The best 1911 magazine for you is certainly somewhere out in the markets. The challenging part is going through all the ones that are available on the market. There are magazines that are not worth spending your money on, even if they are within your budget range. That’s because the quality probably won’t last long.
To make it simpler for you, we’ve done the research and have chosen some of the best 1911 magazines that are currently available (as of this writing). One of them may be the next one you take home with you and will probably the last one for a while. If you are looking for other parts, have a look here.
| Magazines | Name | Editor’s Comment | Rating | Get The Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1911 10rd 45acp Power Plus Magazine | Most Recommended Option 1. 10-round capacity | 10/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | Springfield: 1911: 45 Auto/Acp: SS 8rd Capacity | Premium Option 1. Fits most 1911s | 9.5/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | 1911 45acp Wilson-Rogers Magazines | 1. Precision formed body 2. Holds up to 8 rounds 3. Made from heat-treated, aircraft-quality stainless steel | 9.5/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | Metalform – 1911 10mm Magazine | 1. Holds up to 8 rounds 2. Orange nylon follower for easier loading 3. Made from carbon and stainless steels for maximum durability | 9.0/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | Brownells – 1911 9mm Magazines | 1. Witness holes for fast round counts 2. Xylan-coated for corrosion protection 3. Constructed of heat-treated stainless steel | 8.5/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | Ed Brown – 1911 .45ACP SS Magazine 7 RD | 1. 7 Round capacity 2. Fits all 1911 guns 3. Made from stainless steel | 8.0/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | KCI 1911 .45 ACP 15 Rounds Magazine | 1. Holds up to 15 rounds 2. Constructed from durable steel 3. Clear-cut witness holes for faster loading | 7.0/10 | Currently unavailable |
1911 Magazine Review – The Advantages of A Variety of Mags
Having a wide range of magazines for your 1911 is a good thing. And you’ll be able to relish some of the perks and benefits that goes along with retaining such accessories. Here are some of the perks and advantages that you’ll enjoy should you decide to capitalise in a good quality magazine or two:
More Round Capacity
You should really keep in mind that not all magazines will have the same capacity. Some will have a maximum capacity of 10 rounds, while some will have an upwards of 12 rounds. Either way, having numerous options should be important, especially when you’re out target practicing or taking part in competitive shooting contests.
Faster Load and Reload
Going back to the competitive shooting instance. Having multiple choices on hand will allow you to load and reload much faster. In the concern of time, you won’t want one where you’ll have to load rounds one-by-one. This may also be a great advantage if you’re testing out different magazines on the shooting range to decide which one will be best for your 1911.
Backup
The biggest benefit of having a variety of magazines is having an extra when disaster strikes. By disaster, we mean when the device breaks or gets damaged. There will come a period of time where it will happen. The only obvious resolution is to replace your broken magazine with one that has not been used yet.
Criteria: What You Should Consider Before Buying a 1911 Magazine
If you are currently browsing the market for a 1911 magazine, then there are a few important features you have to consider before making a decision. You know well enough that choosing one off the shelf or online on an impulse is a mistake.
Without looking at what it has for its structures and how it can benefit you, you risk having a problematic user experience and wasting your hard-earned money. The following are a few aspects that past users have considered when buying this kind of product:
Manufacturers
Some buyers have often taken their guns and accessories on just the brand name alone. If they are long term buyers of the same brand name, there are a reason or two as to why they keep on buying it. Sometimes, you have to go beyond the brand name itself to make sure that it’s one that you want to rely on.
Perhaps the single most imperative factor of all is the reputation of the manufacturer. This is especially true if you are new to the 1911 atmosphere and just want your gun to feed reliably without having to spend a whole lot of money.
There are a number of high quality manufacturers of 1911 magazines, including each of the following:
- Colt
- Mec-Gar
- Wilson
- Power Mag
- Tripp Industries
- Metalform
- Chop McCormick
The best-selling 1911 magazines on the planet are currently being manufactured by those companies, so they should be on your lists.
