Mec-Gar mags in general are great, and they have a sterling reputation. My experience is mostly with Sigs, though, and I am not an experienced 1911 guy. I know that the 1911 is hugely popular, and I see all the upscale or specialty manufacturers, along with a lot of discussion of which mags are best, but Mec-Gar is rarely mentioned.

Are Mec-Gars as good as any? Is it just not a "cool" magazine to have for a 1911 guy?

My Springfield LBO came with 8rd Mec-Gar's and they have been 100% reliable.

I have had 2 Mec-Gar mags for my Colt Gold Cup, for 10 years. One is blued, the other is polished nickel. No issues with either one, ever. ( many range trips... hundreds of .45's)

Mec-Gar and Chip McCormick mags are tops for 1911's

I have not seen any MEC-GAR mags in local shops. Most carry either WILSON or McCORMICK, both in the $40 range. My DW came with CHECKMATE.

Are the MEC-GAR mags comparable in price?

mec gar tends to be less, perhaps 20 bucks.

CDNN frequently has MecGar 1911 mags at really low prices... you just have to keep an eye out for them... or sign up for their sale e-mails...

https://www.cdnnsports.com/magazines.html#brand=1911

I have used the Mec-Gar 1911 8 round without any problems I recall... which generally means they work fine... I remember problems not so much normal boring reliability...

There are lots of reliable 1911 mags... in common with most single stack mags it is much easier to make a reliable single stack mag... The seven round 1911 mags are all over the place and most work well... for range work the seven round is a real economy.

FWIW

CHuck

Meg-Gar mags are good ones and I use them for several pistols. When I was competing action games with a 1911, I used only Wilson and McCormick.

quote:

Originally posted by Inusuit:
Meg-Gar mags are good ones and I use them for several pistols. When I was competing action games with a 1911, I used only Wilson and McCormick.

So I have to ask the question, why? If Mec-Gar mags are good ones, and less expensive, why use something else?

I have purchased, and used Mec-Gar mags in multiple handguns(not 1911) over the years, and been 100% satisfied. Sometime back, I ordered a Mec-Gar mag for one of my 1911s. It came in, and was oversize, and would not go into any of my 1911 magwells smoothly. I contacted Greg, and he took it back, and refunded my money. That is my one, and only, bad experience with Mec-Gar mags.

I am a HUGE Mec-Gar magazine fan. If I can't buy factory I buy Mec-Gar. I have never had a problem with any Mec-Gar magazine except one. And that was one of their 1911 45 ACP magazines. Spring issue. It wore out in under 6 months. Failure to lock back, and last round would bounce out. Not just one, but the springs in both of the magazines I had bought.

That was in 2002 and I have never bought another Mec-Gar 1911 magazines. I'm a big fan of Checkmate's with hybrid followers. Cheap and reliable.

As far as a 'cool' magazine to have? I like the surplus mags from the CMP.