High capacity .38 super mags or roll your own?

[Clifford]

I shoot a Colt 1911 in .38 super at my weekly steel matches in limited class and I'm looking for some hi cap mag to help me compete. Most other guys shooting in limited are shooting double stack STI's, Glock's or XD's. My gun is single stack and thou most of the time it isn't an issue every once in a while it would really help me out to have two more rounds in my super.

Right now I'm running Mcckormick 10 round mags they work great but I'm trying to find a 12-13 round mag and it ain't happening. If I can't find what I need I'm just gonna end up welding two mags together to make something work.

This brings me to another question. Anyone had any experience with checkmate magazines? I'm seeing them in the Blue Press magazine and am considering trying them to use for the welding experiment. My Mcckormick mags run about $42 each I can pick up the checkmate's for $25 each. Obviously they are cheaper so I wouldn't feel so bad about cutting and welding a couple of them to see if I can make my own high caps.

Any info on would be great!

 

[JoeSlomo]

As far as I know, 10 rounders are the max for us single stack dudes.

 

[Clifford]

Well, I took two of my McCormick mags and welded 1.5 of one onto the other. Using an OE Colt coil and follower it hand cycles fine. I don't think it's gonna lock the slide back reliably thou. I'm ordering some +power magazine springs and I'll try it out this weekend.

I did find some 13 round magazines thru numrich. They are USA and National brand, never heard of them myself. I think they may be the same guys that make the crappy 20-30 round stick mags for .45's. I'm gonna order two of them and see if they work.

 

[Clifford]

Very late update. My home made 13 round magazine feeds very well. Not one chambering issue with it. Thou the slide will not lock back. I've found some extra power mag springs that may have enough power to lock the slide. I'll try them soon.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Back in the days of John Dillinger, they had long .38 Super mags, maybe 25-30 rounds, and they were a bit "banana" shaped. They have one on display with the full auto Colt Super they recoverd from his weapons.

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