Price
For obvious reasons, the price is a factor in every buying decision. You may have some extra cash to play around with or you’re probably on a tight budget. Either way, the price is a decisive factor. Yet, there has been a major stipulation for this. In order to find the best choice for yourself, you will want to consider the quality over its price. You do not want to opt for cheaper options is stereotypically associated with bad quality. Luckily, there is a rule that you’ll need to follow: find the best quality that your budget can afford. Thankfully, there are some options on the market that are high in quality and fair on price.
Pressure
This is another factor that you should be considering. This emphasizes on the pressure on the springs of the magazines. There are strategies that have diverse levels of pressure in their springs. Magazines for 1911s have higher heaviness in their springs for maximum performance. This is something that you’ll definitely want for your own use.
Craftsmanship
This refers to the general quality of the magazine as well as its looks. Many 1911 magazines will have a highly reflective finish, especially when put under the sunlight. While they may still function appropriately, the reflective finish can be unwelcoming for a host of reasons, especially if you’re standing outside under bright sunlight.
For obvious reasons, this is a factor that entails the excellence of your device. This also includes the aesthetics as well. Most will have a highly reflective finish and will reflect it when held up in sunlight. However, some users may not want a reflective finish for a few reasons. A shiny finish may be related with poor grip. This is even worse if your hands are slippery due to water or excessive sweat. It would be wise for you to search for a product that does not have a reflective finish. Choosing a better grip is much more of a need than having it look good.
Furthermore, a remarkably shiny finish can associate with a poor grip, especially if your hands are slippery from water or perspiration.
For these few reasons, it will be best for you to avoid a 1911 magazines with a naturally shiny finish. As far as craftsmanship is involved, the magazine should be solid without a flimsy spring and little to no rattling of any kind.
No Sticking
Finally, it should be able to eject pretty quickly and smoothly. This is an excellent feature that may come in useful in the event of a competition or if it decides to malfunction. If you need several magazines for spares, having a non-stick one is important for when you need to load and reload rather quickly.
Our Reviews on The Best 1911 Magazines
Having a dependable, functional back-up magazine or two will be helpful in a variety of circumstances. We’ve uncovered some of the best on the market and given you a quick summary of each of our choices to help you decide which one is the best one for you.
1. Tumbled Stainless Steel 1911 Mag .45 ACP
The first magazine we’ll look into comes from Palmetto State Armory (PSA). This is a stainless steel option with a 7 round capacity that fits PSA-issued 1911s and also other similar models. If you have a 1911 magazine that is a standard government issued gun and can work well with government magazines, the PSA is a good substitute to have when you require an extra magazine or two.
If you are looking for a product that is definite to last you even through hundreds, if not thousands of rounds, you should consider the PSA as a possible choice. This is considered to be one of the best on the quality magazine market.
Palmetto State Armory is a trustworthy brand for most 1911 users. Some will have great things to say about them, others not so much. If you are looking for something with a low count capacity, then you can rely on this one in particular.
One advantage you may have is the lower the capacity, the quicker you can substitute it with an additional magazine. That may be a good strategy to have if you are a competition shooter.
2. 1911 45 ACP Wilson-Rogers Magazines
As mentioned earlier, there are 1911 magazines on the market that are prodigious in quality, but fair in price. One well made brand in particular that makes gun accessories and sells them at a pleasant price is Wilson Combat. They are highly identifiable and one of the more reliable brands when compared to others.
If you’re on a tight budget, you’d be crazy enough to pass on anything made by Wilson Combat. This product that we’ll be looking at is no exclusion to that rule. The aircraft-grade stainless steel is has been heat-treated to defend the weapon. It can easily perform under recurrent usage in competitions and self-defense circumstances. The body is precision formed, with close to perfect acceptances for a universal, excellent fit.
The Wolff spring is built to ease and prevent “spring set”. When it requires cleaning, the base, follower, and spring remove conveniently for quick access and easy maintenance. If you have a black model, you can choose a black oxide finish along with a steel base pad that can be uninvolved when needed.
