[cutlass]

I'm a very new Colt owner, have a couple 1911's, a Python and a SAA. This has probably been asked and answered several times but I can't find any info. I have several questions about 1911 magazines as I'd like to get a couple more.
How do you tell if a magazine is a genuine Colt?
What do the initials on base mean?
What do initials on the top of the shoe mean?
How can you tell if it is SS or nickel?
Sorry if these are stupid questions but thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Colt75]

It should say "Colt" and all mine have the Rampant Colt on the base of the magazine. The initial is the manufacture -- for example "M" means Metalform, etc.

 

[rusty37874]

The one's with the Initial on the top of the base plate lip are for the Military M1911 & M1911A1, What are the letters?-- You can determine the manufacturer.

 

[DPris]

Today there are no "genuine" Colt magazines, Colt doesn't make any.
Stainless usually has an appearance that's just....different from nickel. You'd need to see a couple samples of each together to learn how to tell them apart, unless an individual nickel sample made it easy by flaking somewhere.
Denis

 

[kenhwind]

Colt magazines have the rampant Colt; COLT & caliber.
M=Metalform
C=Check-Mate
S=Stainless.

A lot of data here:
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site - 1911 Magazine Identification

 

[Collects]

I like the Wilson Combat 1911 magazines for my Colt Defender. They work flawlessly.

I have also heard that Colt does not manufacture magazines.

 

[Rob Greer]

Colt magazines have the rampant Colt; COLT & caliber.
M=Metalform
C=Check-Mate
S=Stainless.

A lot of data here:
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site - 1911 Magazine Identification

The link that Ken posted has a lot of great magazine information... I was specifically looking at the USGI magazines, and they are pretty well covered. WWI magazines are discusses a few posts down the thread.

Thanks Ken!!

 

[dfariswheel]

Of course, these days you have to watch out for counterfeit Colt magazines.
Someone on some forum in the past posted some pictures showing how to detect the fakes.

 

[Oyeboten]

It all depends on what you mean by the term "1911", and, when it was made...as for which Magazine would be correct for it, and, what the identifying details of the Magazine would be.

None of the early ones ever said "Colt" on the Magazine, for example, and, later Government Model ones which did have name and Calibre on their base, were for the Government Model and not for the m1911, which had plain bases if Colt made, or which had a tiny character or letter stamped on to the top side of the Base 'toe' ( identifying the particulat sub-contractor who had manufactured it ) and that was it.


So, which Colt Model "O" exactly, and, when made, determines the details of the appropriate Magazine it would have had.


Edit:

To apologise for being redundant - I thought I had read through the Thread, but I had missed several postings somehow...oooops..! Lol...

 

[cutlass]

Great info, thanks.
So Colt doesn't manufacture their magazines, I will call the ones they have supplied with guns and their replacements ordered from Colt as Colt approved. I have an officers model that is SS, the magazine that came with it has the rampant colt, colt, 45 acp,an M and an S. The ones with my nickel series 70 government model made in 1974 do not have any initials or the rampant colt. If a person is looking for some extras at a gun show for example, which ones would have been colt apporved for either of these models?
Thanks

 

[dfariswheel]

While Colt doesn't manufacture their own magazines these days, the magazines are manufactured FOR Colt, under contract, and are plainly marked with Colt ID.
They come in Colt factory wrap with Colt identification and Colt address.
The magazines aren't "Colt approved", they ARE Colt.
They're considered to BE Colt magazines.

Many, if not most gun companies contract out magazines to contractors like Mec-Gar, springs to companies like Wolff, and grips to grip makers.
The only difference is, Colt puts a small contractor ID mark on their magazines, and other companies don't.

Colt really doesn't say in so many words, but the only magazines that are "Colt approved" are Colt factory magazines, and whether they were actually manufactured by Colt, they were made for Colt, to Colt specifications and quality standards and marked as Colt.
In my book, that makes them Colt magazines.

 

[JohnnyP]

Colt did transfer a quantity of commercial Government Model magazines to the military contract in WWII. The magazines were first sandblasted to remove the beautiful Colt finish, lightly sanded to remove the effects of the sandblasting, the magazine base was sandblasted, and then the magazine was blued.

 

[jcs]

Are you looking for original Colt magazines or the best magazines for shooting your 1911? If the later, Bill Wilson makes the best. I highly recommend them; by far better than any other I've used.

 

[hdkeno]

I believe that Metalform manufactures the current and recent Colt magazines.

 

[budster]

Who is the sub-contractor for the current Colt AR Magazines?