1911 Commander Mags 7 or 8 rd?

9outof10mms

9outof10mms

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I’ve got an SR1911 Commander size that came with 7-round mags. I’ve since learned that it does not get along with the single after market (non-Ruger stamped) mag it also came with, so I’d like to pick up another one or a dozen.

Rookie 1911 owner question: I see Ruger makes 8-round mags. Will these work in my Commander? The 7-round Commander mags specifically say “not for use in officer style pistols” but the 8-rounders say nothing. It looks like the 8-round mags also have a bit more of a floor plate so I guess they’d stick out a few more millimeters than the 7 (7 sits flush).

What say you 1911 gurus?
 
Wilson, Tripp’s, or Metalforms (Dawson)
 
NCFubar said:
It doesn’t like Wilson mags?
Click to expand...
I have no idea what brand the non-Ruger is. No name stamped on it.

Ruger on the right:
4454246D-B2EA-4E07-8355-B5BBB198EF54.jpeg

Only marking on the non-Ruger:
69A64A62-8E14-4E8F-B67A-B5A484ECF881.jpeg

Noticeable difference in the followers. Ruger on the right:
31FE7E9E-131D-48D9-A715-C159AC57D597.jpeg

Ruger mag on the left:
E0EECDCF-F569-4DA3-B69B-F7459B26CB6E.jpeg

The non-Ruger causes a fail to feed a new round with factory ball and hollow point. It feeds the round like 75% and tilted. A little touch to the back of the slide pushes it into battery. Might get one or two successful feeds then another jam.
 
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Okay … As Bobby Boucher’s mana would say ... Cheap mags are the Devil. Good mags are Chip McCormick, Wilson or Tripp (my favorite) are not cheap mags but they are the ones that work best. If those 3 do not work in your Ruger it will be a big shock to me as well as many here.
 
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Me. said:
Google Ed Brown 1911 mag exchange.

Send them any 1911 mag and $10 and they will send you great mags. Pick 7 or 8 round.

EDIT:

Ed Brown Magazine Exchange Program

Send us your old 1911 magazine(s) from ANY maker, and for each one you send, you can upgrade to a brand new Ed Brown Performance Mag for as little as $10.
www.edbrown.com www.edbrown.com
Click to expand...

I had no idea that was a thing. I have a handful that I'll be pursuing this with.


9outof10mms said:
I have no idea what brand the non-Ruger is. No name stamped on it.

Ruger on the right:
View attachment 513874

Only marking on the non-Ruger:
View attachment 513875

Noticeable difference in the followers. Ruger on the right:
View attachment 513877

Ruger mag on the left:
View attachment 513878

The non-Ruger causes a fail to feed a new round with factory ball and hollow point. It feeds the round like 75% and tilted. A little touch to the back of the slide pushes it into battery. Might get one or two successful feeds then another jam.
Click to expand...

Usually I'd say take that bad mag, smash it with a hammer and trash it. You would waste more in ammo diagnosing it than it's worth and never really trust it anyway.

Instead, I'd take advantage of the Ed Brown thing.
 
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S4f said:
That gun is shipped with one 7 round and one 8 round factory mag, or it was when I purchased mine so if you can find a 8 rounder that it likes it shouldn't be be a problem
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I bought it used on GB. Came with two Ruger 7’s and this no name 7. I won’t complain though. Came with a Hogue grip, Galco leather holster and Galco mag pouch. Original case and papers too. If some gun shop got greedy and swapped a mag, eh, oh well.

I might try that mag swap thing. I’ve got use for a crap mag sitting around.
 
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I have had good Chip McCormick and the Sig factory Mags. The Sig compact will run the 8 rounders its just not flush fit.
 
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If the follower is tipping try taking the mag apart and see if the spring is installed backwards.

It happens more often than you’d think.

I gave away a handful of fake colt mags to someone that wanted them for range training, random stoppages were good, but I should have swapped them. Wish I’d known.
 
