Nick Weidhaas Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 Currently shooting a Colt Commercial 1911 built by Vic Tibbets. As it was built for carry, I did not have a mag well added. I did have the mag well beveled and Vic did a great job. Just curious if you find an add on mag well helps your reloads (are they faster?) I am on the fence as to if I want to put one on my carry gun (which I also shoot in IDPA/CDP), but my thought is that the mag well may help those reloads that are a little off center. Any thoughts? Thanks, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Sims Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 YES! Smith & Alexander magwell on my Kimber (CDP) and on my Springfield (ESP) gun. Never had one without, but I think it definitely helps with the reloads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRG65 Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 S&A on my Springfield ESP gun. I only shoot CDP about once a year so I haven't added one to that. It was originally a bulleye gun so it didn't have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Larry Cazes Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 All 3 of my single Stack 1911s have Ed Brown Maxi Wells. Wouldn't be without one. It makes a major difference in the ease of reloads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFD Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 It definitely makes a major difference, especially if opened up as described in "The Book". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 As it was built for carry, I did not have a mag well added. Ken Hackathorn, on one of the Wilson videos, talks about the desirability of a mag funnel on a carry gun. And he does have a mag funnel on his carry gun. (So do I.) The quote, if I remember it correctly, went something like, "Some people say you don't need a mag funnel on a carry gun. You may be able to load the gun just as fast without a funnel on the range, but when someone's trying to kill you, you're pumping adrenaline and your hands are shaking, anything that makes it easier to get the new mag into the gun is a good thing." On a combination carry/match gun, it's a no-brainer. Install the funnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 If you can jam the mag in that tiny hole every time without error, then a magwell won't help much! But I don't know anyone who can do that! I used to shoot a Colt MkIV with an S&A magwell nicely blended to the frame. I didn't realize how much it helped until it went into the shop and I started shooting a Kimber w/o the add-on. It made a HUGE difference in both the overall speed of the reloads as well as lost time on reloads where I missed by just a little bit. I have an S&A slim line version that I'm going to have fit to my Kimber as soon as I can get it to a buddy who will do the work for me (I'm not allowed to use tools!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Larry Cazes Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 Anybody tried the drop-in EGW single stack Well? It's reasonably priced at $50.00 and looks pretty nice. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted November 20, 2003 Share Posted November 20, 2003 To me a mag well is indespensible in a competition single stack i wouldn't shoot one without it! i also like them on my carry gun, but the added length can be a tiny problem, but generally not. I would definitley go for it. S&A (smith & alexander) is about the best out there and have a fair price. www.brownells.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Weidhaas Posted November 21, 2003 Author Share Posted November 21, 2003 Thanks for all the input. I guess it is worth trying for sure. At this point another $50 is not going to kill me considering what I've got into the pistol alreay . Like Duane said, anything that helps you get the mag in the gun faster is a no brainer. S&A looks to be the most popular. I do like the look of the Ed Brown. Hmmmm. Decisions...decisions. Thanks again, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillD Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 Since there are virtually no documented cases of any non-LEO ever reloading a handgun in a self defense scenario (well, except in the movies), I would say they are not generally needed on a carry gun. They do make the reloads easier on a game gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 BillD If you have a really big mag well, it makes the whole Ghost Load story, almost believable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 If you have a malfunction and live long enough to clear it, it might be a handy thing to be able to slap a fresh magazine into the gun as quickly as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Jockey Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 One magwell that I rarely see anyone mention is from Heinie. It requires a good smith to install it. But when it is done well it adds no additional length to the grip. I think that his is the ultimate for that reason. Here is a link... Heinie Magwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillD Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 If you have a malfunction and live long enough to clear it, it might be a handy thing to be able to slap a fresh magazine into the gun as quickly as possible. Can you show me a case where this happened ever? I know of one case where a non LEO reloaded his pistol during a gunfight. Gunfights don't happen that often and when they do, they are settled one way or the other with the rounds in the gun. Besides, since I don't use a mag well, I manage to reload my pistol just fine in competition. It would probably be faster with one but not by enough time to make a difference. My mental mistakes cost me far more time then anything I would gain by having a magwell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C Sims Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 A magwell could help save some time and make up for a mental mistake, be it in competition or on the street in a life or death situation. Might not be any documented cases of reloading during a street fight, (other than LEO) but I'd sure like to have my magwell if I'm the first in one of those documented cases! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillD Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Yes, I am sure a magwell will make the differnce between surviving or not surviving a gunfight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 (edited) BillD alias Tactical Bill Oh baby, cinch up your girth and let's get going on this one. "It would probably be faster with one but not by enough time to make a difference." Help me understand your statement... Magwells are good: BIG magwells are even better... Edited November 23, 2003 by tightloop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Admin mode: The question asked about a "CDP" pistol...for the sport of IDPA. Please keep the tactical talk off the boards. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 D'OH! I'm for 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillD Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 BillD alias Tactical BillOh baby, cinch up your girth and let's get going on this one. "It would probably be faster with one but not by enough time to make a difference." Help me understand your statement... Magwells are good: BIG magwells are even better... I have lost and won local matches by less than a second. I just finished second in my class in a Regional Championship by .93 of a second. However, I screwed up by at least 5 seconds on one stage. So I should have won my class handily. A mag well might have helped but if I had completed my COF's without the mental screwups that I made I would have been much better off. Let's put it this way, if I get to the point that a mag well will make the difference, I may consider it. Naw, strike that, I hate they way they look. But then, you must realize, I shoot IDPA from an IWB leather holster and IWB mag pouches with hardball equivalent reloads. I probably won't ever make master but with luck I will make expert with the equipment I choose to run. I might even shoot the classifier this year. Loop, No one gives you cute nicknames when you run down IDPA, which you do on many of your posts. But you feel free to give me one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Got carried away...I won't do it again...sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Larry Cazes Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 For me.....The confidence gained by having a much smoother speed reload due to the well is much more valuable then the 1 second gained during the load. This is a sport after all and I can use any help I can get! Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Weidhaas Posted November 26, 2003 Author Share Posted November 26, 2003 Added an S&A arched mag well today. Had a gunsmith friend of mine blend it to the frame which had already been beveled. WOW....big difference. Can't believe how much it opened up the mag well. Very nice. Glad I did it. Thanks for all the input. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bman Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 I use a Wilson Combat magwell in CDP and ESP. You cannot really tell it is on either STI compared to the Dawson Magwell on my Para (my Para is not IDPA legal ). It does give me a smoother reload in IDPA in my opinion. With the Wilson you do not have to modify the gun because it slips under the grips. I drimmeled the back of the grips so they fit like they are supposed to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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