Elite Tactical Magazine – Stop Shopping For A New 1911 Magazine
Article By Rob Haught
Berryville, AR – -(AmmoLand.com)- In any semi auto weapon system the weak link is always the ammunition feeding system. The 1911 pistol is no exception.
As originally designed the GI mags would feed military ball ammo quite well. When it came to a hollow point design or a variant of the semi wadcutter competition bullets however it left a lot to be desired. Since the adoption of the 1911 as our nations service pistol the basic platform has been modified for competition and self defense.
A whole cottage industry sprang up to meet the demand for parts and gunsmithing this particular pistol. Along with all the other custom parts have been a virtual baker’s dozen replacement magazine designs over the years. Many have come and gone but one company’s product that has stood the test of time and use is Wilson Combat.
Somewhere around 1980, company President Bill Wilson and Inventor Par Excellence Bill Rogers came out with a replacement magazine that set the industry on its ear. Originally produced in a seven round version it was an instant hit with competitive shooters and sold like hotcakes. As with all things it eventually underwent changes and improvements to become what is now called the model 47 Series Magazine. This became the industry standard for reliability and durability. Never content though to rest on his laurels, Bill Wilson continued to search for ways to improve on his design.
Spring forward to today and the new Elite Tactical Magazine. This is not merely an improved model 47 magazine but a new from the ground up design. This new magazine starts with a tube that is a seamless design that incorporates a witness slot moved toward the spine which adds to the structural strength of the tube and a feed lip design to optimize the release point to insure reliable feeding. Add a stainless steel with the best properties available to ensure strength without brittleness and a slightly longer body to accommodate eight rounds more easily than a length originally designed for seven and a newly designed basepad and you have the makings of something special indeed. The tube has observation slots that are numbered on each side making it easy to check the status of a partially loaded magazine.The basepad is also numbered on the bottom allowing you to mark your magazines.Utilizing a very tough nylon material that also is very slick when used against the stainless body makes feeding and loading the magazine very easy. The magazine spring is a high grade stainless steel wire that holds up better to extended periods of time being compressed which adds longer spring life. I am currently using the ETM as my duty magazines at work and they have been flawless.
Available in stainless or black finish, and also in a 9mm version there is a model to fit your needs. Wilson Combat has probably sold more 1911 single stack magazines than any other company and that gives them a huge feedback on what end users are seeing with their products. Add to that list the many Military and Law Enforcement users who depend on these magazines for more than a trophy and you see the results in the new ETM design. If you are shopping for a new 1911 magazine, be sure to give this one a good look.
Rob Haught:Veteran Law Enforcement Officer
Firearms Trainer for civilian, law enforcement and military
IDPA National Champion
About:
At Wilson Combat we’re proud of our position as the acknowledged leader in customer satisfaction and quality products. We work hard to maintain the reputation we’ve built over almost thirty years, and continue to invest in the human resources, training, capital equipment, research and development to stay on top. We have added new leadership personnel in engineering, manufacturing management, materials, research, design, operations, and business development. One of our goals is to be a little better every single day, and we work hard to meet that goal.