Wilson Combat is certainly one of the best brands on the market and for good reasons too. If you’re the kind of gun owner that usually sticks to a budget, you’ll want to find a brand that you can depend on on for a long period of time.
If you’re looking for a product that will last you for many years, the Wilson Combat is what you’ll probably want. If one user has had this type for over thirty years, it may be the last magazine you’ll buy in a very long time. And for the affordable price, that is quite a steal for many people.
3. Brownells 1911 9mm Magazines
Our next magazine up on our list is the Brownells 1911 9mm. If you’re in the market for a 9mm compatible device, Brownells is currently one of the best on the market as of this writing. This chains heavy-duty construction with the reliability that you are looking at from a century-old service weapon.
Both the body and follower are made from heat-treated stainless steel. This also has a witness hole for a rapid round count. The exterior is coated with Xylan, which is used to make sure that it is protected from corrosion. The finish is also made to reduce friction.
This has a detachable polymer base pad that allows you easy disassembly and drop protection when you are looking to switch out magazines.
If you are looking for a good magazine for your 9mm 1911, the Brownells may just fit the bill. One of the main things that stands out to us is that it can fit just fine and you can slide it out without experiencing much issues.
This is something you will probably want in the interest of speed and timing. With the witness holes, you can reload it a lot faster. Not bad for a magazine that can hold up to 10 rounds.
4. Metalform 1911 10mm Magazine
Up next on our list, we have the Metalform 1911 10mm Magazine. For now as of this writing, this clip is the best fit for 10mm 1911s. This has a capacity of 8 rounds. It is crafted from blued carbon steel and stainless steel, making this a vigorous, high-quality product for your gun.
Since this is made in the United States, you’ll know for sure that this will be a high-quality gun accessory. That’s because firearms manufacturers in the United States place quality at a very high standard.
You can choose between flat or round steel followers. Both are made to provide a positive last-round feeding irrespective of bullet type, especially wad cutters. It also has a safety orange nylon follower that is bowl-shaped and has the ability to hold extra rounds.
One of the major things that stands out from this product is the orange nylon follower. This is perfect for those who may have less than average eyesight and have a hard time manually loading the mag. Other than that, this is a very strong magazine to have.
If you somehow drop it by accident, it will not (or is less likely to) get dented, scratched, or sustain any kind of damage. That’s the beauty of having this magazine made with 2 types of durable steel.
5. Springfield 1911 45 Auto/ACP SS 8RD Capacity
Not all 1911 magazines have a set round volume across the board. Some have a capacity of 7 to 8 rounds, while others will have an upwards of approximately 15. The Springfield 1911 is the best one currently on the market for someone who is looking for a great 8 rounder.
This is also one of the best choices to have for your 1911 if you’re looking for something to replace your current or a factory magazine that just doesn’t get the job done.
This is made from stainless steel material, making it very hard-wearing for your 1911. According to a user feedback on the PSA website, these clips are seemingly hard to find. So, if you’re looking for a good 8 round option, then this Springfield may just be your best bet.
The Springfield Armory 1911 magazine may be your best choice if you’re looking for a good quality product that can hold up to at least 8 rounds. One of the best things about it is that you won’t have many issues while it drops free and it will be quite easy to load.
In competition shooting, having the ability to quickly and easily load more magazines into your 1911 will make all that difference. If you’re a competitive shooter and need an eight rounder that can help deliver, the Springfield magazine may be your best competition choice.
6. 1911 10Rd 45ACP Power Plus Magazine
The next 1911 item is for those who are looking for great 10 round magazine reviews. This is the Chip McCormick 1911 Ten Round Power Plus magazine that you are looking at. This Chip McCormick is a brand name that a lot of 1911 gun owners and fanatics are quite happy with and for good reasons too in reviews.
Chip McCormicks was made to be that never-fail product for 1911s. Magazine failure is the last thing a competition shooter wants to experience. The same can be said when you are in a home defence situation. A failing mag base pad 1911 magazine when your life’s on the line can put you in a more dangerous and agitated situation.
