are badkward as the followers stay properly oriented when I push them down with a dowel.
JTQ
Member
Let me also clarify, while I defended Wilson Combat mags in this post, and Wilson makes a great line-up of mags, and they are my mag of choice, Wilson's most popular, or at least best known mag, is their 47D. While it is a nice mag, if you are spending 47D money at Wilson Combat, by-pass the 47D and choose the 7 round full size 47 or if you need an 8 rounder, choose something from the ETM line-up as they are better mags than the 47D.
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Yep, my brain got twisted between Charles Daly and Ed Brown and came up with Ed Baily. I just went back and fixed it.
There rest of your post provides me with some excellent information. I will not shy away from Wilson Combat mags because of the article, but don't like that the one I saw yesterday at the GS has a plastic follower.
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JTQ
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Have you looked at the followers in other semi-auto pistols, Glock, M&P, Beretta, SIG, HK, Walther, etc.? How many have metal followers?
I'm not trying to talk you into Wilson mags. My point was there are a lot of fine 1911 available, and just that Mec-Gar, while great options for Beretta, SIG, and CZ, are not normally the top choice for 1911's.
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I don't see a 47D. They have a 47C but the only ones with metal followers are the 920 and the 608.
https://shopwilsoncombat.com/7-Round-45-ACP-Magazines/products/370/
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