Top 10 Best 1911 Magazines 2023 – Review’s and Buying Guide!

Originally invented by John Browning, most pistol manufacturers throughout the world make their versions of the original 1911 gun, thus making it one of the most famous pistols in the world. The famous manufacturers who have made a name in this sector include Remington, Smith & Wesson, Glock, and others. The US military kept it in service until the 1990s, and even today, it is the standard sidearm for many police and military organizations throughout the world.

Being popular has its advantages, as this popularity means that there’s no shortage of magazines for this long-serving pistol. It is truly a wonderful advantage as it will reduce your time and effort in finding the right magazine for your weapon.

However, everything has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Because of its immense popularity, there are thousands of different types of magazines in the market produced by hundreds of companies worldwide. It increases the chances of being scammed and becomes quite difficult to pick up the best one.

As a solution to the problem, we have brought to you a list of the top ten best 1911 magazines available in the market, where we will take a close look at all of them and discuss their pros and cons. But before going into the recommendations, let us have a look at the things you need to keep in mind before buying a 1911 magazine.

Points to keep in mind while choosing a 1911 Magazine

Before you buy, there are a few points you will need to know about 1911 magazines so that you can choose what suits you the most and which one to buy.

Types of Magazines

There are two main types of pistol magazines: single stack and double stack. While the single stack magazines have the cartridges stacked on top of each other for better reliability, the double-stack magazines have the cartridges stacked in a staggered configuration. You can carry more ammo in the double stack, but the magazines and grips are thicker, and thus harder to conceal.

Two models are depending on the number of rounds: a 7-round magazine, and an 8-round magazine, which is the most popular. There are also extended magazines available, which can hold up to 10 rounds.

A few manufacturers such as Armscor, Para Ordinance, Strayer Voight and STI, also manufacture double-stack 1911s that have a capacity of 12 rounds, with extended versions available that will hold up to 14 rounds.

Cleaning Your Magazine

As you know, you need to clean and oil your pistol after every use. But most people ignore that magazine. But it also needs to be cleaned from time to time.

• While shooting, some exhaust escapes through the bottom of the chamber and into the magazine, which, when leftover time, can cause trouble. This amount that gets accumulated every time is insignificant to the amount that escapes through the barrel, but in the long run, it is enough to cause carbon buildup and fouling over time in the magazine.
• Also, in some cases, if they get dropped in dirt or sand, they will enter the magazine and will end up inside them. They can also collect pocket lint, and oil from your skin can cause dust to stick to them, over time which can damage the health of the gun.
• The easiest way to clean them is to scrub the follower with a toothbrush to remove carbon buildup. After it is done, wipe it with a clean patch to remove any remains of the brush. If the floor plate is removable, it is advised to take it off and clean it inside. But always remember to wear ear and eye protection while cleaning to avoid bits getting into your body, because the spring can cause parts to fly out.
• However, if your floor plate isn’t removable, you need to buy a magazine cleaning brush. These types of brushes are T-shaped, quite inexpensive, and can be found at any gun store.

 How to Carry a Spare Magazine

In some situations, you might feel blessed to have a spare magazine. There are a variety of ways to carry a spare magazine, but for that, you need to check your state laws first. Most states will require the pistol to be unloaded and stored separately from any ammunition. However, if you are practising in a range, make sure to be careful with the bag in which the magazine is stored, so that you don’t drop it or bump into something and damage your magazine pocket holster.

But how you carry your magazines will depend on how you carry your pistol. If you have a pocket holster, you will keep the spare magazine in your other pocket.

• For an IWB holster, the easiest thing is usually to keep a spare mag in the pocket next to the holster. While some holsters have slots or pouches for extra magazines, others don’t, and hence you need to decide how you will carry them.
• However, if you are wearing a tactical vest, you will have plenty of pockets to choose from. In case you are wearing a shoulder holster, the breast pocket of your sport jacket will be the best place to store it.

Now, without wasting any more time, let us have a glance at the top 10 best 1911 magazines you can buy that are available in the market.

