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Old March 6, 2014, 03:01 PM   #55
fastbolt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 9, 2002
Location: northern CA for a little while longer
Posts: 1,930
Quote:
... my commander has 8+1=9. that should suffice for my needs without having to haul spare mags everywhere i go.
Magazines are one of the weak points when it comes to 1911-style pistols. Even the best mags need to be checked & maintained for proper condition & function of the parts. Cleanliness of mag bodies, weakened springs, worn followers.

I remember one day when one of the special enforcement guys issued a 1911 was running some range drills, having come in off the street/on-duty. At one point his primary mag (in the gun) experienced a stoppage, causing him to clear & rip the mag from the gun, going to a spare ... which also exhibited a stoppage. He went for his 3rd spare mag, but it had already been used and was laying on the ground. End of drill (out of mags & time).

He hadn't replaced his mag springs for a while. Those guns (issued 1911's) see usage for training every month (once a month), and they tend to eat recoil & mag springs. Probably doesn't help that they use +P loads, although they've changed from +P to standard pressure for most training, due to cost and amount of the amount of the training ammo they use.

Whenever I carry one of my 1911's, I carry a spare mag as much for being able to resolve any potential mag-related stoppage as for having spare ammo. I periodically inspect my 1911's as an armorer, too, and keep them sufficiently lubricated, and with good springs, etc. The mags get carefully inspected & maintained, as well. I've gone through more mags than I can remember over the years, as once they can't be kept properly functioning with parts replacement (mag bodies get too worn), they get tossed and replaced.
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