Best 1911 Magazines: .45 ACP and 9mm

You can never have too many magazines, especially for something like a 1911, which already has a relatively low capacity by modern standards.

Extra magazines allow for faster and more convenient reloading while at the range and give you a backup should you need more rounds in a defensive situation.

Of course, extra magazines are only helpful if they work. 

The 1911 isn't known for always being a paragon of reliability...that means you don’t want to exacerbate any potential issues with low-quality mags. Luckily, there are plenty of reliable mag makers out there.

We've compiled a list of 1911 magazines we've tested and that proved to be reliable across multiple 1911 models -- .45 ACP, but also for 9mm and 10mm versions.

By the end, you'll be able to buy your next set of mags with utter confidence.

How We Chose the Best 1911 Magazines

We’ve spent countless hours researching and analyzing 1911s and their accessories to determine what works and what doesn't. For this review, magazines had to meet the following metrics:

• Feeds reliably
• Loads smoothly into the magwell
• Can be easily loaded to capacity
• Compatible with most 1911 models

Input into this article came from the PPT editorial team and our writers. Together, we have a combined shooting experience of 30+ years, including instruction, competition, and multiple shooting disciplines. Every model on this list has been hands-on tested by someone on our team and met the standards above.

We had to make some tough calls. If you don’t see your favorite magazine brand, it doesn’t mean we hate it, just that we couldn’t include it this time.

Best 1911 Magazines

1. Wilson Combat 47D - Editor's Pick

Editor's Pick

Wilson Combat 47D 1911 Magazine

$30

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$30 at GrabAGun

The Mag Shack (see price)

Midway USA (see price)

Want a brand with an excellent reputation for not only its 1911s but also 1911 magazines? Look no further than Wilson Combat. They're arguably the best in the industry!

These magazines benefit from the same care and attention to manufacturing and machining that make Wilson Combat's 1911s so good.

Wilson Combat has developed its own end-to-end process that is nearly all proprietary. That includes developing a new type of industrial welding system that’s more precise and introduces less heat into the thin magazine material! 

“Thin” is relative, however, because they actually use the thickest material in the industry for their mags, making them more resistant to deformation and wear.

Wilson Combat also developed its own automated deburring process and a proprietary multi-step tumbling and finishing process. These processes keep magazines smooth and eliminate friction.

Overall, this makes mags easier to load and more reliable when it comes to feeding and dropping free.

The mags also include a self-lubricating polymer follower that virtually eliminates snagging and magazine-related feeding problems.

Overall, these magazines drop free, feed, and lock back on empty reliably. They are expensive, make no mistake, but the reliability and extra attention to detail may be worth it if you’re looking for some of the best 1911 mags.

What do you think of Wilson Combat magazines? Share your rating below.

2. Mec-Gar 1911 Magazines - Best Budget-Friendly Mag

Budget-Friendly Mag

Mec-Gar 1911 Magazines

$16

at The Mag Shack

Prices accurate at time of writing

$16 at The Mag Shack

Gunmag Warehouse (see price)

GrabAGun (see price)

Despite making industry-standard magazines, Mec-Gar isn’t as familiar of a brand as some others. However, they are a decent option for budget-friendly magazines.

Not to mention, they produce magazines for a number of high-profile gun manufacturers, including Rock Island Armory. And they carry a wide range of magazines for .45 ACP, 9mm, 10mm, .38 Super, and .40 S&W.

Most of their magazines come in your choice of either a blued steel finish or a nickel finish over steel. Each one is reliable in pretty much any 1911, regardless of manufacturer, and with pretty much any load.

They fit into virtually any 1911 smoothly and drop-free with equal smoothness. 

Mec-Gar mags hold onto rounds when dropped. But also feed them easily into the chamber when needed. 

For the price, the value of Mec-Gar magazines is hard to beat -- especially since you can find them on sale fairly frequently! 

3. Ed Brown 1911 Magazines - Best Follower Design

Best Follower Design

Ed Brown 1911 Magazine

$25

at The Mag Shack

Prices accurate at time of writing

$25 at The Mag Shack

Brownells (see price)

GunMag Warehouse (see price)

If you've investigated upgrading or tweaking your 1911, you're likely familiar with the Ed Brown name.

Ed Brown produces a variety of 1911 accessories. The company also developed a reputation for quality and affordability over the years. Like some other manufacturers on this list, they’ve put their own spin on the 1911 magazine to help ensure reliability. 

First and foremost, they use a tried-and-true follower design that’s been tested and proven to work. This improved follower is specific to Ed Brown mags and has been very good at preventing feeding issues in our experience.

To aid that follower, they use a super heavy-duty spring that stays...well, springy for the entire life of the magazine.

It can be a little bit difficult to load the mags to capacity, especially if you don’t have the best hand strength. So, you may want to invest in a mag loader.

MagLula UpLula

$26

at Gunmag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$26 at Gunmag Warehouse

Mag Shack (see price)

OpticsPlanet (see price)

Beyond that, the inside of the magazine is coated with a special surface finish designed to prevent powder residue and other gunk-causing corrosion. So, the inside stays super slick even when the mag is dirty.

