Just picked up a brand new Commander LW XE 9mm and I would like to pick up some extra mags.
Who currently makes the mags for Colt?
Checkmate? Mec-Gar? Metalform? McCormick?
I want a few cheaper mags for range work and will buy Wilson for carry.
Thanks in advance!

My past experience was that metalform were the most reliable 9 round flush fit magazines. Never did try Wilson’s

Metalform has been making the Colt factory 9mm and 38 Super magss for a while. If you look on the bottom you will see a small "M" and an "S" if it's stainless. I had two Colt 9mms, a Commander and a Government Model and always used either factory or Metalform without issue.

There are two designs when it comes to 9mm 1911 magazines. The "Colt" style that has the internal spacer at the rear of the mag (to keep the smaller 9mm cartridges forward in the magazine) and the "Springfield" style. These do not have the internal spacer but rather they have a groove that runs the length of the front spine with an integral "feed ramp" at the top. The groove reduces the front to back length of the magazine (like the spacer) and keeps the cartridges to the rear of the magazine. Metalform makes both styles and I believe are the only maker of the "Springfield" style. I have never seen the Springfield style in blue, only stainless. I have used both but generally use the Colt style for no other reason than they are the original design. They have both worked flawlessly for me. I have never used a Wilson or any other brand of 9mm magazine because I never had any failures with the Metalform.

Enjoy the Colt, 9mm's are a joy to shoot and in my experience very reliable.


"Springfield" style:
https://www.midwayusa.com/prod...t-ramp-configuration

"Colt" style:
https://www.midwayusa.com/prod...follower-welded-base

If nine rounds is enough, either of those will work, or do in my guns.

If you want ten tries, it gets more complicated, there are several brands and designs.

Mec-Gar for the range and Tripp or Wilson for carry.

I've got a Dan Wesson 1911 9mm as my IDPA, "Cheater Gun". Factory mags 9 round magazines are Metalforms and they have worked fine. For IDPA, I use Tripp 10 round magazines. They base does protrude from the butt of the gun. I did try the Wilson 10 round 9mm magazines in it and they did not work. The magazine sat so high in the mag well that the bottom of the slide drug on the feed lips of the magazine.

Thanks.The OEM mags are Metalforms. And I saw the the "Springfield" type but was clueless at to what that was all about. No experience with Tripp.

I have both MetalForm and Wilson and have had no problems with either.

As said above, Wilson magazines sit high in the well. Some Colts don't get along with the height (says one who broke a 9mm ejector with Wilson mags) Havent had the problem with other brands. Probably best not to mix Wilson and Colt.

Something to consider when using Wilsons. Thanks!

Does your pistol have a serrated front strap? I remeber they did when Colt first released them and I was wondering if they still did.

It has striations running the length of the front strap. No cross hatching, just a series of shallow grooves up and down.
Seemed a little pointless, really.

I owned an STI Trojan 1911 9mm for a couple of years and Metalform 9-round stainless mags ran like butter. Smooth as glass. Never a single malfunction while using Metalforms.

I used Mec-Gars for the range and they were reliable.

During a sale, I bought some Wilson 9mm ETMs from Brownells and the Trojan hated them. Wouldn't chamber a single round from the WC mags at all, regardless of bullet profile. This is not an indictment of the brand as a whole. It's just that they wouldn't work with my Trojan. Stuck with Metalform and all was well.

Thanks for all the replies. I will be sending some $$$ to Greg Cote for some more Metalforms.

Just picked up a Colt LW Cmdr myself a while back. So far I've had good luck with the Brownells magazines; three pack at a good price too. I also got the two Wilson mags for the Father's Day special. They do set pretty tall in the mag well, significantly closer (really really close but no visible contact per my aging eyesight) to the ejector than the Colt OEM and the Brownells. May have to reassess after some heated combat/competition slamming reloads. All were reliable with FMJ. Wilsons did advise to load to full capacity for a couple of days (which I did) to circumvent the nose dive. Will have to try JHPs, Speer G2s and Hornaday Critical Duty soon.

Overall, 100% satisfied with the Colt; great trigger, reliable and accurate. And still as always for me, no pics, so believe it or not...

quote:

Originally posted by captain127:
My past experience was that metalform were the most reliable 9 round flush fit magazines. Never did try Wilson’s

Huge +1!