Split followers in 1911 mags

[Denny Hansen]

A few months ago I purchased 7 bargain basement stainless 1911 mags from Gun Parts Corp to see me through a course at Gunsite. All the mags except one functioned fine through the class. Today while practicing I had a double feed and when I checked the mag I noticed the leading edge of the follower (round type) had a 1/8-inch split in it. I checked all the other mags I purchased from Gun Parts and the same thing is happening to all of them. The split follower is also allowing the lips to spread out as well.

I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else with round top followers, or if I have just learned ANOTHER lesson about after-market magazines.

Denny

[James K]

I have not seen that happen, but round followers are one of the most useless "features" that have been put over on the shooting public, right up there with full length recoil spring guides.

Jim

[WESHOOT2]

Mag-Pack, Ed Brown, Wilson.

Short list.

[IZZY]

GI Contract, Colt, MecGar...in seven rounders in that prefrence. Never heard of your particular problem though... Will a change of followers save the mags?

[Rocklobster]

Gotta agree with you,IZZY.Everybody hollers about how great $30.00 Wilson mags are.Maybe so,but the best mags I have are 7 GI mags I bought at a gunshow for $5.00 apiece.

[James K]

FWIW, except for one 10 round for bowling pins, I never use anything but GI, and preferably WWII GI. I know THEY were made right.

Jim

[Denny Hansen]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

I think the mags could be saved with new followers, though I'd have to bend the lips back in a bit and I'm not comfortable doing that with magazines that could conceivably find their way into my carry gun. I've got 15 GI mags that have never failed, and I'll probably just stick with them.

Denny

[Ledbetter]

Wilson conversion kits are available at Brownells and at Wilson's web site. For 7 or 8 bucks, you get a Wilson follower and a Wolff mag spring.

These kits have found their wasy into almost all my mags from Colt and McCromick.

Regards.

[Denny Hansen]

Good idea Ledbetter, and thanks. I'll try a couple and see how they work.

Denny

[dsk]

I've found the round followers help guns that tend to be finicky with the last round out of a mag. Aside from that, I concur that GI mags are the best. Not the real early ones however, which seem to have a bad habit of splitting their feed lips. The post-WW2 GI contract are the best IMO, with exception given the last contract ones (Gulf War era) which were very shoddily made. You'll know those because the round count holes don't even line up!