It comes with roll formed feed lips, which are not die cut, but polished, to add strength. The design of the follower allows for unforced feeding even with hollow points and semi-wad cutters magazine. This also has a powerful exclusive spring and a Rocket wire coated in a heat treatment made for reliable feeding, especially when the pistol is entirely loaded and magazine base pad seated in a pistol magazine for over long periods of time.
The plastic base pad is detachable and is made to stand up to incessant use on your gun magazine. To make sure of a visible and fast load count, numbered witness holes are featured on both sides of the gun magazine.
There are some firearms brands out there that 1911 lovers can’t say anything negative about. Chip McCormick is one of those “perfect” brands of gun magazine. If you are looking for an item that won’t fail you, especially in the times where you want your 1911 magazine to work the best, you’re going to want to further reflect getting a Chip McCormick. If you are looking for a good 10 round option, then you’ll be hard pressed to find anything that is just as good as this gun magazine.
7. KCI 1911 .45 ACP 15 Rounds Magazine
Our final review on this list of reviews is for those who want the best 15 round magazine for their guns. KCI combines high-quality construction with very consistent performance. This is one of the best magazines to acquire if you’re going to spend your day out on the gun magazine range.
The steel construction and polymer base plate are sturdy and also feature witness holes cut into both sides to allow for ease of loading in the 1911 magazines and stainless steel gun.
This is companionable with full-size, mil-spec, and commander variants, and extends beyond the magwell by a few inches. If you want to double down on your firing power, the KCI has extended choices available in the best 1911 magazines.
This is the impeccable magazine for your 1911 if you despise the idea of having to reload every 7 to 8 shots. This also comes in handy if you want to spend all of your days at the shooting range and fire off your 1911 with great pride. The KCI is your best option if seven or eight rounds just won’t make the cut for your pistol from this best 1911 magazines.
Conclusion
Finding the best 1911 magazines doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. If you spot one that stands out as one of your preferences, be sure to do a little more in-depth research on that magazine. There’s probably a cause that has piqued your interest if you are going for one of our options in the reviews. Take all the user feedback with a grain of salt and use your best decision to make sure if it really is the best magazine for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Are The Different Types of Magazines?
Currently, there are 3 kinds of 1911 magazines on the market currently. Choosing the right kind may come down to your personal preferences or needs. They are as follows:
G.I. Magazines
These are also known as G.I. spec types. These are used as part of the government issued sidearm for the United States military magazines. These magazines will usually have a round count of 7 or 8. Nothing more or less than that range.
Hybrid Magazines
The hybrid 1911 magazines are made to function with great reliability. This allows the rounds to spiral free from control at a much faster pace in the feeding cycle of the magazines. If you’re using hollow points, then this type will work perfectly with the magazines.
WadCutter Magazines
This works really well with JHP ammo magazines. They are also made to prevent double feed. This is done by allowing shorter rounds and using the same kinds of feeding angle as a rifle magazine uses in the magazines.
How to Carry a Spare 1911 Magazine?
Firstly, you should be well-versed with your state laws regarding your aftermarket magazines. This is because some state laws require you to unload your pistol which indicates you’d have to carry multiple aftermarket magazines with you. Contrastingly, if you hold a concealed carry permit or open carry is allowed within your region then things are easier for you as you just have to carry your mag within your pistol.
Though so, here’s a few methods which could help you carry your aftermarket magazines effortlessly. You’d opt to purchase a spare magazine carrier which comes in small belts or belt attachments. Besides that, a range bag would be handy as it can house many pistols simultaneously alongside with your ammo. For those who have a concealed carry and inside the waist band holster, a spare mag can be stored next to your holster. Furthermore, you’d also look into tactical vest as they have many pockets to put your 1911 magazine.
Hello there, it’s Michael here. A gun lover since young, served the country for the last 20 years. I started the blog to share my experience and gun-related knowledge accumulated throughout the years. Hopefully, you will find something useful over here or just have fun! You can learn more about me here.