13Jul
Brownells .45 ACP M1911 Magazine
The New Brownells 8 Round .45 ACP Magazine
I have been using the Brownells eight round .45 ACP M1911 magazine (www.brownells.com stock number: 078-000-169 ) to test its performance. The magazine bodies are manufactured from 0.0275 inch thick stainless steel, that will stand up to hard use and is also heat treated for maximum durability and service life. The magazine bodies are also have a non reflective matt black Xylan coating that reduces friction and provides excellent corrosion resistance.
Brownells .45 ACP M1911 Magazine
Brownells .45 ACP M1911 Magazine
I have been using the Brownells eight round .45 ACP M1911 magazine ( www.brownells.com stock number 078-000-169 ) to test its performance. The magazine bodies are manufactured from 0.0275 inch thick stainless steel, that will stand up to hard use and is also heat treated for maximum durability and service life. The magazine bodies are also have a non reflective matt black Xylan coating that reduces friction and provides excellent corrosion resistance. The magazine springs are specially fabricated from high tensile strength heavy duty spring wire for long service life, with enhanced feeding and positive slide lock lever operation. The dimensional tolerances are constant so that your ammunition will function through the magazine and pistol and the magazine will drop free from your pistol during a reload.
The Brownells eight round .45 ACP M1911 magazine is made from stainless
steel and heat treated for maximum durability and service life
The finish on the grips on the STI Sentry is by www.extremeshooters.com
The Brownells M1911 magazine is designed to feed a wide variety of ammunition types. Numbered witness holes allow for a quick assessment of the quantity of ammunition contained in the magazine. Whatever style of ammunition you use, either reloaded or factory, you should always function test your pistol and ammunition combination to insure complete reliability. With the magazine fully loaded make sure that the magazine is properly inserted and seated into the pistol when you use it.
The Brownell M1911 .45 ACP magazines easily drop free
from the pistol when the magazine release button is pressed.
Reloaded Ammunition
Reloaded AmmunitionI have been using ammunition reloaded with Frontier ( www.frontierbullets.co.za ) 200 grain semi waddcutter and 230 grain round nose bullets in both complete metal jacket ( CMJ ) and cast lead formats. The 230 grain lead and CMJ bullets were loaded with an OAL of 1.248” and 1.258” respectively. The 200 SWC grain CMJ was loaded to a 1.242” OAL. I have been using Brownells M1911 magazines with this reloaded ammunition with complete reliability.
The ammunition used in our evaluation used a mixture of 200 and
230 grain bullets, all loaded to IPSC major power factor.
Due to the variety of bullet weights and styles you may find it necessary to experiment, finding the exact overall length that will provide optimal feeding reliability and accuracy for your particular pistol. I have also used these magazines with GECO 230 grain FMJ .45 ACP factory ammunition ( www.geco-munition.de ) with complete functional reliability.
Maintenance
MaintenanceUsing magazines in practical pistol competitions means that they will be continuously dropped, which will cause them to retain all manner of water, grit and dirt. One of the problems with some M1911 magazines was that the base was not removable, making the magazine difficult to clean. The advantage of the Brownell M1911 magazine is that the base pad is easily removable, enabling you to disassemble and clean your magazine, especially if exposed to dirt or other contaminates that could cause a malfunction. To clean your magazine, follow these easy steps. Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes when working on any magazine, as the spring will be under tension when it is released.
Holding eight rounds the Brownells M1911 magazines functioned with a
variety of both jacketed and lead .45 ACP factory and reloaded ammunition.
Disassembly
DisassemblyThe base pad is held in place with a retaining plate. To remove the base pad, you must first insert a suitably sized punch or similar object into the hole in the bottom of the base pad. Push in with the punch to relieve the tension of the retaining plate against the base pad. At the same time push the base pad forward in the direction of the rounded front. You should be able to completely remove the base pad from the magazine at this point. Once this is accomplished, you will be able to remove the retainer plate and spring from the bottom of the magazine. The follower can also be removed from the base of the magazine.
The Brownell M1911 magazine easily disassembles into its component
parts of base pad, retaining plate, spring, follower and body tube.
Now that the magazine is completely disassembled, use a brush or a clean rag or paper towel to remove any dirt or debris from all component parts. It is important to thoroughly clean the inside of the magazine housing. I do not apply any lubrication to the inside of a magazine as this will collect and retain all manner of debris.
Reassembly
ReassemblyReassembly is accomplished in the reverse order of assembly; however, you must make sure that the spring is in the correct orientation. It would be a good idea to take a digital image of the disassembled magazine that can be stored on your computer, or print off a copy. This will enable you to re-assemble the component parts in the proper order.
The magazines for your pistol are an important but often overlooked part of your equipment. Your magazines will have to be reliable with the types of factory or reloaded ammunition that you are using. Also magazines have to be kept clean and thus need to be able to be completely taken apart so that proper cleaning can be performed. Pay attention to how the magazine comes apart during disassembly so you can put it back together correctly. A magazine brush is a must to assist with the cleaning of the inside of the magazine body tube. Do not oil or lubricate your magazines, as they are designed to run dry and any lubricant will attract all types of grime and dirt.
The Brownells .45 ACP magazine firmly seats into a
M1911 pistol and gave 100 % functional reliability.
With the introduction of IPSC Classic Division that requires the use of a M1911 pistol, competitors will require reliable M1911 magazines. I have been using these Brownells M1911 magazines in a STI Sentry M1911 .45 ACP M1911 pistol ( www.stiguns.com ) with complete reliability. Having produced a reliable M1911 magazine in .45 ACP calibre, hopefully Brownells will also introduce these magazines to suit 9mm and .40 S&W calibre M1911 pistols as well.
For Further Information
www.brownells.com