Best 1911 Magazines Reviews 2023

#1 – Wilson Combat 8-Round .45 ACP Magazine

Wilson Combat’s 8-Round .45 ACP Magazine is made from aircraft-grade stainless steel and stands for durability.

Key features:

• It is built to match tolerances and is much tighter than the specifications for the original 1911 government.
• It has a 5/8 inches pad on the bottom.
• It slides in smoothly and locks securely into its place.
• The spring is very strong and might take some extra force to load the last cartridge.
• The follower action is very smooth, and will never cause a jam, barring catastrophic failure.
• This magazine will fit almost any 1911 .45 ACP model but may require some modification to have a perfect fit in your gun.

Overall, it is recommended if you have a government model 1911 or equivalent and have a general-purpose gun for activities such as target shooting, home defense, to name a few.

Buy on Brownells

#2 – Wilson Combat Vickers Duty Magazine

The Wilson Combat Vickers Duty magazine is the second magazine in our list of the top 10 best 1911 magazines available in the market that you can buy.

Key features

• It is very good in quality and is also one of the most expensive magazines on our list, but it is worth the price.
• It is also made from aircraft-grade steel.
• It has observation slots in the back instead of on the side that increases structural integrity while allowing you to see how many rounds are left.
• The steel follower is very smooth and comes with a strong enough spring to feed the cartridge.
• This magazine is very less likely to cause a jam.
• They are available in two calibers: the standard .45 ACP and the .9mm Luger that allows you to choose what you want.

It is recommended for someone willing to buy a good product regardless of the price tag with which it comes.

Buy on Brownells

#3 – Armscor ACT Mag .45 ACP

Here comes the third magazine in our list of the top 10 best 1911 magazines available in the market that you can buy, named as Armscore’s ACT Mag .45 ACP.

Key features

• It comes in a few different varieties to choose from, but the common thing is that they’re all built for .45 ACP cartridges.
• It is available in three capacities: 7 rounds, eight rounds, and 13 rounds, which is exclusively a double stack model, and won’t fit in a standard 1911. The 7 and 8 round versions will fit any standard government in 1911.
• All the different types of magazines have a reasonably strong spring and a smooth-operating follower.
• The tubes are made from carbon steel that helps massively to lower the price.
• However, carbon steel isn’t as strong as stainless and, is easier to bend if it’s dropped, but the 8-round the magazine is also available with a nickel tube.

This model is recommended for those who want a solid magazine, or a double stack model at a low price.

Buy on Brownells

#4 – Wilson Combat 10-Round .45 ACP Magazine

The fourth magazine in our list, the Wilson Combat 10-Round .45 ACP Magazine has the highest capacity available in the standard single-stack mag for 1911.

Key features

• The magazine supports the extra length that is housed inside a polymer base pad.
• The tube is made from stainless steel and is available in both a silver finish and a black finish.
• The spring added to the magazine is strong and durable and pushes a self-lubricating nylon follower that is also tough and smooth.
• This magazine can be a loose fit in flared mag wells because of the slim base pad.
• This magazine can also be used in a concealed carry pistol.

It is recommended for shooters who need a high-capacity mag for your single stack 1911.

Buy on Brownells

#5 – Gun Pro .45 ACP Anti Nose Dive Magazine

The Gun Pro .45 ACP Anti Nose Dive Magazine is the fifth magazine in our list of the top 10 best 1911 magazines available in the market that you can buy and has a unique design.

Key features

• It has a relatively weak spring, which makes it easier to load the last bullets without any effort.
• It uses a secondary spring to push the bullet up and forward, thus avoiding nose-dive jams.
• It is available in a 7-round magazine for the officer’s 1911 and 8 or 10-round sizes that are available for the government model, giving options to the customers to choose from.
• The tube and follower are both made up of stainless steel and have very tight tolerances.
• This magazine fits nicely in any single stack 1911, and the 8-round version has a nylon base pad.