That Ruger magazine looks like a Checkmate. The follower with the front extension is, if I remember correctly, patented by Checkmate and works quite well. I have a bunch of different brands and have only had one combination not work in one of my pistols. A Colt Lightweight Commander does not like one of the better brands with wadcutter feed lips that release the round a bit later than my other magazines with wadcutter feed lips. Those same magazines work slick as grits in all my other pistols. Eight-round flush fit magazines can be a pain. One of the problems is often having to use a great deal of force to seat the magazine when the slide is forward. The shorter follower also has a tendency to allow the rounds to nosedive. Get an extended body if you want 8 rounds. I run Wilson ETM magazines for matches where I like to have a reliable 8-round magazine. I generally carry with a Checkmate 7-round magazine with either GI or hybrid feed lips. They work wonderfully with the 230 grain RN lead or FMJ rounds I shoot.
 
MacEntyre said:
Commander and full size 1911s use the same magazines.

I wouldn't mind hearing from @John Travis again on why 8 round magazines may or may not work with your 1911 or your Commander.
Click to expand...
The Ruger mag is a checkmate with a hybrid feed lips and their patented follower.

The other also has hybrid feed lips but looks
like the GI Checkmate follower.
 
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Left to right are a Wilson 47, a Chip McCormick, and a Trip. These all appear to be wadcutter feed lips. Notice that the point of release is different for all three. The Trip on the right releases the round a bit later than do the other two. It is these Trip magazines that do not work well in one of my Lightweight Commanders. All three work well in my other pistols as do several flavors of Checkmate, other models of Wilson, and quite a few that came with pistols. It is only the flush 8-round magazines that I do not like very much.

The Officer-size magazines are shorter than the ones that fit full size and Commander-size pistols. A full size magazine can fit into and lock into an Officer-size pistol but can be over inserted because the base pad is not located on the longer body so that it can limit the insertion of the magazine.




PXL_20220822_003233779.jpg
 
Charlie said:
Left to right are a Wilson 47, a Chip McCormick, and a Trip. These all appear to be wadcutter feed lips. Notice that the point of release is different for all three. The Trip on the right releases the round a bit later than do the other two. It is these Trip magazines that do not work well in one of my Lightweight Commanders. All three work well in my other pistols as do several flavors of Checkmate, other models of Wilson, and quite a few that came with pistols. It is only the flush 8-round magazines that I do not like very much.

The Officer-size magazines are shorter than the ones that fit full size and Commander-size pistols. A full size magazine can fit into and lock into an Officer-size pistol but can be over inserted because the base pad is not located on the longer body so that it can limit the insertion of the magazine.




View attachment 514188
Click to expand...

Are you sure those are all wadcutters hard to tell from the angle of the pic.


feed-lips-jpg.451634


rangehot.com

Hybrid vs Wadcutter 1911 magazine

Hybrid vs Wadcutter 1911 magazine
rangehot.com rangehot.com

Colt-magazines.jpg
 
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wvsig said:
Are you sure those are all wadcutters hard to tell from the angle of the pic.


feed-lips-jpg.451634


rangehot.com

Hybrid vs Wadcutter 1911 magazine

Hybrid vs Wadcutter 1911 magazine
rangehot.com rangehot.com

Colt-magazines.jpg
Click to expand...
That could be true. I will have to measure to see if the taper is there. The main point is that the point of release can be different for different magazines. That can make a difference in how they feed certain types of ammo and whether they feed well in some pistols. I shoot 230 grain round nose bullets almost exclusively and do not need to try to find a combination that will reliably feed other bullet types.
 
Me. said:
Google Ed Brown 1911 mag exchange.

Send them any 1911 mag and $10 and they will send you great mags. Pick 7 or 8 round.

