Ftf With Wilson Mags

[Rob Bartley]

So I finally picked up a couple Wilson 8 rounders about a week and a half ago. I have a Kimber and have never had any malfunctions with my Kimber mag or two old military mags that I have...never. Since using the Wilson's I have had a couple FTF's. The Wilson mags have been loaded since I have owned them. Any thoughts?

[MichiganShootist]

My experience has been the opposite. With 7 or 8 Wilsons over 3 - 4 years not one problem related to mags. in my Kimber or my Springfield...... other than a mag. I dropped "face" down on concrete and bent the lips.

I'd take them apart and give them a good cleaning with WD- 40 or something like that.... then wipe them dry and reassemble. If you have further problems make sure you know which mag is causing the problems and measure the feed lips .

[Franksremote]

Make sure to check the lips. My CMCs get banged around pretty good and I find myself adjusting them pretty oftern or they won't feed properly or drop free.

[Anthony Lombardo]

Are the FTF's on the last round?

[Rob Bartley]

Actually they are the first or second round. Can it be that the spring is too strong? I have also noticed that releasing the slide lock is more difficult than with the other 7 round mags.

Edited April 19, 2007 by Rob Bartley

[LPatterson]

I doubt the spring is too strong as the springs are 2 coils shorter than the ones in my McCormick 8rd power mags.

[Anthony Lombardo]

Take a plastic bushing wrench and cycle your springs 50 times per mag. Your new springs are a little too stiff.

When you start getting last round Failures, its time to replace the springs again.

There are a lot of sacrifices for that one extra round.

[Rob Bartley]

Take a plastic bushing wrench and cycle your springs 50 times per mag. Your new springs are a little too stiff.

When you start getting last round Failures, its time to replace the springs again.

There are a lot of sacrifices for that one extra round.

Thanks...I will give that a try. I thought the issue might go away with use of the mags.

[dirtypool40]

So I finally picked up a couple Wilson 8 rounders about a week and a half ago. I have a Kimber and have never had any malfunctions with my Kimber mag or two old military mags that I have...never. Since using the Wilson's I have had a couple FTF's. The Wilson mags have been loaded since I have owned them. Any thoughts?

Yeah, it happens. I spoke to Wilson about this and they said the normal fix was to change the faulty part, keep the mags, change the gun.

THIS IS MEANT TO BE FUNNY PEOPLE I AM NOT PICKING ON WILSON.

[Rob Bartley]

Shot my first local shoot this weekend and had a blast! However, the mags are still acting up. I had three FTF's in five stages with the Wilson's. I hope they loosen up soon.

[Carmoney]

I'm not a fan of Wilson, but man those mags are great. I've owned some of mine for nearly 20 years, and with a little maintenance, they just keep working and working in all my 1911s.

I've reached the point where if someone says they're having problems with Wilson mags, I tell them there's something wrong with the gun.

[benny hill]

Set the feed lips at .410 & try them.

[Carmoney]

There are a lot of sacrifices for that one extra round.

Some of the "black and deadly tacticians" are still convinced that 8-round .45 mags are inherently unreliable somehow. They need to get with the times. There are several brands of 8-rounders (with Wilson at the very top of the list, in my opinion) that are extraordinarily reliable in a well-made 1911. That's one of the lessons we have learned from using 1911s in action competition for so many years now.

[Anthony Lombardo]

There are a lot of sacrifices for that one extra round.

Some of the "black and deadly tacticians" are still convinced that 8-round .45 mags are inherently unreliable somehow. They need to get with the times. There are several brands of 8-rounders (with Wilson at the very top of the list, in my opinion) that are extraordinarily reliable in a well-made 1911. That's one of the lessons we have learned from using 1911s in action competition for so many years now.

Unreliability usually comes with standard velocity or +P ammo. No one I know shoots IDPA or IPSC with 210 Power factor loads with any regularity. Weak mag springs will cause last round failure to feed with over 200 PF loads.

175 (and under) power factor loads can be ultra reliable with most any 8rd mag as long as the bullet shape is correct for the platform.

So in a nutshell, if you are having last round malfunctions-your springs are weak. First round malfunctions-your springs are probably too strong.