Overall, his magazine is easy to load but still feeds reliably. As long as you keep it clean and oiled, it’s a good choice.

Buy on Brownells

#6 – Tripp Research .45 ACP Cobra Magazine

The Tripp Research .45 ACP Cobra Magazine is modeled after the high-end Les Baer 1911 magazine and is quite good.

Key features

• It is equipped with stainless steel tubes and followers that are durable.
• The spring is strong enough to prevent jams and the follower is very strong because it directly engages the slide catch with a steel surface.
• This magazine is available for both the officers and government models of 1911.
• The 7-round officer’s model is available in two types: with or without a polymer base pad, while the 7-round government version only comes without one.
• The 8-round version of the government magazine has a polymer base pad, and it’s sized well for most flared mag wells.
• It is more expensive than most magazines, but it is surely worth the price.

Buy on Brownells

#7 – Chip McCormick Shooting Star Magazine

The Chip McCormick Shooting Star is the seventh magazine in our list and is available in two versions: one with a nylon base pad and one without.

Key features

• The pad added to the magazine is removable, and the welded base has pre-drilled holes.
• This magazine is inexpensive and gives you eight rounds of capacity with a relatively low profile.
• This magazine has a flat follower that takes up less space than others that come in a standard shape.
• However, it might also happen that the follower catches on the slide unintentionally and might wear out within just a few uses.

Buy on Brownells

#8 – Kimber 10-Round Rimfire Magazine

The Kimber 10-Round Rimfire Magazine is designed to be used with the Kimber and Ciener .22 LR conversion kit, however, it works well with other kits too.

Key features

• The base pad added to the gun has a large flare that will fit quite well with the widest mag wells.
• This magazine can also be equipped to the LR conversion to be used for competitive match shooting due to its low recoil.
• This magazine is relatively inexpensive and very durable.
• The polymer tube is very useful for frequent handling and reduces the chance of bending the critical parts before a match.
• The follower added to the gun is made up of nylon and won’t accidentally crush the base of the cartridge.

Buy on Brownells

#9 – Chip McCormick Super Shooting Star Magazine

The Chip McCormick Super Shooting Star Magazine is the ninth magazine on our list and it has quite a classy look.

Key features

• The recoil of the gun is on the moderate side, neither more nor less.
• This .38 magazine is a great pistol hunting cartridge.
• It has great stopping power, similar to a .45, but has far superior ballistic performance because it has a higher velocity.
• It is also used for competitive shooting because of its performance.
• It is also quite reliable to be used for home defense and has a durable stainless-steel tube with a polymer base pad.

It is recommended for those who have a .38 super and want the most reliable magazine available in the market out there.

Buy on Brownells

#10 – Colt 1911 8-Round 10mm Magazine

Here comes the last magazine in our list of the top 10 best 1911 magazines available in the market that you can buy.

Key features

• The bullet is slimmer than a .45 ACP but has a longer cartridge that can hold a similar-sized charge.
• The muzzle velocity of the bullet is very high and reaches over 1,200 FPS from a pistol.
• This makes the 10mm magazine excellent for home defense, target shooting, or even pistol hunting.
• This magazine rolls out from the house of Colt, specifically designed for the Colt 1911s chambered in 10mm.
• However, it is quite expensive, but the stainless-steel tube and follower are durable, which makes it worth the price.
• The spring is strong and doesn’t cause any jams.
• However, it doesn’t have a base pad that makes it ideal for standard government 1911s, but not for models with a flared magazine.

Buy on Brownells

Conclusion

As you have realized by now, the type of magazines that you will want depends on what type of shooting you do. Different types of magazines come for different purposes, like, for self-defense, any normal magazine will do, if it doesn’t jam and create inconvenience. For target shooting, you will need a smoother-feeding design that is gentle on your cartridges.

We hope that you liked our article on the best 1911 magazines available in the market that you can buy to enhance your shooting experience. But before purchasing a 1911 magazine, do analyze your needs, to get the features that you need and choose the one that helps you in what you do with the gun.