Springfield factory 1911 magazines

[Nick5182]

I apologize if this has been covered before, but I tried searching it and haven't found anything that helps me.

The question I have is whether or not Springfield Armory factory 1911 magazines are really as bad as a lot of people make them out to be?
I understand they don't have an anti-tilt follower and they can't be disassembled for cleaning, but both factory mags that came with my loaded 1911 work flawlessly. Is there anyone out there who's had trouble with the factory magazines?

I'm just wondering where the negative views came from, but from my experience, I'm gonna stick with "if it works, it works."

 

[JDGray]

Great mags in my opinion! You can take them apart, just not as easy with the welded base.

 

[JTQ]

I think Springfield mags are made by Metalform. They should be pretty good.

they can't be disassembled for cleaning

They can be.

My technique (with common household items)...

Depress spring and follower with a paint stirrer (it is plenty long, is about the right size to cover the follower front to back, and it fits nicely between the feed lips)

Insert a golf tee (a little safer than a nail should the spring launch it towards your face) into one of the witness holes to trap the spring.

Once the spring is trapped, tilt the mag and shake the follower out. Put your thumb over the mouth of the mag and remove the golf tee. You can now pull the spring out of the tube. Remember the orientation of the spring since there is a front/back and top/bottom to the spring.

 

[Nick5182]

Thanks for the replies. I just don't understand where some people think they're junk. Like I said, mine function perfectly.

 

[Magnumite]

They are excellent mags. I've had good luck with them for years

 

[JDGray]

I just don't understand where some people think they're junk.

Magazine snobs?

 

[1911Tuner]

Great mags in my opinion! You can take them apart, just not as easy with the welded base.

Much easier, actually...but ya gotta know how. Takes about 10 seconds.

Load 3 rounds. Insert slave pin through 2nd witness hole. Push rounds out. Tap the top rear of the magazine on a wooden bench to remove the follower. Place thumb over feed lips and remove slave pin. Voila!

To reassemble:

Install spring, and hold it in place with thumb on feed lips. Load 3 rounds directly on top of spring. Insert slave pin through 2nd hole, being careful that it goes on top of visible spring coil. Remove rounds. Install follower, pushing until you hear it snap into place. Place thumb on top of follower. Remove slave pin. Check to make sure that the top coil of the spring is in its proper position under the follower. Voila! About 15 seconds.

Springfield's OEM magazines are likely supplied by Metalform.

 

[CornCod]

Well, when I bought my Springfield Armory .45 in the early 90's the magazines were junk. My 1911 jammed like crazy with them. I bought a couple of Wilsons and all was well. SA is a sensible outfit. Perhaps they went to another magazine supplier.

 

[carsten1911]

The magazine that came with my Springer (built probably end of 90´s) wouldn´t work, no matter what I tried:
New springs, new follower, feed lip massage as per Tuner´s guidance...no effect, FTF jams at a rate of roughly 20%.

The pistol itself works with other magazines, but needed a change of the action spring, the OEM one was absolutely sub-standard, too.

In the end I gutted the OEM mag, poured lead in and now it is of use as weight for fine motoric pistol training.

Carsten

 

[J2FLAN]

Bought a few, and they have been flawless through many a thousand round. Did replace the springs with Wolf X-power a while back. Every bit a good as the ones I paid $30+ for.

TUNNER hit it on taking them apart--10 seconds at most.

BTW, PALMETTO STATE ARMORY has them for $13 free shipping. Think I will get a few more at that price.

 

[JDGray]

10 seconds is alot longer, than a few seconds to depress the floor plate and slide off the base

Never did the load three rounds on the spring trick, thanks!

 

[elrowe]

With three SA 1911s, all in 9mm and two different magazine types, I've only had one problem out of 13 total mags. One for my 2001 vintage 1911A1 does not lock the slide open when empty. I don't know when it started or if it was because I dropped it "or something" to cause it - may even have been that way when I bought it (used) a couple of years ago. Other than that, no issues in about 5K rounds.

 

[pcf]

I had some welded base metalforms that after a lot of use would suddenly come unwelded. Always a unique feeling to have a base plate, spring, follower and ammo shoot out of the bottom of my pistol.

If I ever get another 1911 I wouldn't hesitate to use them at the range, but wouldn't carry them.

 

[mjsdwash]

can definitely take them down for cleaning, and if you've got a handgun round tilting, you've got something odd going on. My experience has been they make the best wadcutter mags out there, and I have had more luck with them than shooting star, wilson 47's mecgar (in a 1911), and colt. Only better mags ive used are the CMI G.I. mags.

 

[medalguy]

I bought a Talo 1911 late last year, and bought some extra mags from Cheaper Than Dirt for about $6 each. Took the gun to the range with a .50 cal can of GI hardball to check out the gun right out of the box. I shot about 900 rounds that first afternoon and had only one failure to feed from one of the CTD mags. All the rest functioned perfectly, SA as well as CTD mags. Both are adequate for my needs

 

[TJx]

Wilson sells the exact same magazine as far as I can tell called their "Service" magazine.
I've never had a problem w/ Springfield mags.

 

[plouffedaddy]

I've never had a problem with any of the Springfield factory mags in the 4 SA 1911s I own.