Wilson mags proved their mettle with thousands of 200 grain swc's loaded to 170 power factor. Throw factory hardball, or +P's in their for thousands of rounds and you will understand why lots of knowledgeable people use 7rd mags for their carry guns and 8rders only in a match.

[Rob Bartley]

I have not shot full house .45 with the magazines. I don't know exactly the power factor of my loads since I have yet to chronograph them (no chronograph at the match yesterday). I know it should be close to 165-170 PF being 4.0 Clays and 230 gr. Rainers. I will keep them loaded, and keep shooting them to break them in. Thanks for the help.

[Carmoney]

Weak mag springs will cause last round failure to feed with over 200 PF loads.

And that would be because the people shooting the hot stuff (to get over 200 p.f. you must be talking about something like Cor-Bon +P) insist on installing heavy recoil springs in their guns.

[Carmoney]

Throw factory hardball, or +P's in their for thousands of rounds and you will understand why lots of knowledgeable people use 7rd mags for their carry guns and 8rders only in a match.

I disagree, I think it's purely old-school thinking that makes people think they need to use 7-rounders for carry. Factory hardball (or any non +P defense loads that are the equivalent of hardball) just isn't all that hot. I shot Wolf factory hardball the last several years in single stack matches all over the place (including two Single Stack Classics). It's fairly mild stuff. My current Single Stack load just chronoed 179 p.f. at the WI Sectional yesterday, making it approximately equivalent to most factory hardball (traditionally a 230 gr. load marketed at 825-850 that actually goes somewhat under 800 fps).

I have not shot full house .45 with the magazines. I don't know exactly the power factor of my loads since I have yet to chronograph them (no chronograph at the match yesterday). I know it should be close to 165-170 PF being 4.0 Clays and 230 gr. Rainers. I will keep them loaded, and keep shooting them to break them in. Thanks for the help.

Have you changed anything about your ammo? You gotta watch using plated bullets, some guns don't like them. I briefly owned one pistol (an XD-45 Tactical) that shot anything I fed it except it would choke nearly every round with plated bullets (which are quite soft compared to hard cast or jacketed). I would be very curious to know how your gun functions with something other than those plated bullets.

(By the way, plated bullets work great in my revolvers, I shoot lots of 'em!)

[Anthony Lombardo]

Throw factory hardball, or +P's in their for thousands of rounds and you will understand why lots of knowledgeable people use 7rd mags for their carry guns and 8rders only in a match.

I disagree, I think it's purely old-school thinking that makes people think they need to use 7-rounders for carry. Factory hardball (or any non +P defense loads that are the equivalent of hardball) just isn't all that hot. I shot Wolf factory hardball the last several years in single stack matches all over the place (including two Single Stack Classics). It's fairly mild stuff. My current Single Stack load just chronoed 179 p.f. at the WI Sectional yesterday, making it approximately equivalent to most factory hardball (traditionally a 230 gr. load marketed at 825-850 that actually goes somewhat under 800 fps).

Then we can agree to disagree. Almost every agency that issues the 1911 for tactical use issues it with 7 rd magazines. FBI SWAT originally used Wilson 8 rd magazines with mandatory 6 month spring rotation but the mags were eventually replaced with 7rd Metalforms with +10% Wolff springs. I am pretty sure they didn't do this just to spend tax dollars....

230 hardball "should" Chrono at 830 fps. Some does, some doesn't. Wolf isn't made to USGI specs, so I am not surprised that it doesn't reach the "correct" velocities.

Most all "carry" ammo approaches or exceeds the 200 power factor. (Hardball should be 190, 230 JHP is usually hotter).

[Carmoney]

Almost every agency that issues the 1911 for tactical use issues it with 7 rd magazines.

I put precious little stock in the equipment decisions made by government agencies, and particularly anytime the word "tactical" comes into play. It has been quite a few decades since the FBI (for example) deserved the state of the art reputation they seem to enjoy in the gun rags and with the mall commandos.

Bottom line: Wilson/Rogers 8-round mags are extremely reliable in a good 1911 with any reasonable .45 ammunition--competition or defensive loads--if they are minimally maintained. I'll say it again, in most instances the ordinary shooter will ever experience, if a 1911 doesn't work well with Wilson mags, there is probably something wrong with (1) the ammo, or (2) the gun.

