Kimber magzines falling out of my 1911

[xanderphillips]

I bought several Kimber .45 1911 magazines from GanderMtn a couple of weeks ago to replace some old no-name mags that I had that were causing me issues with feeding. My 1911's got an AO receiver, but I didn't believe that would be a problem. (Shouldn't they be compatible?) The new magazines feed perfectly, but will fall out of the gun when firing if I don't hold them in place (keep my pinky under them) when firing! Is this an easy fix, or what? Is my magazine release too worn for these mags or are the mags just too small for the magazine well? (they seem to have a LOT of rattle in the well, much more so than my old mags do.)

Any guidance greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[011101110111]

I bought several Kimber .45 1911 magazines from GanderMtn a couple of weeks ago to replace some old no-name mags that I had that were causing me issues with feeding. My 1911's got an AO receiver, but I didn't believe that would be a problem. (Shouldn't they be compatible?) The new magazines feed perfectly, but will fall out of the gun when firing if I don't hold them in place (keep my pinky under them) when firing! Is this an easy fix, or what? Is my magazine release too worn for these mags or are the mags just too small for the magazine well? (they seem to have a LOT of rattle in the well, much more so than my old mags do.)

Any guidance greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

The very first thing I do when I get a new 1911 is to put away the magazines that came with it (unless it's a Wilson). Most 1911 manufacturers save money by giving you crap magazines because they figure you already have a lot of the good ones. I use Wilson 47D magazines about 99% of the time. The [lesser] magazines that come with the guns can be used as Barney mags for IDPA, USPSA, IPSC, etc. Or they can be used in extreme emergency. I usually keep them all in a box of old gun equipment.

Edited to add: Not all magazines are built the same. If the tolerances are off just a bit, it can cause problems. I suggest you find magazines that work and stick with that brand only. As mentioned, the 47Ds are time tested and reliable.

 

[repeter1977]

have you tried any other magazines and had problems? or just those? I hope its not a problem where all mags are having a problem staying put while firing. Good luck on your problem

 

[NHT3]

If they are all falling out you may need a new mag release.. Not expensive and easy to install.

 

[85t5mcss]

They are sloppy when they are inserted? Have you gone back to the old mags and they work OK? Do know someone else with a 1911 that can try the mags for you?

 

[xanderphillips]

Thanks for the replies. All of my old mags are still held snugly in place, and release properly when the mag release is pressed. These Kimbers just feel like they are too small or something, as they rattle quite a bit more than any of the other mags I've used in this gun. I'm going to caliper them and see if they really are smaller.

 

[xanderphillips]

Something I didn't take into account is that the new kimber's are 8 round mags and all of my others are 7 round. I'm wondering if the greater spring tension of the kimber 8 round mags is causing the mag release to fail to hold. I will pull the mag release and caliper it to see if it's out of spec later.

 

[bullitstang1313]

Are they Kimber Magazines or the Kimber KimPro Tac-Mag magazines? I have both, the regular Kimber Mags didn't feel as tight to me (it is a 8 round mag). The KimPro Tac-Mag (7 rounders) seemed a lot tighter. I've never had any of them fall out though.