Impossible Mag Release

[SingingShooter]

I just bought my first 1911...a Colt Competition 45 ACP...an awesome shooter!  Was hoping to use it for an up-coming classifier but when attempting to practice dry-firing and reloading I'm having difficulty releasing mags. I'm big guy with big hands, and yet I cannot get enough bite or pressure with my right thumb on the mag release button to drop the mag. Is this just a new gun "break-in" issue? Insufficient lubrication? Or something that will correct itself over time as the gun gets broken in (I've not even put a hundred rounds through it yet)?  Or am I, after dropping close to grand on this gun, going to now have to stick more money into it for an aftermarket extended mag release and lighter button?  I've seen some Youtube videos where guys clip off (shorten) the mag release spring, but I've never had to deal with this. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks in advance!

[HI5-O]

I got a Colt Competition in 9mm and it was difficult to insert a mag unless you used quite a bit of force. So I’m thinking that the spring inside of the mag catch must be pretty stout. 

 

What I did was get an extended mag catch from Dawson Precision. They have it in different lengths. Installed it and haven’t had any problems. 

 

If you want to keep the stock mag catch, try and polish the surfaces of the retaining screw and the body where it slides in the frame to see if that helps. Next would be to cut the spring in small increments. 

[f2benny]

There are reduced tension springs available but I suspect yours will loosen up.  For pretty cheap you can get a replacement release.  A slightly longer mag release like an Ed Brown or Wilson will still be IDPA legal if you care or you can get an enlarged capped release for Single Stack which will help alot.

[anbrumm]

I recently got Wilson Legendary mags, and it took a lot of force to seat them and to drop the mags. People kept saying to wait for the springs to break in, but I left one fully loaded for 2+ weeks. Still the mag was hard to drop. After doing some research, I saw that quite a few people cut 1 could off the mag spring. I decided to take the risk and try it. Seating and dropping the mags are a lot easier than before, and haven't noticed any feeding issues.

 

Are the mags easy to drop unloaded, or still hard to drop?

[Hollywood501]

I also have the Colt Competition in 9mm. I also have a Sig Scorpion 1911 in .45acp, I found i have a hard time reaching the magazine release on both guns so I installed the Wilson Combat oversize magazine release on both guns. Much easier to reach without modifying my grip and it certainly was an improvement over the stock Colt magazine release.

Cheers!


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[SingingShooter]

On 3/2/2018 at 8:49 AM, anbrumm said:

I recently got Wilson Legendary mags, and it took a lot of force to seat them and to drop the mags. People kept saying to wait for the springs to break in, but I left one fully loaded for 2+ weeks. Still the mag was hard to drop. After doing some research, I saw that quite a few people cut 1 could off the mag spring. I decided to take the risk and try it. Seating and dropping the mags are a lot easier than before, and haven't noticed any feeding issues.

 

Are the mags easy to drop unloaded, or still hard to drop?

I've only been practicing reloads indoors, so unloaded.  I've since posting this ordered an Ed Brown extended mag catch, so we'll see how that works.  If the catch is still too heavy I'll start nipping off small pieces of spring coil or order a lighter spring.

[SingingShooter]

On 3/3/2018 at 10:43 AM, Hollywood501 said:

I also have the Colt Competition in 9mm. I also have a Sig Scorpion 1911 in .45acp, I found i have a hard time reaching the magazine release on both guns so I installed the Wilson Combat oversize magazine release on both guns. Much easier to reach without modifying my grip and it certainly was an improvement over the stock Colt magazine release.

Cheers!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I've since posting this ordered an Ed Brown extended mag catch, so we'll see how that works.  If the catch is still too heavy I'll start nipping off small pieces of spring coil or order a lighter spring.

[Yeti]

Some mag tubes may not transition as easily with the stock catch , which has minimal factory fit.  

Take a little off the ramp on the end of the mag catch lobe until ALL mags insert smoothly with a firm click. 

Remember you can always take more off later so go easy.  Then polish up the reworked area. 

 

You may still prefer a lighter (or clipped) spring in addition.  If you clip, smooth out the end of the cut spring so it does not bind.    

[littlewing6283]

On 3/2/2018 at 6:41 AM, HI5-O said:

I got a Colt Competition in 9mm and it was difficult to insert a mag unless you used quite a bit of force. So I’m thinking that the spring inside of the mag catch must be pretty stout. 

 

What I did was get an extended mag catch from Dawson Precision. They have it in different lengths. Installed it and haven’t had any problems. 

 

If you want to keep the stock mag catch, try and polish the surfaces of the retaining screw and the body where it slides in the frame to see if that helps. Next would be to cut the spring in small increments. 

Went with the Dawson as well. Now all my 1911s have this 

[Dr Mitch]

Check the fit/condition on the release lock.  A lot of them are garbage.  You can also order multiple spring rates for the mag catch.

[JohnRodriguez]

I just recently found out on my dawson extended mag release that if the end of the spring is clocked just wrong, that it will bind up when pressing the release.  The end of the spring will actually dig into the frame.  just take it out and rotate the spring 180 degrees and see if it stops hanging up.