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Best 1911 Magazines: What Fits and What to Buy

by Shooting Surplus

Springfield Armory 1911 45 ACP 7rd Magazine

Short answer: match the caliber and the frame, then pick capacity

There is no single best 1911 magazine. There is a right one for your gun. A 1911 magazine has to match the caliber the pistol is chambered in and the frame it was built on, and after that the choice is 7 rounds, 8 rounds or an extended 10-round mag, in blued or stainless steel. Below is how we'd sort it, using only the 1911 magazines we have in stock right now. Every one of them is on our magazines page with the live price.

Springfield Armory 1911 45 ACP 7-round blued steel magazine

Springfield Armory 1911 45 ACP 7-round magazine, blued steel.

Start with the caliber stamped on the barrel

Most 1911s are 45 ACP, and most of what we stock is 45 ACP. A 45 ACP magazine will not run in a 9mm or 10mm 1911. The tube, feed lips and follower are sized for one cartridge, so buy for the caliber on the barrel and nothing else.

If your 1911 is a 10mm, the Metalform 1911 magazine in 10mm Auto is a stainless 8-round mag built for that cartridge. If you own a Browning Black Label 1911 in 380 ACP, that pistol is a scaled-down 1911 and takes its own magazine. The ProMag 8-round 380 ACP magazine we stock is listed for the Black Label, and a full-size 45 ACP magazine will not fit it.

Full size, Commander or Prodigy

Government and Commander 1911s in the same caliber share the same full-size magazine. The slide and barrel are shorter on a Commander, but the frame and grip are the same height, so a Government mag fits. The Colt 1911 Government 8-round 45 ACP magazine we stock is listed for Government, Commander and Gold Cup pistols for exactly that reason. Compact and Officer's-size 1911s with a shorter grip take a shorter magazine, so check the frame before you order.

Double-stack 1911s are a different animal. The Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy 20-round 9mm magazine is a double-stack mag that only fits the Prodigy and other 2011-pattern pistols. It will not go into a single-stack 1911, and a single-stack mag will not go into a Prodigy.

7 rounds or 8 rounds in 45 ACP

The original 1911 magazine holds 7 rounds of 45 ACP, and the Springfield Armory 1911 45 ACP 7-round magazine is that factory-style mag in blued steel. It sits flush with the frame, it's what many Government pistols shipped with, and it's the easiest spare to keep in a range bag. It's also the 1911 magazine our customers buy most.

An 8-round magazine fits the same frame and gives you one more round through a flush or near-flush floorplate. We stock three. The Mec-Gar 1911 Government 45 ACP 8-round magazine is blued carbon steel for a blued gun. The Wilson Combat 500 Elite Tactical 8-round magazine is stainless steel from the maker 1911 shooters ask for by name. The Colt 8-round stainless mag carries the Colt name for a Colt pistol. Any of the three is a good primary magazine for a 45 ACP Government or Commander.

Wilson Combat 500 Elite Tactical 8-round 45 ACP stainless steel 1911 magazine

Wilson Combat 500 Elite Tactical 8-round 45 ACP magazine, stainless steel.

When you want 10 rounds

The Wilson Combat 1911 ETM Full Size 45 ACP 10-round magazine holds 10 rounds in a single-stack tube with an extended floorplate. The extra rounds live below the frame, so the mag sticks out of the grip. That trade-off suits the range, competition and a nightstand gun more than a holster. Some states limit magazine capacity, so check our state restrictions page before you order a 10-round mag.

Wilson Combat 1911 ETM Full Size 45 ACP 10-round stainless steel magazine with extended floorplate

Wilson Combat 1911 ETM Full Size 10-round 45 ACP magazine with extended floorplate.

Blued or stainless

Both work the same way. Blued carbon steel matches a blued pistol and costs a little less. Stainless steel shrugs off sweat and holster wear better and matches a stainless or two-tone gun. If the magazine lives in a carry holster or a humid safe, stainless is the easier one to live with. If it lives in a range bag, either is fine.

What we'd buy

  • Stock 45 ACP Government or Commander: the Springfield Armory 7-round for a flush factory spare, or the Mec-Gar, Wilson Combat 500 or Colt 8-round for one more round.
  • Range and competition: the Wilson Combat ETM 10-round, where your state allows it.
  • 10mm 1911: the Metalform 8-round stainless.
  • Browning Black Label 380: the ProMag 8-round made for it.
  • Prodigy or another 2011: the Springfield Armory 20-round double stack.

Buy at least two spares. Magazines are the part of a 1911 that wears out first, and a second mag tells you whether a feeding problem is the gun or the magazine. Every 1911 magazine we carry is in stock and ships with the live price on the product page.

Products in this post

Frequently asked questions

Do Government and Commander 1911s use the same magazine?
Yes, in the same caliber. The Commander has a shorter slide and barrel but the same frame height, so a full-size Government magazine fits. The Colt 8-round 45 ACP mag we stock is listed for Government, Commander and Gold Cup. Compact and Officer's-size frames take a shorter magazine.
Will a 45 ACP 1911 magazine work in a 9mm or 10mm 1911?
No. The tube, feed lips and follower are sized for one cartridge. Buy the magazine for the caliber stamped on your barrel. For a 10mm 1911 we stock the Metalform 8-round stainless magazine.
Is a 7-round or 8-round 1911 magazine better?
The 7-round is the original flush-fit magazine and the one most Government pistols shipped with. An 8-round fits the same frame and gives you one more round. Both are good; if you want the extra round, the Mec-Gar, Wilson Combat 500 and Colt 8-round mags are all in stock.
Do 10-round 1911 magazines stick out of the grip?
Yes. A single-stack 10-round mag like the Wilson Combat ETM uses an extended floorplate, so the extra rounds sit below the frame. It works well at the range and in competition. Some states limit magazine capacity, so check our state restrictions page first.
Does the Springfield Prodigy take standard 1911 magazines?
No. The Prodigy is a double-stack 1911 and takes its own double-stack magazine, like the Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy 20-round 9mm mag. Single-stack 1911 magazines will not fit it.
Should I buy blued or stainless 1911 magazines?
Either works. Blued carbon steel matches a blued gun and usually costs a little less. Stainless holds up better to sweat and holster wear and matches a stainless or two-tone pistol.
How many 1911 magazines should I own?
At least two spares. Magazines wear before the gun does, and a second magazine is the quickest way to tell whether a feeding problem is the pistol or the mag.
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