If I were more humble, this is where I'd put the obligatory IMHO notation. But I've seen an awful lot of rounds shot through 47Ds over quite a number of years, and I believe pretty strongly in what I'm conveying here.

[Rob Bartley]

Throw factory hardball, or +P's in their for thousands of rounds and you will understand why lots of knowledgeable people use 7rd mags for their carry guns and 8rders only in a match.

I disagree, I think it's purely old-school thinking that makes people think they need to use 7-rounders for carry. Factory hardball (or any non +P defense loads that are the equivalent of hardball) just isn't all that hot. I shot Wolf factory hardball the last several years in single stack matches all over the place (including two Single Stack Classics). It's fairly mild stuff. My current Single Stack load just chronoed 179 p.f. at the WI Sectional yesterday, making it approximately equivalent to most factory hardball (traditionally a 230 gr. load marketed at 825-850 that actually goes somewhat under 800 fps).

I have not shot full house .45 with the magazines. I don't know exactly the power factor of my loads since I have yet to chronograph them (no chronograph at the match yesterday). I know it should be close to 165-170 PF being 4.0 Clays and 230 gr. Rainers. I will keep them loaded, and keep shooting them to break them in. Thanks for the help.

Have you changed anything about your ammo? You gotta watch using plated bullets, some guns don't like them. I briefly owned one pistol (an XD-45 Tactical) that shot anything I fed it except it would choke nearly every round with plated bullets (which are quite soft compared to hard cast or jacketed). I would be very curious to know how your gun functions with something other than those plated bullets.

(By the way, plated bullets work great in my revolvers, I shoot lots of 'em!)

After I purchased a press, this load is the only load I have shot. This is the same load that has been running well in the 7 round mags.

[LPatterson]

I have reviewed this twice and I can't find any mention of how the rounds failed to feed so it could be that the mags are not compatable with the gun because the mag catch is not holding the mag in the right place.

I have a Series 70 Officer model that loves Wilson 7 & 8 round mags and has never burped in the last 3 concealed carry matches so maybe it is the gun afterall.

[Rob Bartley]

I have reviewed this twice and I can't find any mention of how the rounds failed to feed so it could be that the mags are not compatable with the gun because the mag catch is not holding the mag in the right place.

I have a Series 70 Officer model that loves Wilson 7 & 8 round mags and has never burped in the last 3 concealed carry matches so maybe it is the gun afterall.

The first round out of the magazine, after I shoot the one in the pipe, does not feed completly into the chamber, and the slide does not go into battery. After I clear this round the remainder cycle without any problem.

Edited April 24, 2007 by Rob Bartley

[MichiganShootist]

I agree 100% with Mike.

The Wilsons are the least likely problem.

You have bullet length problems, Poor crimps, a really tight chamber, or a feed ramP issues.

IT'S THE GUN OR THE CARTRIDGES!!!!!!!!

Edited to ad----I have Wilson 8 rounders that have out lived 5 sets of springs and followers and are still perfect. If all else fails I'll give you $5.00 a piece for them:)

Edited April 24, 2007 by MichiganShootist

[tryan1968]

Michgan Shootist,

What was the round count on your Wilson mags when you changed out the springs and followers?

The reason I ask is I'm having FTE the last round with my Wilson 8rd mags.

Thanks,

TR

[Rob Bartley]

I agree 100% with Mike.

The Wilsons are the least likely problem.

You have bullet length problems, Poor crimps, a really tight chamber, or a feed ramP issues.

IT'S THE GUN OR THE CARTRIDGES!!!!!!!!

Edited to ad----I have Wilson 8 rounders that have out lived 5 sets of springs and followers and are still perfect. If all else fails I'll give you $5.00 a piece for them:)

You know, I am relatively new to this game and have only been seriously shooting (non-competatively) for a year. If the gun or the cartridges were the problem, then why do they work fine with every other mag that I own, and every other round (other than the first) in the Wilsons???? It does not make sense that the cartridges or the gun are faulty...