ACT mags

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GKC

Blackhawk
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Has anyone tried the ACT mags in their SR1911? I first encountered ACT mags when they came with a S&W 1911 I bought. I thought they were very good magazines, and they have a folded metal follower. Currently, I have been using the stock Ruger magazines that came with my SR1911 and some Wilson 47Ds. However, I noticed that Greg Cote LLC has the ACT mags for $19.95, so I thought about ordering some. (I sold my SW1911, and I didn't keep the ACT mags that came with it, of course.)

Thanks.
 

revhigh

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1911 mags are so generic that I've rarely found one that doesn't work properly. I have a box full of them and when I go to the range I grab a few totally at random.

They all work ... no need to buy big buck 1911 mags ... unless you just want to brag about having the name brand. At least that's been my experience. I use 1911's in steel shoots lots of times, and I've rarely encountered a mag that doesn't work as desired.

CDNN has Metalform mags on sale frequently for $7.99 .... sometimes $6.99 ... and they work flawlessly. I'd grab a mag from my assorted box at random and have absolute confidence in carrying it in any 1911 I own.

REV
 

GKC

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revhigh said:
1911 mags are so generic that I've rarely found one that doesn't work properly.

My experience with magazines has been limited to what comes in the box with the pistol, and then either Kim Pro Tac Mags or Wilsons in terms of aftermarket. I do prefer the folded style follower if the follower is metal. Usually, the aftermarket mags I have seen online (but haven't ordered) with folded metal followers were more expensive. As I mentioned, the ACT mags that were OEM with my SW1911 seemed to be good, and I thought $19.95 was a good price for them.

I've read a lot of comments about the blade style, or non-folded metal follower, gouging the ramp on alloy frame pistols. I don't know if that is a real concern or not, but it seems logical that the folded metal followers or polymer followers wouldn't gouge the feed ramp, and would feed smoother.
 

GKC

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Well, I was doing some searching on the 1911 forum, and there were a number of posts about the ACT mags splitting on the back. One poster said that ACT had revised the base plate, so that it didn't sit so high in the well, which was a problem primarily with Kimber and Springfield pistols.
 
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Act Mags are great until you drop them loaded onto concrete. The plastic base pad breaks off, the back of the mag splits at the mag lips. The followers are outstanding however. I wish they would sell them as replacement for rebuilding magazines. With some fiddling they will go into a GI mag and make it 100% better. When I trash one I salvage the follower. No amount of complaining will entice the manufacturer to correct the problems assuning you can get them to return their phone calls. When I confronted the manufacturer and importer with the problems a couple years ago at the SHOT Show they became indignant.
 

GKC

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Sam Summey said:
No amount of complaining will entice the manufacturer to correct the problems assuning you can get them to return their phone calls. When I confronted the manufacturer and importer with the problems a couple years ago at the SHOT Show they became indignant.

I won't do business with a company that doesn't stand behind its products, and doesn't have good customer service unless there is simply no other choice available. Fortunately, there are lots of choices when it comes to 1911 magazines.

Thanks for the input!
 

revhigh

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Sam Summey said:
No amount of complaining will entice the manufacturer to correct the problems assuning you can get them to return their phone calls. When I confronted the manufacturer and importer with the problems a couple years ago at the SHOT Show they became indignant.

While I genuinely appreciate your persistence ... it's so easy to find inexpensive 1911 mags that work perfectly, why go to the trouble of dealing with a non-responsive company that from most accounts makes pretty crappy mags anyway.

If I had a mag that cracked if you dropped it ... that would be the last mag from that company that I'd buy.

