I am in the market for a few of the S&W ACT mags for a 1911.

Any idea where I can get a good buy on some?

Top Gun Supply usually has them in stock, I have also bought them from centerfire systems.

ACT-MAG - Top Gun Supply

I have an ACT mag. They work good.

However...

I'm wanting some that fit flush with the bottom of the grip. So far, other than *** GI mags, I can't find a decent, RELIABLE mag that fits flush. I thought about the Chip McCormick "Shooting Star" mags, but I've even heard mixed reviews about those.

But then again, I guess you're gonna hear good and bad from everybody.

I have a couple of Randall mags that are flush and so far has held up from about 10,000 rounds of use. They stay full all the time and have for years without any spring problems. They feed well.

Have you tried Kimber mags (not the standard ones, but the Pro-Tac) ? I've read very good reviews about them, and I've had good luck with them. They do come with bumper pads, but they are not installed, and you can just use the mags without them and they fit flush.

Remington makes a blued 7 round magazine with a steel follower. They fit flush and function well. MidwayUsa has em.

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2nd Admen.-Right to bear AR 's

I have had very good results with Mec-Gar's 7 round standard blue mags in all my 1911 Government or Commander size guns. They fit flush, feed flawlessly, hold the slide open on the last round and fall free when I punch the button.

The problem with so many *** GI mags now is they are either junk or fakes. I retired from the Army 20 years ago and remember a couple of .45 mag recalls, last one was for poor spotwelds on the floorplate. I forget the CAGE code now but a couple of tons of those new in the wrapper but recalled mags went through DRMO and to surplus dealers.

As the M9 went into service, over time "real" MILSURP M1911 magazines became unavailable. The DoD wasn't buying any so had no surplus. Some of those very same lowball suppliers had the Chinese making new surplus mags complete with bogus wrappers. I have compared some of those "gunshow specials" to mags that came home from the range in the 60's and 70's and they are not as well made.

I wanted to get a flush mag for carry after I bobtailed my 1911, I did some research and got a Tripp cobra mag. IMO Tripp makes the best 1911 mags hands down, and their spring kits will make any 1911 mag better.

Tripp Research Inc. 1911 Magazines

I think i have about 6 of these and they run great in my S/W 45.
Magazine, Kimber KimPro Tac-Mag .45, 7Rd, Full-Size Stainless

CDNN Sports, Inc.

They have Novaks. Also look at the 7 round Metalforms they have for 8.99. These are the same as Colt factory.

Avoid the "OEM" mags they list.


http://www.cdnninvestments.com/19457rdblmag2.html

For today and tomorrow, they have a cheap shipping special.

I use Metalform mags in all three of my 1911's - 9mm, .38 Super, .45ACP - and have never had a problem. Great product, great value.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

Wilson have always worked for me

Checkmate seven round flush fits should do very well.

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July 4, 1776 not Jan 30, 1909

As usual, everyone has a different preference for 1911 magazines. Personally, my Ultra Carry II came with one of the Kimber magazines and it was junk. I upgraded to Wilson Combat mags and have been very happy.

CDNN lists ACT 1911 mags in their newest catalog FWIW.

page 78 of their 2010-3 catalog. Should be the same page of their .pdf catalog.

I think the problematic g.i. 1911 mags you're thinking about are the rejected or fake Mason-Rust brand ones. Some are packaged in sealed kraft paper wrap. The have what looks like the correct stampings for a g.i. mag with the manufacturer code of "MFR 30745". I got some of the real g.i. ones off another board. Mine were made by Checkmate, the current maker of magazines for the US military's 1911, M9, and M14 weapons. Checkmate's manufacterers code is "MFR 1M291".

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Sheldon

I second the Tripp 7R-45-WG , pricey but they work best for me.

All the post-war 1911 issue mags were identified with a CAGE code on the floorplate. I don't remember which batch it was but all those contracts were let in the mid 70's. Of the three contractors' CAGE codes:
MFR. 8R611-KASCO METAL PRODUCTS was canceled
MFR. 30745-MASON-RUST CO is obsolete
MFR. 1M291-CHECK-MATE INDUSTRIES INC is still active

On the rejected mags the 4 spotwelds securing the body to floorplate were made too deeply. The floorplates popped off because there wasn't much body left where the weld was made.

Genuine GI WW2 and earlier mags you need to look on the toe of the floorplate for a letter identification. It'll be a single letter. S G L R One of the four.

On the bottom, you may notice two letters. A "C" with a hyphen and a letter, but the letter on the toe identifies the manufacturer.

S=Scovill
G=General Shaver
L=MS Little
R=Risdon
Umarked=Colt

What about a genuine Colt mag? I'm guessing it's the real McCoy...it's got the rampant colt on the toe of the floor plate and says "Colt 45 Auto" in the middle, as well as the "two-tone" finish on the bottom 1/4 inch of the mag tube, and it has an uppercase "M" at the rear upper corner of the floor plate. What does that marking mean?

"GENUINE" Colt magazines, the ones with the rampant pony, are made by metalform or checkmate.

"M" stands for Metalform. The ones selling for $8.99 at CDNN are the sames ones sold by Colt at over twenty bucks.

Aha! So my "genuine" Colt mag ain't nuthin' but a 9 dollar Metalform, huh?

And here I thought I had a pig in a poke.

well....the Colt has a rampant pony and much prettier packaging.

If you want a crash course to get a magazine PHD, go to the magazine thread onThe M1911 Pistols Organization and read all the stickies.

Hint. Start early in the day and bring your lunch and plenty of coffee.

Nah! I ain't that worried about it. Besides...I prefer Chip McCormick Power Plus mags anyway. I just thought I had a collectible magazine with this Colt. Go figure.

I have never had any trouble of any kind with the 7 round, blued steel Mec-Gar magazines, and they fit flush.

I bought a 'Shooting Star' magazine, and had nothing but trouble with it. And, I was unable to return it. It pretty much connived me to stick with 7 round magazines.

I also have 2 Randall Arms magazines that are VERY well made, and give 100% reliability. But, that company is now long out of business. I found them, at 2 gun shows, about 2 years apart, long ago.