Colt Magazine Question

[Landman]

I have quite a few Colt 8 round magazines that have the Shooting Star follower. In a few of my pistols they are reliable but for most they are not. Basically I have no faith in them and have read all the threads discussing why they are not reliable. My question is can I replace the followers in them and make them more reliable or make them into 7 rounders? If so, where is the best place to just buy the followers? Thanks.

[paul45]

Try these kits......

http://www.trippresearch.com/CVS/products/1911/1911.html

[Doran]

How are the magazines marked on the bottom?

[Landman]

How are the magazines marked on the bottom?

They have a Rampant Pony on the underside of the toe, then say Colt 45 Auto 8-RD with a small G in the top right corner of the heel. I tried taking a picture but couldn't get a good one.

The magazine tube and lips look exactly like my 7 rounders with a dimpled follower. Looks like to me if I could find some dimpled followers and install them it would make them reliable 7 rounders. I haven't had any success finding just the dimpled followers on the net.

[1911Tuner]

You can improve the Colt/Shooting Star magazine a lot by ordering one of Wolff's
+5% Extra-Power/8-round springs from Brownells. It essentially turns the "Star" into a McCormick Powermag. Just be sure to order the correct spring. The +10% spring is a 7-round spring.

[Doran]

Colt supplied some G marked magazines with new pistols and on blister card packaging for single sales. If the magazines came packaged in bags with a two or three color paper insert or sold loose they could be fakes.

[Landman]

Colt supplied some G marked magazines with new pistols and on blister card packaging for single sales. If the magazines came packaged in bags with a two or three color paper insert or sold loose they could be fakes.

I'm not sure what packaging all of them came in. I picked them up here and there, gun shows, etc. I do remember some coming in plastic with a blue and white paper insert claiming to be Colt Factory Magazines.

Tuner, I think I prefer to just get rid of those Shooting Star followers. It is obvious that after the last round they can move forward out of the magazine and hit the frame. Seems like a very faulty design.

[Doran]

I do remember some coming in plastic with a blue and white paper insert claiming to be Colt Factory Magazines.
Those most likely fakes as I mentioned. If you look around the show you'll probably see other items from a different company packaged the same way.

[tenx]

When you say the mags are not reliable in some guns, would you describe what the problem is?

For example, if it is a failure to feed, the cause is more likely the feed lips rather than the follower.

[1911Tuner]

It is obvious that after the last round they can move forward out of the magazine and hit the frame. Seems like a very faulty design.


It's the last round that drags the follower forward to the frame...and it is a bad design. It was a bad design in 1980 and it still is. Check-Mate's redesign of the same basic follower is the answer. Order a Bull-Nose follower w/dimple and a spring from them and install the kit into your Colt Shooting Star.

[Pistolier]

Wilson Combat makes a Magazine Spring and Follower kit that is for 8 round mags that fits Colt magazines, it is there catalog number 266. You can get them from wilsoncombat.com or call them at 800-955-4856. I use the 7 round kits in my Kimber Pro and they work great.

[Landman]

My failures to feed were as Tuner described. The last round nose dives into the frame and jams.

Tuner, I think that's what I'll do. Order the bullnose followers and springs from Checkmate. I do have a lot of extra power 7 round springs from Wolff. Would those work or does the bullnose follower need a specific spring?

Thanks