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1911 Magazines

9mm9mm.38 Super.38 Super.40 S&W Auto.40 S&W Auto10mm Auto10mm Auto.45 ACP.45 ACP.460 Rowland.460 RowlandMagazine PartsMagazine Parts

Elite Tactical Magazine (ETM) Technology

The Wilson Combat Elite Tactical magazine combines 30+ years of 1911 magazine experience with cutting-edge engineering. Our testing has shown these to be the most reliable 1911 magazines in the world, with every component manufactured from high-grade stainless steel or super tough nylon for maximum durability.

Key ETM Features:

  • Aircraft Grade Certified Stainless Steel construction
  • Heat-treated MAX flatwire spring that never gets stressed or over-compressed
  • No-tilt nylon follower that improves feeding with any bullet profile
  • Durable base pad for secure grip during tactical reloads
  • Numbered witness holes for easy round counting

For 9mm applications, Next Gen ETM magazines feature a redesigned tube with front ramp to prevent nose-down feeding with short or hollow point rounds, developed through over 10,000 rounds of testing by Bill Wilson.

Complete Caliber and Capacity Coverage

Wilson Combat 1911 magazines are available across the full spectrum of 1911 calibers and frame sizes:

Available Calibers:

  • .45 ACP (7, 8, and 10-round capacities)
  • 9mm (8, 9, and 10-round capacities)
  • .38 Super (10-round capacity)
  • 10mm (8 and 9-round capacities)
  • .40 S&W (9-round capacity)

Frame Compatibility:

  • Full-Size (Government/Commander)
  • Compact (Officer/Defender)
  • Sentinel (Wilson Combat exclusive)

Please note that many other 1911s exist that take neither full size nor compact magazines, but instead must use proprietary magazines from their manufacturer, always check with your pistol manufacturer to ensure magazine compatibility.

1911 Magazines FAQs

Why do 1911s have so many magazine problems?

Most 1911 feeding problems trace back to poor-quality magazines rather than the pistol itself. The 1911's design requires precise magazine specifications for reliable feeding, but many manufacturers produce substandard magazines with improper tolerances, cheap materials, or poor follower geometry.

Since most 1911 manufacturers don't produce their own magazines, they often source from third-party suppliers with inconsistent quality. This creates the weak link in an otherwise reliable system.

Wilson Combat eliminates these issues by manufacturing magazines to exact specifications with premium materials, optimized followers, and properly tuned springs, ensuring reliable feeding and eliminating the most common source of 1911 malfunctions.

What makes Wilson Combat magazines more reliable?

Wilson Combat has built hundreds of thousands of 1911 single-stack magazines and gets extensive feedback about magazine performance. The ETM with MAX spring has changed the 1911 magazine forever, with heat-treated MAX flatwire construction that doesn’t get stressed or over-compressed like a conventional spring. Superior Wilson Combat hardened stainless steel tube geometry in concert with our time-tested, no-tilt convex nylon follower improves feeding with almost any bullet profile.

What's the difference between ETM and other Wilson Combat magazines?

The Wilson Combat 47D magazine has been the gold standard of 1911 magazines, but the Elite Tactical Magazine offers several improvements. For USPSA shooters, the ETM seats on a loaded chamber/in battery reload much easier than the 47D magazine, and includes numbered witness holes for easy round counting. The ETM is primarily a combat magazine, but competition shooters may gain that critical advantage to move past the competition.

Do Wilson Combat magazines work with other 1911 brands?

Wilson Combat 1911 magazines are designed to meet original 1911 specifications and work with most quality 1911 manufacturers. However, some Kimber 1911 handguns have barrel feed ramps that are left undressed at the factory and will interfere with the ramped front of this magazine, though the barrel can be easily modified by a gunsmith. If in doubt, please do not hesitate to contact us.