Got a question or comment?

Mail it to hidi.projects at gmail.com and I'll either answer it personally or anonymize the question and post it and my answer on this page. Please remember that I'm not an expert on the 1911 by any means; the most I can promise is that I won't drool too much while reading your question.

Do you think feedlips are misunderstood by magazine makers?

A lot of modern magazine manufacturers do seem to understand magazine design, in some cases really well. The Wilson 47Ds I looked at bypassed controlled feed in a way that really looked like it was designed to avoid three-point jams caused by poor ramp geometry. I found out later that Bill Wilson had at one point done a writeup on controlled feed, so he knew what he was doing when designing the 47Ds to feed as they do. I sure don't think that the manufacturers who make magazines are dummies.

That being said, they are in the business of selling magazines and must contend with market force. Telling someone who wants a quick fix for a balky gun that his magazine works fine and the gun is to blame is a quick way to lose a sale to another company promising an eight-round panacea. There's more pressure to build a magazine that works around limitations of poorly-made guns than there is to build a magazine that helps in-spec 1911s perform at their best.

Where can I buy hybrid magazines?

You can buy magazines directly from Check-Mate Industries, Inc.:

• blued
• stainless