Wilson Combat- Why all the hype?

[Lastmohecken]

By the looks of those mags, I would say the real problem is your gun. The slide stop is probably short and or rough in it's operation, and needs to be tuned.

Now, I am not taking up for Wilson Mags, although I have been shooting them for over 25 yrs. Wilson mags work great in my Wilson 1911, and also my Kimber Custom Compact, and my old Custom Colt series 70 Gov.

But I have a Springfield Armory milspec 4 inch that will not lock the slide open when I use Wilson Mags. However, It works 100% with Chip McCormic's. And the reason is on the Springfield, the slide stop is no tuned as well, as my other guns, and I havn't had a lot of luck getting it slicked up, so I just use the Chip McCormics in that gun, so far.

In general I have had great luck with Wilson mags but I don't like some of his followers, for some guns.

 

[XavierBreath]

JD,

Without examining the actual engagement, I'll take a leap of faith and say that you may have taken too much metal off the slide stop. Either that or you did not radius the underside of the engagement point after you worked on it, or perhaps both. If you want to keep this slide stop, a metal magazine follower might be a better choice. Metal is harder than plastic, and is more resistant to wear once the thing pressing on it exerts more pressure per square inch. If you reduced the slide stop's engagement point surface area, you increased the pressure it exerts in the area it engages. There is a fair chance that a metal follower will have premature wear as well, but it will take longer to occur.

If you want to try again, just polish the upper surface of the slide stop's engagement tab. Do not reduce the size of the engagement point. Use a blue marker to determine exactly where the feed problem occurs on the slide stop and polish that area. Then place some Slide Glide or Tetra grease on the slide stop pin and barrel feet when you reinstall it.

Chances are you will solve both issues, and the Wilson mags with the followers you now have will start functioning fine. When we work on a part, it affects other parts that it engages. This is one of the invariable rules of gun, watch and camera hacking. You have to be careful not to affect the other parts in such a way that they ultimately fail. We all do so once in a while though.

I'll say to, that in many cases plastic can actually be tougher than metal. Polymer is not as resistant to cutting and heat, but it can be more resistant to pounding. Plastic deforms under repeated pounding and returns to it's former shape with each blow. Metal peens and stays peened with each blow.

 

[JDGray]

Thanks for all the help guys. I only took enough material off the second stop to clear the bullet nose, so I'll see how it shoots. I had to run the bullet out as far as the mag well would allow, in order for the nose to hit the stop as I inserted the mag. This is with the slide off the frame, and stop installed in the down position. I polished it, and reblued it, so I can see copper transfer after shooting it. Its a shame I've had this issue as the little Kimber has never had a jam, ever, and is a very accurate CCW. I don't mind loosing the hold open feature as I rarley carry a second mag, so I carry it with the super filed down stop so there no chance of slide lock. Would be nice to have it work correctly, however

 

[Harvey]

Based upon your pics, it seems a reach to blame this on the mag follower. Whatever you are doing to the mag release is clearly causing woe to the surfaces in contact with the plastic follower ... looks like barely one half of the release surface is in proper contact, abusing the follower. Filing down the release to avoid bullet-nose conflicts? Never heard of such a thing.

Suggest that you put your files away, go back to an OEM release and vilify Wilson no more.

 

[EddieNFL]

Filing down the release to avoid bullet-nose conflicts? Never heard of such a thing.

Very common with Kimbers. Years ago I had a King SS (I think) that was out of spec. A little stoning and it worked fine.

 

[JDGray]

vilify Wilson no more

But my Kimber follower is just fine, so I guess they must be tougher

I did try a new Kimber stop, if you missed that in my post, with the same result. I'm sure the damage was caused my using the stop that I purposely filed down too far, to avoid any possible lock back. For a carry gun, I didn't want it hanging open in a situation where I needed the weapon.

 

[Harvey]

What am I missing here? Throughout this entire thread, there is no mention of a failure to feed due to a conflict with the bullet nose and the slide stop. None. So why again are we filing down the slide stop bunion? Are you suggesting that the bullet nose conflicts with the slide stop upon magazine insertion? Or that top cartridges roam during recoil and conflict with the stop?

So again, why don't we want the slide to lock back on an empty mag? Or do you just prefer reloading by racking the slide over a fresh mag ... in lieu of just tapping the OEM slide release lever? And what does it have to do with Kimber? Or Wilson? Or plastic followers? Confused.

 

[EddieNFL]

What am I missing here?

That Kimber manufactured a butt load of out of spec slide stops. Certain bullet profiles will cause the slide to lock back prematurely.

Throughout this entire thread, there is no mention of a failure to feed due to a conflict with the bullet nose and the slide stop.

Nothing to do with FTFs. From post number 22:

The slide stop has been modded to keep the nose of the bullets from hitting durring recoil.

 

[Harvey]

That Kimber manufactured a butt load of out of spec slide stops. Certain bullet profiles will cause the slide to lock back prematurely.



Nothing to do with FTFs. From post number 22:

Ah HA. Thanks for clearing that up.

I purchased a few of their mags for my Kimber, they feed just fine, but the junk followers are already bad. One works fine, but the second one wont engage the slide stop anymore. The soft plastic followers are getting beat up where they lift the stop. Anyone else getting poor life out of their followers? Am I expecting too much? These things might have 400 rounds on them

I suppose that Wilson is not the villain after all.

 

[JDGray]

I suppose that Wilson is not the villain after all.

A metal follower would not have worn like the plastic ones did. Any plastic follower would have deformed, I spose. Tripp makes a nice plastic follower with a steel band that would have fared better. I'm not blaming Wilson, just saying their followers didn't work for me. If Wilson wont replace the followers, I'll just buy some Tripp I'm giving Kimber a call tomarrow, to see if they will send me out one of their modified stops this time, as they know what shape to make it, they sent me an unmodifided replacement in the first place.

Or that top cartridges roam during recoil and conflict with the stop?

This is whats causing the early lock back. With the cartridge seated at the back of the magazine, it has clearance, but under recoil the cartridge moves forward contacting the stop.