EDIT:

Ed Brown Magazine Exchange Program

Send us your old 1911 magazine(s) from ANY maker, and for each one you send, you can upgrade to a brand new Ed Brown Performance Mag for as little as $10.
www.edbrown.com www.edbrown.com
Click to expand...
Just noticed it's $10 plus $14.95 shipping. Still not a horrible deal...just not as good as it looks on the surface. I still might do it as a new Ruger factory 8-rd mag is $27 plus shipping.
gunmagwarehouse.com

Ruger SR1911 .45 ACP 8-Round Magazine with Floorplate

The Ruger® SR1911 .45 ACP 8-Round Magazine with Floorplate is the perfect upgrade for your Ruger SR1911. Featuring durable stainless steel construction with an impact-resistant polymer baseplate, this factory magazine is designed for superior stren
gunmagwarehouse.com gunmagwarehouse.com
 
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9outof10mms said:
Just noticed it's $10 plus $14.95 shipping. Still not a horrible deal...just not as good as it looks on the surface. I still might do it as a new Ruger factory 8-rd mag is $27 plus shipping.
gunmagwarehouse.com

Ruger SR1911 .45 ACP 8-Round Magazine with Floorplate

The Ruger® SR1911 .45 ACP 8-Round Magazine with Floorplate is the perfect upgrade for your Ruger SR1911. Featuring durable stainless steel construction with an impact-resistant polymer baseplate, this factory magazine is designed for superior stren
gunmagwarehouse.com gunmagwarehouse.com
Click to expand...

EB mags are made by CheckMate Industries.
 
MacEntyre said:
I wouldn't mind hearing from @John Travis again on why 8 round magazines may or may not work with your 1911 or your Commander.
Click to expand...
Ain't gonna go down that rabbit hole again. After 20+ years on the gun boards arguing these points, I've hung up the gloves. Y'all can slug it out. All I'll say is that I don't use 8-round magazines of any make, model, or description...not even in range beaters. You may draw your own conclusions.

There was a time when feed/RTB problems were rooted in the magazine about 9 times out of 10. That no longer holds true. With the gunmakers seemingly being unable to hold spec, the first thing I'd check for is excessive extractor deflection. This assumes that the feed and barrel ramp geometries are correctly to spec and that Dremel Dan hasn't worked his magic.

There are no "factory" 1911 magazines any more. Colt hasn't produced its own magazines since the 50s. All of them are outsourced, and there are only a handful of vendors supplying magazines for all of them. The exception was Norinco, and their OEM magazines were straight copies of Colt's "hybrid" design.
 
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John Travis said:
Ain't gonna go down that rabbit hole again. After 20+ years on the gun boards arguing these points, I've hung up the gloves. Y'all can slug it out. All I'll say is that I don't use 8-round magazines of any make, model, or description...not even in range beaters. You may draw your own conclusions.

There was a time when feed/RTB problems were rooted in the magazine about 9 times out of 10. That no longer holds true. With the gunmakers seemingly being unable to hold spec, the first thing I'd check for is excessive extractor deflection. This assumes that the feed and barrel ramp geometries are correctly to spec and that Dremel Dan hasn't worked his magic.

There are no "factory" 1911 magazines any more. Colt hasn't produced its own magazines since the 50s. All of them are outsourced, and there are only a handful of vendors supplying magazines for all of them. The exception was Norinco, and their OEM magazines were straight copies of Colt's "hybrid" design.
Click to expand...
Does it make sense to measure things (which I have no idea how to do on the 1911) when I’ve two OEM mags that run fine but one no-name that jams every time? Seems like an open-closed case of a bad mag.
 
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When I had my SR1911 I ran McCormicks in it almost exclusively. Ran like a top.
 
9outof10mms said:
Does it make sense to measure things (which I have no idea how to do on the 1911) when I’ve two OEM mags that run fine but one no-name that jams every time? Seems like an open-closed case of a bad mag.
Click to expand...
If you have a gun that's reliable until you use one specific magazine, it's logical to suspect that magazine. Have you tried the suspected magazine in other pistols?
 
John Travis said:
If you have a gun that's reliable until you use one specific magazine, it's logical to suspect that magazine. Have you tried the suspected magazine in other pistols?
Click to expand...
Sadly I am a rookie in the world of 1911's and own only one. So no, it's only been run in my SR1911.
 