These mags are available in 9mm, 10mm, .38 Super, in either short-frame or standard frame lengths, and include a wrap-around-style polymer base pad.

This is the perfect option if you know you want a lot of spares!

4. Kimber Kim-Pro Tac-Mag - Best Value

Best Value

Kimber Kim-Pro Tac-Mag

$27

at Midway USA

Prices accurate at time of writing

$27 at Midway USA

GrabAGun (see price)

BattleHawk Armory (see price)

Despite how you may feel about Kimber pistols, they do make a damn fine 1911 magazine.

Each Kim-Pro Tac-Mag has a Teflon-coated stainless steel follower and rocket wire spring for smooth feeding. Additionally, you get three different-sized baseplates: a flat metal baseplate, a short rubber bumper pad, and an extended rubber bumper pad for larger magwells.

We have used Kim-Pro Tac-Mags in many of our recent 1911 reviews, and they have consistently been one of the smoothest feeding and most reliable mags across a variety of guns.

These don't have the same "ker-chunk" that we get when chambering the first round with other mags (including Wilson). The feeding action is exceptionally smooth.

Not only are these cheaper than most of the higher-end 1911 mags, but the three baseplates really make the Kim-Pro Tac-Mags a pretty good value.

5. Chip McCormick Railed Power Mags - Most Durable 1911 Mags

Most Durable

Chip McCormick RPM 1911 Magazines

$30

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$30 at GrabAGun

GunMag Warehouse (see price)

The Mag Shack (see price)

For a long time, Chip McCormick was the chief competitor of Wilson Combat in the 1911 world.

Well, a while back, Chip sold his company to his competitor (and friend) Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat, so while they are no longer rivals, both companies still make outstanding products.

The number one offering from CM is probably its Railed Power Mags (RPM) -- designed specifically to feed almost flawlessly. Any magazine is subject to having issues, but these are some of the most reliable around.

Anyways, the “railed” part of the name comes from the way the feed lips are bent over and rolled to form rails for the cartridge to slide over. If you know anything about mags, you know that the feed lips are the most common source of issues.

The strengthening you get with this design helps prevent feeding hiccups.

A polymer base plate rests on all these mags. You also have the option of a stainless or black fluoropolymer finish. Mags ship in either 8 or 10-round versions.

They’ve also got Chip McCormick’s patented follower, which helps to feed hollow points and semi-wadcutters — both of which tend to be temperamental in 1911s with lower-quality magazines.

The numbered witness holes let you quickly know how many rounds you have remaining, while the polymer baseplates slide off easily for cleaning and maintenance.

Overall, Wilson Combat and Chip McCormick/CM Products mags are the two standards of the 1911 magazine industry, and you can’t go wrong with either.

Caring for Your 1911 Magazine

Just like cleaning and caring for your 1911 is important to keep it working optimally, it’s important to clean and care for your magazines as well.

Most 1911 magazines on this list come apart easily when it comes time to clean them, so you won’t have any problems there. But beware: the base plate is essentially spring-loaded, so use caution when you’re removing that. 

Ask us how we know...

Beyond that, clean them about as often as you clean your guns or whenever you notice a problem. If you want to make things especially easy, pick up an ultrasonic cleaner and some cleaning solution to get them quickly back to that factory shine! 

(Check out the Best Ultrasonic Cleaners for our full, hands-on review!)

Just make sure your cleaning solution is okay to use with any polymer parts, or remove those parts and clean them manually.

Finally, you should inspect your magazines frequently to check for dents, feed lip deformation, and other issues that could keep them from functioning reliably. 

You really don’t want your gun to malfunction when you need it most. But you especially don’t want it to go down and then find out (or have your loved ones find out from the police report) that you could have prevented it.

Why Trust Pew Pew Tactical

This guide comes to you from Pew Pew Tactical contributor Megan Kriss. Megan is an avid recreational shooter by day, and writer by night. She has an extensive linguistics and writing background, and has written for everyone from Allstate to celebrity plastic surgeons. She also has experience in international affairs and political policy analysis

Editing and adding picks to this article is Wyatt Sloan, Editor. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor, former competitive shooter, and avid hunter. Wyatt personally owns over 200 firearms, over half a dozen 1911s included, and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales. He has used his extensive experience with firearms at large to test guns for Pew Pew Tactical — evaluating them based on our standards and metrics.

Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.

Final Thoughts

From Wilson Combat to factory Colt mag, the mags that made our list have all been hands-on tested for reliability and function...even in the most adverse conditions.

Whether you're after budget-friendly mags that we’d call good for range or competition use or high-quality mags we’d carry to war if we had to, there are plenty of 1911 mags to choose from.

Which of these mags do you like the best? Do you own any, or are you thinking about getting any? Let us know in the comments! Looking to own a 1911? We’re sharing the Best 1911s for the Money! To stock up on ammo, head over to Best .45 ACP Ammo.

Latest Updates

• August 2025: Removed Colt 1911 mags. Added Kimber KimPro Tac-Mags.
• July 2024: Removed Brownells 1911 mags.