| If you have or buy used mags that have a good tube you can make it a reliable mag by using the upgrade kit. From what I read most 1911 mag issues deal with the internals (spring and follower). So if you have a mag tube with no cracks or deformed lips you can a have a reliable mag with this kit. So maybe you can buy some mil-spec units (Sportsman Guide has some SS units for 11.67 apiece) and spend 8.95 a kit (price goes down to 7.45 if you buy 10 or more) and have yourself good reliable mags for $19-20 bucks. Maybe you can find used mags even cheaper and bring the cost down some more.
His article explains about his kits
Our upgrade kits fit 1911 specification magazines. These mags may be older mil-spec units or they may be more modern magazines from manufacturers such as: Metalform, Wilson, McCormick, MecGar, Novak, ACT, Baer, Wolff, Kimber, and others. Some mags have issues related to follower design or longevity. Some mags work fine in the beginning but the springs lose strength too quickly and can begin to misfeed or fail to lock back. All plastic followers can round off the ledge that contacts the slide stop which creates problems.
The purpose of our upgrade kit is to increase reliability in your existing 'other brand' magazine. We do this by combining our proven chrome silicon spring with our proven hybrid or flex follower to take some of the chance out of your system. As we have mentioned elsewhere on our website, magazines act in a system in your particular firearm. What we and many shooters have discovered is that these upgrade kits help a lot of different mags behave better. Often, someone will buy a few upgrade kits to try out, only to return and purchase more upgrade kits to outfit the rest of their mags.
Obviously, we manufacture and sell complete magazines of our design and hold a company bias that they are the best 1911 magazines available. However, we recognize that there are already many, many pre-existing 1911 magazines of other brands out there. We are quite happy to supply upgrade kits to better the performance of these units. When people need to buy replacements for their exhausted springs or followers, we are pleased to provide a quality solution. When people need improved performance from their existing 'other brand' magazines, we are pleased to provide a quality solution.
In our upgrade kits, hybrid followers use the .048 wire diameter spring. Flex followers use the .042 wire diameter spring.
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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."
John Wayne as J.B. Books in the Shootist |