[ColtCommander]

So I am very excited but worried...I am buying my very first 1911, and first COLT this week. It's a beautiful, new, Lightweight Commander 04840XE, Colt hit a home run with this thing! Anyways, I am not sure about the stock 8 round mags. I know everyone says to go buy the Wilson combat mags and even though I would love to I am already well over budget. When I include the holster and ammunition I purchased to break in and carry my new 1911 I can't afford to buy new mags just yet. In time I will get some Wilson's but for now I am planning on breaking it in and running 200 rounds of FMJ's and a box of Gold Dots with stocks mags.

Am I doing any harm to the aluminum frame, will there be feed issues, do I even need new mags? I hear so many different things I'm not sure what to believe!

 

[Gator89]

No, my Colt mags work very well.

But if you put a mag chute on your 1911, then either you need to add a bumper pad or buy mags with pads.

For extra mags, I buy MecGar, Wilson Combats or Tripp Cobras. MecGar is probably the best mag in its price range.

Use the mags you have and get that new Colt dirty, no harm will be done. Most folks can't afford the quantity of ammo needed to wear out the frame.

 

[Gator89]

OH yeah, welcome to the Colt Forum.

 

[po18guy]

Try the Colt's mags first. They will probably work just fine. Save up, as aftermarket mags are cheap and there are several good brands. As to frame battering, there are polymer buffers available to help there, but they are normally used in race guns or by those who are running hot loads. The loads that you mention are within SAAMI specs for pressure, so there might not be a problem. You could also go to a slightly higher rate recoil spring. If you were a machinist, you could apply a small amount of Dykem blue on the back of the recoil shield and see if any of it transfers to the frame. If you find none, then there is no contact. I have a steel Combat Commander, so those with alloy frames will fill in what I cannot.

 

[WVCOLT]

Colt mags first. Usually there's nothing like the stock mag's. These were made for that particular gun by Colt and tested. There are many after market one's out there that will probably work also. By the way "Hello and welcome to the forum from West Virginia". Glad your here.

 

[kayzap]

Welcome aboard.

I've got 30 or 40 Colt mags around here and all but one of them work perfectly.

 

[Colt75]

I'd shoot with the factory magazines and use Ball Ammo at first. If there are FTF after 200 rounds send it back to Colt. I've had good luck with Colt marked magazines in .45 ACP, .38 Super, and 9mm. You are probably worrying about nothing. Bet that Colt runs like a Swiss Watch. Good luck.

 

[Bill38]

Here is an excellent review of a number of mags. 1911 Magazine Analysis

I have had excellent results with the Checkmate with the dimpled follower and hybrid feed lips

 

[ColtPlinkerton]

I'm sort of new into the 1911 game myself, had a lightweight Commander years ago, sold it (dumb), now I have 2 Colt's and a Ruger SR1911 (the full-sized one).

My question is, all of my Colt and the Ruger magazines as well - if I chamber one round and eject the magazine, the second round has been pulled forward about 1/8" or a little more.

Same if I push it back and reinsert the magazine, fire one round, eject - the following round is being pulled forward. Every magazine and both Colts and the Ruger do this.

Normal, or bad magazines, or not broken in? None of them have been fired much...yet.

This is with ball ammunition. Snap caps too.

 

[ColtCommander]

Thank you everyone for your great comments and welcoming me to the forum! I am sure they will be fine, I just kept seeing articles and reviewers saying, "toss out your stock mags, they are nothing but trouble." There is almost too much information on the internet these days, and not enough good information. So many keyboard warriors out there that have one bad experience with a certain mag or pistol and they bash the company or product.

I'm glad to hear most of you have had good luck with the stock mags. My main concern was feeding and adversely effecting the frame with the metal followers but it sounds like it should be okay. For now I will run the stock mags and update the results, can't wait to take her on the Maiden Voyage!

Any other opinions or comments are still very welcome, thanks!

 

[ColtCommander]

Here is an excellent review of a number of mags. 1911 Magazine Analysis

I have had excellent results with the Checkmate with the dimpled follower and hybrid feed lips

Great article, definitely makes me feel much better about these magazines, thank you!

 

[kenhwind]

I'm sort of new into the 1911 game myself, had a lightweight Commander years ago, sold it (dumb), now I have 2 Colt's and a Ruger SR1911 (the full-sized one).

My question is, all of my Colt and the Ruger magazines as well - if I chamber one round and eject the magazine, the second round has been pulled forward about 1/8" or a little more.

Same if I push it back and reinsert the magazine, fire one round, eject - the following round is being pulled forward. Every magazine and both Colts and the Ruger do this.

Normal, or bad magazines, or not broken in? None of them have been fired much...yet.

This is with ball ammunition. Snap caps too.

The next round is being forced fwd by friction; normal.

 

[kenhwind]

Ive participated on several threads @ M1911.org and have read good and bad comments about every make magazine available for the 1911. I've used most of them and have no issues.
The current Colt .45 Auto magazines are made by Check-Mate; very good magazines imo.

You should be fine with your new Colt and the factory magazines.

If and when you want to acquire a few more magazines I'd recommend:
Check-Mate
Metalform
Mec Gar

The Wilson Combat magazines are overrated imo, overrated as in not necessary, and definitely pricey compared to non-Colt marked standard magazines.