REV
 

freakindawgen

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Years ago I bought a Springfield Armory 1911 that today would be a GI equivalent, I went to Springfield for additional mags figuring they were "factory replacements" and paid like $6 a piece. Looked ok and went to the range. Wasn't long I was having feeding problems. Next mag I loaded upon adding the seventh round the floorplate came off and spring,bullets,and follower came out. The floorplates were tacked on then ground flush and apparently didn't leave enough to hold it on. I don't get the cheapies anymore.
 

cas6969

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Oooohhh.. an ACT mag thread. :twisted:

While I've done it in numerous other forums, I don't think I've ever gotten the chance to grind my axe here. ;)


IIRC I've only bought two ACT/PSI 1911 mags, they were for my father. Since he only shoots his 1911 a couple times a year, and rarely loads more than the one factory magazine, he's had no problems and probably never will.


ACT's SIG P220 magazines on the other hand, I've owned about 6-7 of them. Every one of them eventually split. I originally noticed it in an IDPA match when my mag wouldn't drop. After the blown stage I checked the mag and saw it was split. I checked the rest of my mags and saw two others were as well. They functioned fine at this point, but wouldn't drop free from the gun.

At the time I didn't know that this was a common problem. I contacted PSI (the importer of the mags) to ask themif there was a problem in general, or just with mine, did they know about this? etc etc. They were great, they said send them back and they'd replace them, which was wonderful because I had a big important match coming up and needed the mags. I sent them priority mail wanting to get them back ASAP, giving them more time for the return.

Well the big match came and went with no sign of the mags. I contacted them and got the "Oh so sorry, don't know what happened, they'll go out tomorrow."

Of course they never did. Contacting them again yielded the same thing. "Don't know what happened, they'll go out on monday."

We went through this routine 3 or 4 times over the course of as many months before they just stopped responding.

My gripe is, had they told me "too bad, so sad" or "sucks for you", I'd have been angry but would have gotten over it. At least I'd still have range mags that worked, but just didn't drop free. Instead they lied to me, had me waste more money sending in the old mags and basically stole them from me.
Between the three mags and the shipping I'm out about $70.00
There's your "customer service", liars and thieves.

The other four ACT/Novak/PSI mags have all split since then. All my SIG factory mags, some considerably older with much more use are all fine. So they may be $15+ more a piece, but it's money well spent.


The ACT mag thing is a rather polarizing thing. You will hear from tons of people strongly defending them and recommending. Saying "I have some and have never had any trouble!" Yup.. I used to be one of those people. I thought they were great too until they all crapped out. So now I never miss a chance to share my experiences with ACT magazines and the good people of PSI. :roll:
 

cas6969

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GKC said:
...so that it didn't sit so high in the well, which was a problem primarily with Kimber and Springfield pistols.

Yeah that was similar to the excuse they used on the P220, saying it was a problem with the gun, not the mags. They sent me a diagram where the problem was and where to remove metal on the slide.

Only problem is neither of the P220's I was using them in had the "problem" they mentioned. Even if they had, it would have only explained the one split location. Not the three differently places they were cracking. lol
 

cas6969

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I have to apologize, I realized a few minutes ago I said some things that weren't exactly true. In fact I left out a VERY large addition to the story.
I myself, DO have a 1911 ACT mag. I was looking through another site and found one of my old posts on the subject that I'd completely forgotten about, though I don't know how. I will just copy and paste it below.


"ACT-PSI-NOVAK 1911 mag.. I found this in Oct/Nov '10

act.jpg


Total number of rounds fired with this mag: ZERO

This is the mag my Spartan came with. Since all my P220 ACT mags crapped out on me I decided to only use it as a Barney mag. It's never been dropped, never jammed in on a fast reload, never fired a round with it. My records, showed I'd used it in 11 matches (USPSA or 2-3 Gun). That comes out to probably anywhere from 50-75 rounds chambered from this mag. I'm not sure when it actually split.


Edit to explain: A "barney mag" or a "LAMR mag" (load and make ready) is a magazine you use to top off the gun, or "combat load" as some call it. You put one cartridge in the magazine (hence "barney" for Barney Fife), instert the mag, load the chamber, then replace that mag with a fully loaded one.
 
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