like these:
http://www.brownells.com/handg...guide-prod12752.aspx

on a 1911 pistol

why don't all 1911s just come with them?

Added bulk and length would make the grip of the pistol harder to conceal.

Agreed.
I only want add-on mag well funnels on IDPA-IPSC guns.

You CAN get no-added-length funnels but they are major expensive gunsmith jobs.

I think people make too much out of the size thing. I carried an officers 1911 for a while and the additional length of the mag well funnel made absolutely no difference for anything.

I carried an STI Tactical 5.0 for many years on duty - the mag well happened to be at the perfect height, that when seated in my vehicle for hours a day, it would hit right on the inside of my elbow bone/joint and eventually it made me want to take a long walk on a short pier.

Off it went.

For match shooting, they are just fine.

They're also annoying if you run standard welded baseplate mags.

quote:

Originally posted by SgtGold:
I think people make too much out of the size thing. I carried an officers 1911 for a while and the additional length of the mag well funnel made absolutely no difference for anything.

Thing is, an OACP with funnel is STILL shorter in the butt than a GM or Commander.

There is nothing wrong with adding on a mag well for playing games, I suppose, but for a carry gun they can't help but add length to the grip. The interior edges of the existing well can be beveled, if they are not already.

1. Length. This will not apply to all, as some 'smiths alter the frame, rather than just welding-on more length.

2. Bulk. This complicates concealment. I have no dedicated gamer guns; any of my pistols may be a potential concealed-carry weapon, someday.

3. Weight. (Weight, or mass, can be helpful, in some situations.)

4. Magazine Compatibility. One very nice, well-regarded gunsmith-added mag well actually requires slightly extended mag bodies and properly-tapered base plates, as I learned when I bought a pre-owned John Harrison-modified Les Baer Premier II, and then had to order several new magazines.

I do not need a mag well, having never seen the point, perhaps because I write lefty, and do most fine-motor-skills lefty, but handle many tools as well or better right-handed, and evolved to be reasonably ambidextrous. So, neither of my hands seems to have any trouble reloading a 1911, even if the mag well is GI-standard, though a bit of a bevel does make things a bit smoother.

That is all I really want, for smooth reloads, just a bit of a beveled mag well mouth, which is now standard-production with most 1911 pistols. The John Harrison mag well on my new-to-me Les Baer does, however, add just a bit of recoil-damping mass, and that bit of extra heft does help steady longer-range shots, especially as the magazine gets lighter as the rounds are consumed down-range. My one mag well-equipped 1911 is enough for me; I have no plans to have one added to my Thunder Ranch Special, or spend extra money in the future to add or include a mag well on my future 1911 pistols.

So, I am not anti-mag-well, just not an avid fan of them.

That really depends on the mag well.

I've been experimenting with Agency Arms magwells on Glocks just lately. I tried one on a G34. One of my concerns was that it cover the cut-out on the front strap, and another that it not add appreciably to bulk, weight, or length, or restrict the base plates I could use. I wanted a mag well that was diminuitive enough that I could finger-extract the magazine without it interfering with my ability to get at least a two finger side-grip on the magazine.

The agency arms compact magwells allow the Vickers baseplate and aren't as wide as the Vickers (which isn't very wide). All the Vickers really does is provide some purchase on each side of the magazine with a molded gripping surface to extract the mag, and allow a slightly wider base with which to drive the mag home (or extract from a mag pouch). The new magwell allows the magazine to be seated with the Vickers baseplate installed on the magazine. This means that the length hasn't been appreciably increased beyond the normal gap between the base of the pistol grip and the magazine. That's nothing.

With the Agency Arms magwell, there's nothing done to increase the printing or detract from concealability, given that it's still smaller than the base plate on the magazine that's installed in the pistol while the pistol is concealed. The magwell itself isn't really a funnel and won't make up for any deficiency in proper magazine-insertion. It adds a secondary bevel to the bottom of the pistol grip.

What it does do more than facilitate magazine changes is crease a tactile, subtle flare at the bottom of the pistol grip which forces or encourages the hand higher on the grip. To me it's more of a "memory groove," to use the Ed Brown term for his 1911 grip safeties...a feel-thing or a tactile guide that naturally encourages a higher grip on the pistol.

The local shop has been out of Gen 3 Agency Arms magwells, but I'm headed there shortly to see if they came in. I'm going to try one on a G19 and a G32 for a while.

A friend originally introduced me to the zev low profile magwell he was using, but it didn't allow the Vickers baseplates. The Agency Arms one does, and is compatible with any other mag or baseplate, including magpul.

I've seen some instances with the mag well separating from the gun while shooting. At least those affixed with screws. The S&A 1911 doesn't have that problem, since it is an integrated back strap design.

I would not use one attached with screws if it was a defensive handgun. Just like two piece guide rods on 1911's. One more possibility of something tying up the gun. Most assuredly at the wrong time.

I've never felt the need for one myself. Before I got my Wilson Pro, I'd bevel the inside of the mag wells on my Colt 1911's. The classic Sig P-series come beveled.

It's one of those "If it ain't broke...don't fix it." deals.

If you shoot competition, they have their place. A malfunction there will only cost you points...not your life.

quote:

Added bulk and length would make the grip of the pistol harder to conceal.

Yep, it's the grip length in my experience that's hard to disguise for CC use. Rod

Pulled the one on my Tacops off immediately and replaced it with a Hogue rubber one. Eventually I will likely install a G10 set. If you really need the magwell funnel for fast mag changes you need a rifel. Or to relocate.