1911 magazines

[pitor]

Originally Posted by DrHenley

Not always true. Some mags, like the 8 round Checkmate with "Bullnose" follower compress the springs so much that they will wear out fairly quickly if left loaded. I have a number of these mags and all the ones I left loaded starting having feeding issues after a year or so. Pulling the springs out and comparing with springs from new mags confirmed that they were quit a bit shorter and weaker.

Some mags don't compress the springs as much, especially GI style 7 round mags. This is probably why you'll see stories of military mags that have been loaded for decades that are still good.

Good info Jim, and your experience may be the result of poor quality materials used in those mags. It would make sense that if a manufacturer wanted to save money somewhere in the production of a mag, it would be where is not visible (inside the mag, spring component). But this is just speculation on my part.

[DrHenley]

Originally Posted by pitor

Good info Jim, and your experience may be the result of poor quality materials used in those mags.

I don't think so. I think it is simply because if you stress steel beyond a certain point, it's going to bend. I doubt if the GI mags had better quality steel in the springs than the Checkmate or Wilson mags, they just aren't stressed as much. The main problem as I see it is trying to cram 8 rounds into a magazine length designed for 7.

I'm trying different brand springs (ISMI, Wolff, Checkmate) to see if any particular brand has more issues in an 8 round mag than the others, but it will be a while before I know anything. It's hard to compare, however, because only the Checkmate springs will work with the patented Checkmate follower. The standard springs are too long front to back to fit between the bullnose and the back of the mag. I have to use Chip McCormick followers with the IMI and Wolff springs.

I think the solution is making the mag body slightly longer to prevent the spring from being so tightly compressed. But then you can't use the standard mag body anymore. Wilson probably should have made their 47D body slightly longer.

[pitor]

Originally Posted by DrHenley

I don't think so. I think it is simply because if you stress steel beyond a certain point, it's going to bend. I doubt if the GI mags had better quality steel in the springs than the Checkmate or Wilson mags, they just aren't stressed as much. The main problem as I see it is trying to cram 8 rounds into a magazine length designed for 7.

I'm trying different brand springs (ISMI, Wolff, Checkmate) to see if any particular brand has more issues in an 8 round mag than the others, but it will be a while before I know anything. It's hard to compare, however, because only the Checkmate springs will work with the patented Checkmate follower. The standard springs are too long front to back to fit between the bullnose and the back of the mag. I have to use Chip McCormick followers with the IMI and Wolff springs.

I think the solution is making the mag body slightly longer to prevent the spring from being so tightly compressed. But then you can't use the standard mag body anymore. Wilson probably should have made their 47D body slightly longer.

Thank you for engaging in such a good discussion Jim. I have a question, I do not leave my 8rd or 7rd mags loaded because they are reserved for IDPA competition and are loaded only for those occasions. But I will be leaving my CMC 10rd mags loaded to capacity as they're used for home defense and they need to be ready to go. You think CMC designed them to stay loaded at 10rds for prolonged periods of time?

I honestly don't see myself (or other gun owners for that matter) unloading them often. I will shoot the ammo in them every 6 months to make sure the gun still feeds and fires reliably with it, but that's just about it.

[Rick McC.]

Originally Posted by pitor

Good info. But correct me if I'm wrong , I remember reading in multiple articles that with modern metallurgy and the way springs are manufactured, they do not lose their "springness" regardless of being compressed for prolonged periods of time.

True.

[pitor]

But why if the springs do not get damage? I'm all about shooting my SD every 4-6 months to make sure it still feeds and the gun cycles with it, but not because of my mag springs.

Now, keep in mind my experience and the articles I've mentioned deal with double stack polymer pistols. I'm new to 1911s and their mag system.