The one magazine I have not used is the Tripp magazines.

 

[Coltsformysons]

So I am very excited but worried...I am buying my very first 1911, and first COLT this week. It's a beautiful, new, Lightweight Commander 04840XE, Colt hit a home run with this thing! Anyways, I am not sure about the stock mags. I know everyone says to go buy the Wilson combat mags and even though I would love to I am already well over budget. When I include the holster and ammunition I purchased to break in and carry my new 1911 I can't afford to buy new mags just yet. In time I will get some Wilsons but for now I am planning on breaking it in and running 200 rounds of fmj's and a box of Gold Dots with stocks mags. Am I doing any harm to the aluminum frame, will there be feed issues, do I even need new mags? I hear so many different things I'm not sure what to believe!
​

Welcome to the forum KY! I also think Colt hit a home run with this new Lightweight Commander. Enjoy in good health. Those factory mags are fine. I just typically choose to use Wilson Combat 47D's.
-Craig

 

[MtnSpur]

Have a LW Commander as well, a 2012 bought NIB and have have no issues with the Colt Mags whatsover. Never a failure. Some folks like to go to the Wilson mags, and that's all well and good. Your pistol, your decision. If it works and ain't broke scenario. I ran across some Checkmate mags and some Wilsons at an estate sale some while ago. Bought 10 assorted for $2 a pop. I use them in my Norinco "Model of the 1911A1" and never an issue. They stand out a bit considering they are bright stainless but the function is all I'm concerning with. Wilson puts out a good product as does Colt.

 

[El Bibliotecario]

Bill Laughridge of Cylinder and Slide once told me factory magazines were as good as any magazine made, and he knows a lot more about the subject than I do.

 

[dfariswheel]

Thank you everyone for your great comments and welcoming me to the forum! I am sure they will be fine, I just kept seeing articles and reviewers saying, "toss out your stock mags, they are nothing but trouble." There is almost too much information on the internet these days, and not enough good information. So many keyboard warriors out there that have one bad experience with a certain mag or pistol and they bash the company or product.

I'm glad to hear most of you have had good luck with the stock mags. My main concern was feeding and adversely effecting the frame with the metal followers but it sounds like it should be okay. For now I will run the stock mags and update the results, can't wait to take her on the Maiden Voyage!

Any other opinions or comments are still very welcome, thanks!

I'm not sure what the concern is about steel followers in Colt mags.
Normally the follower never touches any part of the gun except the slide stop, which is steel.
I've always used genuine Colt mags by preference and since the 60's I think I've only had one that had a problem and it was a used on that came in a used pistol.

Fact is, pick any brand of magazine and you'll find people who've had problems with them in a gun.
Unless and until a Colt mag gives you a problem, don't worry about it. They really are a top of the line mag. True, they don't have all sorts of extra bells and whistles, but they WORK reliably, which is what it's all about.

Too many people just assume that you must immediately start replacing parts on a new gun to "improve it".
Some of this is a desire to make the gun "theirs" by customizing it, and some is an assumption that a high end maker like Colt is going to supply the gun with a cheesy magazine just because it's cheaper.
Since a really critical part of an automatic IS the magazine it would be really stupid to sell it with a magazine likely to cause problems and a dissatisfied customer and a gun returned to the factory.

Colt magazines are deceptively simply, but they were designed by John M. Browning and have been totally proven in combat and civilian use since 1912.
So, if they work and don't cause problems don't "fix" what ain't broke.
Why spend money on something different when the Colt mags will probably work 100%.
Kind of hard to improve on 100% reliability.

 

[dfariswheel]

I'm sort of new into the 1911 game myself, had a lightweight Commander years ago, sold it (dumb), now I have 2 Colt's and a Ruger SR1911 (the full-sized one).

My question is, all of my Colt and the Ruger magazines as well - if I chamber one round and eject the magazine, the second round has been pulled forward about 1/8" or a little more.

Same if I push it back and reinsert the magazine, fire one round, eject - the following round is being pulled forward. Every magazine and both Colts and the Ruger do this.

Normal, or bad magazines, or not broken in? None of them have been fired much...yet.

This is with ball ammunition. Snap caps too.

This is completely normal with many if not most magazines for many or most brands and types of automatic pistols.
All that's happening is the bottom of the slide is pushing the smooth case forward slightly in the mag when the slide closes.
Check the bottom rail of the slide for roughness. If it's rough, (and I mean really rough) you can lightly stone the bottom to reduce the drag on the cartridge. Do this ONLY if it's rough and don't do much. Polishing the bottom of the rail to a mirror shine serves NO purpose and can cause trouble where there is none.
Probably, no matter how smooth the rail is the case will still be pushed forward slightly.

ALL THAT MATTERS is how reliable the magazine is.
As long as it works correctly slight forward movement is a total non issue.

 

[weagle99]

The Colt 8 round mags that came with my Commander both stovepiped when shooting.

I switched to Wilson Combat 7-round mags and the problem was fixed.

 

[dfariswheel]

The Colt 8 round mags that came with my Commander both stovepiped when shooting.

I switched to Wilson Combat 7-round mags and the problem was fixed.

There seems to be a history of 8 round magazines giving trouble.
JMB designed the mag to hold 7 and it seems that altering it to hold 8 causes some issues.