All posts tagged 7rd 1911 magazines

What the difference between the Wilson Combat 47D and the ETM magazines? Why switch?

Wilson Combat Magazines

Wilson Combat Magazines

The first thing I said to myself when we started carrying the ETM magazines was “why would I bother” and then I looked up the info and reviews about them and found  out that it was really all about competition shooting more than it was about another reliable 1911  magazine.   The Wilson combat magazines are the most expensive magazines that we sell for the 1911 but in the 16yrs I’ve been using them, I have had a very long and good experience in using them.   I have seen people crack them but I have never had that happen, over time and magazine is going to wear out and even the Magpul pmags I have in my inventory have shown some cracks after about 8yrs.   The best thing about the Wilson magazines for the 1911 are that the followers are very well balanced.  They move up and down without tilting which makes a very big difference when feeding FMJ into the throat of a 1911 handgun.

Rotating your magazine in your inventory is very important if you want to keep on top of your reliability.  For people that are  shooting thousands of rounds of ammunition through their guns each year, knowing when  you need to change out the springs on  your Wilson Combat magazines before they start to fail is really a good policy.   I have a few other parts on my Colt 1991A1 that could use some checkups on but I’ll probable take it to a gunsmith to replace hammer springs ect.  I have not run hollow point ammunition through my 1911s in a long time, but to prevent over penetration I probable should do some research into getting some of the

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What is our best selling, least complained about 1911 magazine?

The best selling 1911 magazine is hands down the Wilson Combat 1911 magazines.   We couldn’t narrow it down to just one magazine because there are several different types of magazine bases that competition shooters  might want something that a CCW owner doesn’t want or need.  The Wilson 47D is our most popular 8rd 1911 magazine and the #47 is the most popular 7rd, but the Elite Tactical Magazines have gained ground for the competition shooters.   The ETM magazines have a number base plate and the windows are in a different cut than the tradition Wilson magazines.   They are higher priced than the Chip McCormick Magazines which come in as a close 2nd as far as sales.

The thing that many 1911 firearms seem to have trouble with are the magazine follower/hold open tabs.  Many of the GI magazines wear and bend but the one piece Wilson Combat Magazines have a more reliable balance and catch that holds the firearm open when the last round has been fired.  I personally don’t have an issue carrying 45acp ball ammo because when I carry that gun it’s usually when I’m up in the mountains and more likely going to have to use it against and animal than in a highly populated area where over penetration might be an issue.   I have heard rumors that 8rd magazines are not as reliable as the 7rd magazines but I have never witnessed that.

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When you are putting hardball ammo downrange with a 45acp

It better be a 1911 if you ask me.  I have several handguns in my collection but I am really bored with most modern 45acp guns because they are too bulky or just to darn heavy for my tastes.  I’m also not a big fan of short barreled guns or compact 1911s.   They are too much maintenance and the slower cycle action seems to make them more prone to having malfunctions.  If you have to ask me what the next best 45acp handgun is, I’d probable have to say the Sig 220 which is also another single stack gun.   Many 45acp guns like the Springfield XD and Glock 21 are too much bulk for my taste and having to hold that up for any extended period of time will make me want a single stack gun.

Many guns issuing warrants or doing house clearing in Iraq and Afghanistan are using the 1911.   When we get feed back from  our customers it’s almost always Wilson Combat or Chip McCormick magazines that they are using.  Both magazines have a long history of working well in the 1911 and both can be had for under $35 dollars.  I rarely use the 7rd magazines because that extra 8rd magazine barely extends out of my guns and the not quite flush fit doesn’t bother me at all.  Having 8rds of 45acp is something that will get the job done if you look at the stats on which caliber gets the job done, magazine capacity is rarely an issue for police or self defense shootings.

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Another Wilson Combat vs Chip McCormick debate

We have to be honest when customers call us  up and ask us a question about a product.  Many times we hear the question “which is better” and the truth of the matter is this is usually somewhat of a trap for us because as soon as we make a claim about something being better than something else, the customer will hold us accountable if we were wrong or if they disagree.  Not like it’s a big problem but if you call us up and ask us what shirt size or vest size, we’ll defer the question and tell you you’ll have to measure yourself.   When it comes to gun accessories, so much of that needs to be fitted to a persons body and much of it is cosmetic or preference.

The 1911 is still probable the in the Top 5 for gun accessories, gun holsters and gun magazine sales.  There are many out there that want us to tell them if their 1911 will run better with Chip McCormick magazines or with Wilson Combat or some other gun magazine.   The truth of the matter is the 1911 sold these days is not the 1911 sold 15yrs ago and there are so  many difference that its something  you’ll have to figure out on your own.   One thing we will tell you is the Chip McCormick magazines are price almost $8-$10 less than the Wilson Combat Magazines which might be a good thing for someone that wants to great magazine for less money.

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Wilson Combat Vs. Chip McCormick

We’ve just gotten another restock of the Wilson Combat 1911 ETM magazines due to customer demands.   I still don’t think there is that much of a difference between these magazines and the standard Wilson Combat magazines.   Wilson Combat magazines and Chip McCormick magazines are pretty much the staple of 1911 fanatics and you really can’t go wrong with them unless you already have a finicky 1911.   If you want a combat reliable firearm watch out for some of the high prices accuracy guns, they are not GI combat worthy and sometimes people want too much in a firearm and there really are tradeoffs.

Most of our customer base tell us that differences between the Wilson Combat 8rd magazines and Chip McCormick power mags are minimal.   Wilson Combat magazines seem to help feed non-round nose bullets like hollow points and semi-wad cutters.   Chip McCormick magazines are almost $10 a magazine less than the Wilson Combat ETM magazine so you really have to balance the value of upgrading to the ETM.  The ETM magazines do feel a little thicker and also have numbers on the bottom for competitive shooters, but for $10 more?

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The importance of drop free magazines

You need to test your gear and accessories out to know for sure that they work on your firearms because there are so many variables in manufacturing that even the same company can slightly alter a mag well or magazine.   There use to be enormous problems with some AK magazines because not all Communist block countries made them the same.  I had a friend that picked up about 20 AK mags at a gun show and thought he’d stock up on them, only to find out that he had to take a file to most of them because they wouldn’t lock up in the rifles.

When it comes to handguns, the biggest problem that can occur once you get away from Factory magazines for a 1911 are that they don’t drop free.   1911 guns are not know for being very tight when it comes to tolerances and they are for the most part drop in guns.   Wilson Combat magazines are very sleek and are the number one magazine I see at IDPA competitions.   I have 5 1911 handguns all from different companies and Wilsons 7rd and  8 rd are all I ever use.  I think  the guns look better with flush fitting magazines, but reliability is the most important.

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Messing with John Moses Browing’s designs

I recently got a crash course on disassembling 1911 handguns that were not GI guns.   I have several Colt and Springfield guns that only give me problems if I am shooting something other than ball ammo.   I really don’t feel the need to carry hollow points for such a slow and large caliber already.  All of the 1911 guns I own cost me less than $500 and I have seen so  many malfunctions with guys with higher end guns.   I know Kimber messed around with John Moses Browning’s design and went back to the original extractor design after a failed attempt to use an external extractor.

Many of the shorter barreled 1911s have a short reliability life when it comes to recoil springs because they wear out faster from the amount of stress the 230gr chunk of lead causes.  I guess because the 1911 has such a slower cycling rate, many people that bobble the gun will cause malfunctions.  Wilson combat magazines have improved the reliability of many 1911 guns I have shot, but there is something to be said for GI Milspec reliability.  The original design worked very well and deviating from that doesn’t really mean an improvement.

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