Steve I have a handfull of mags that look just like your problem child, rounded follower and all, and they won't run right in any of my guns. I dunno why I still have them.

If you want to go to the CRPC range in Indian Trail this weekend message me. We'll figure out what works.
 
Catfish said:
Steve I have a handfull of mags that look just like your problem child, rounded follower and all, and they won't run right in any of my guns. I dunno why I still have them.

If you want to go to the CRPC range in Indian Trail this weekend message me. We'll figure out what works.
Click to expand...
I think I'm going to do the $10 (+$14) Ed Brown mag swap and call it done (hopefully). Thank you though.
 
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Me. said:
Google Ed Brown 1911 mag exchange.

Send them any 1911 mag and $10 and they will send you great mags. Pick 7 or 8 round.

EDIT:

Ed Brown Magazine Exchange Program

Send us your old 1911 magazine(s) from ANY maker, and for each one you send, you can upgrade to a brand new Ed Brown Performance Mag for as little as $10.
www.edbrown.com www.edbrown.com
Click to expand...

Wow! I have a bunch of clapped out old chip mags from my 1911 days that I've just kept in a box for training purposes (do you want the FTF mag, or the double feed mag, or the 'rounds pop out of the top' mag for this drill?) but swapping them all out for brand new ones for $10 each? That might be better than a box of training mags.
 
Catfish said:
Steve I have a handfull of mags that look just like your problem child, rounded follower and all, and they won't run right in any of my guns. I dunno why I still have them.

If you want to go to the CRPC range in Indian Trail this weekend message me. We'll figure out what works.
Click to expand...
Those magazines used to show up at gun shows a lot back in the 80s. Some were marked "Colt 45" on the baseplates without the rampant colt, leading the uninitiated to believe that they were manufactrured by Colt, or were at least OEM Colt magazines while avoiding trademark infringement. They had both the rounded followers and traditional flat followers.

The ones with rounded followers were universally junk, while the ones with the traditional flat followers were usually pretty decent magazines once the springs were swapped out with good ones. I had a couple of'em that performed well for several years until the welds on the baseplates let go.
 
Here's an article that I wrote some years ago for Hunter Elliot's rangehot website. It features one of those thousand word pictures that will help explain my "Decent ammuniton fed from a proper magazine" qualifier.

rangehot.com

More on the 1911 magazine. -

Since the subject of magazines comes up a lot… There is only one magazine design that presents the cartridge to the 1911’s chamber correctly and guarantees full controlled feed…as designed and intended. That would be the original or “GI” design that allows the rear of the cartridge to rise at...
rangehot.com rangehot.com
 
Ok…so basically I’m gonna go and take all my 8 round magazines and swap them for 7 since that’s that Travis uses.

I once was a hater…but I have “seen the light”. When it comes to the 1911, his word is gospel to me. Not because if internet posts. But because I’ve witnessed it in person. I was Thomas. Now I am Paul,
 
yard mongrel said:
Do 7 round Colt/Metalform Officer mags fall into the same category as 8rd Gov/Commander mags
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Yes, but there is one "plus" point with those.

The problem with the 8 round standard length magazines that use the folded Devel/McCorimick followers is the springs and followers themselves. Because the 7-round Officer's length magazines use the same springs and followers, the spring maintains more tension on the last round...so it helps a little in that particular part of the function.

Likewise, the 6-round magazines with the original design followers use the same springs and followers as the standard 7 round GM-length magazines.
 
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Me. said:
Google Ed Brown 1911 mag exchange.

Send them any 1911 mag and $10 and they will send you great mags. Pick 7 or 8 round.

EDIT:

Ed Brown Magazine Exchange Program

Send us your old 1911 magazine(s) from ANY maker, and for each one you send, you can upgrade to a brand new Ed Brown Performance Mag for as little as $10.
www.edbrown.com www.edbrown.com
Click to expand...
I just sent 2 mags to Ed Brown- I’ll let ya know how it goes.
 
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