Welcome to M1911.ORG
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site


John needs your help
Please read this message.


Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from the companies advertising above, or near the bottom of our pages, please use their banners in our sites. Whatever you buy from them, using those banners, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: “Newer Design” Wilson ETM Mags

THREAD CLOSED
This is an old thread. You can't post a reply in it. It is left here for historical reasons.Why don't you create a new thread instead?
  1. #1
    Join Date
    2nd October 2006
    Location
    Weeki Wachee, Fl
    Posts
    5,589
    Posts liked by others
    181

    “Newer Design” Wilson ETM Mags

    The 9mm Wilson ACP that I recently reviewed for our E-zine came with two of the new design ETM magazines. They were noticeably easier to both load, and seat into the pistol with the slide forward, than any other 10 round 9mm mags I’ve ever used, including Wilson’s previous generation of ETM magazines.

    I have a Wilson Professional Model (four inch frame and slide) that I’ve had for over 10 years now, which was made back in ‘06. I bought it to shoot IDPA ESP class with, and was never interested in carrying it because of the ambi safety it came with. I would have changed it out immediately, but the frame and all small parts except the hammer are finished in OD green Armor Tuff.

    I recently (better late than never, I suppose) decided to update the pistol a bit. I replaced the ambi thumb safety with a single sided one, and added a one piece mag well, both from Wilson, and in OD green. I also got a new pair of stocks to mate up with the mag well.

    Now, this is where the new magazines come in. After installing the new parts, I decided that, since the ambi was now a thing of the past, I’d put the pistol into my carry rotation. Remember, I had 10 years of history shooting it, with no functional issues to speak of. Well, just imagine my chagrin when I couldn’t get a full magazine of hollow point ammunition through the gun without failures to feed! Since it was a range gun, I had never tried to shoot it with any hollow point ammo. That was when I remembered how nice and smoothly the new design mags that came with the ACP 1911 functioned. So, i ordered four of them from Wilson, and loaded a couple with hollow point ammunition. I was able to hand cycle all 20 rounds from both mags through the pistol without issue. Things were definitely looking up! So, I took all four mags, along with the Professional Model, some 115 gr FMJ, and two different kinds of hollow point ammo, to the range yesterday. Everything ran through that pistol like grease through a goose! Of course, the ball ammo fed without any problems. I then shot the Federal 115 gr JHP, which has a rounded bullet profile, and Hornady 115 gr JHP, which has more of a truncated cone (TC) bullet profile. TC bullets seem to be more problematic in feeding in some pistols. Both fed flawlessly for me now, using the new magazines.

    So, if anyone with a 9mm 1911 has been experiencing feeding issues; I recommend that you give these new Wilson ETM magazines a try. They certainly provided a drastic improvement in feeding for me!

    The 9mm 1911 magazines that I’d previously used were the original Wilson 10 round ETM mags (10 years old now), plus several nine round mags from various manufacturers.
    "Sights are for the unenlightened."

    Rick

    IDPA Certified Safety Officer
    Last edited by Rick McC.; 19th March 2020 at 20:38.


  2. #2
    Join Date
    9th June 2004
    Location
    Alabama, US
    Posts
    2,199
    Posts liked by others
    115
    I had ETM Gen 0 and Gen 1. They seemed to be wearing so I gave them away. New owner says ok in SA.
    The Gen 2 is better.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    6th September 2007
    Location
    NW Florida
    Posts
    1,326
    Posts liked by others
    32
    I find it interesting Wilson has a long history of success with polymer followers in their mags, but the new 9mm ETMs have what appears to the GI follower.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    2nd October 2006
    Location
    Weeki Wachee, Fl
    Posts
    5,589
    Posts liked by others
    181
    Quote Originally Posted by JTQ View Post
    I find it interesting Wilson has a long history of success with polymer followers in their mags, but the new 9mm ETMs have what appears to the GI follower.
    The 9mm ones that I have, while they’re stainless steel, are quite a bit different than a GI style follower. The front of the mag body (tube) is different, as it the angle that the cartridges both sit in the mag, and feed.
    "Sights are for the unenlightened."

    Rick

    IDPA Certified Safety Officer

  5. #5
    Join Date
    6th April 2014
    Posts
    77
    Posts liked by others
    31
    I have a little over 7,000 rounds through my CQB Commander using the new style ETM’s, not a single malfunction.
    NRA Benefactor Life Member, GOA Member, MGO Member

  6. #6
    Join Date
    6th September 2007
    Location
    NW Florida
    Posts
    1,326
    Posts liked by others
    32
    Quote Originally Posted by Rick McC. View Post
    ... are quite a bit different than a GI style follower.
    Could you post a picture of the Wilson follower next to a GI follower for comparison?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    16th May 2011
    Posts
    332
    Posts liked by others
    10
    I have the original ETM's and they are the worst of the 9mm mags I have tried.

    Can't insert a fully loaded mag with the slide closed. Nose dives, even with FMJ's the odd time.

    Needless to say I wasn't impressed with them.

    I may try the 'New' ETM's.
    MFWIC
    DILLIGAF
    Stercus Accidit
    WTFDTSG

  8. #8
    Join Date
    6th September 2007
    Location
    NW Florida
    Posts
    1,326
    Posts liked by others
    32
    Quote Originally Posted by BHP9 View Post
    I have the original ETM's and they are the worst of the 9mm mags I have tried.

    Can't insert a fully loaded mag with the slide closed. Nose dives, even with FMJ's the odd time.

    Needless to say I wasn't impressed with them.

    I may try the 'New' ETM's.
    It may not have helped with your mags, but did you follow instructions that came with your Wilson mags

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/wilsoncomba...s/47Series.pdf
    Like other mechanical devices, your Wilson Combat® magazine may be a little stiff when first used. This is normal and should not effect its feeding capabilities, however you will notice that as you use your magazine it will become easier to load and seat in your pistol and it will function even more smoothly over time. If you wish to expedite the break in process simply leave your new magazine loaded to capacity for a day or two, this will preset the spring to normal operating tension.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    16th May 2011
    Posts
    332
    Posts liked by others
    10
    Quote Originally Posted by JTQ View Post
    It may not have helped with your mags, but did you follow instructions that came with your Wilson mags

    https://s3.amazonaws.com/wilsoncomba...s/47Series.pdf
    Thanks, but I did. I originally left them fully loaded for a week, then a month,and there was no change.

    I did trim the spring, as per a call with WC, to no avail.
    MFWIC
    DILLIGAF
    Stercus Accidit
    WTFDTSG

  10. #10
    Join Date
    2nd June 2004
    Location
    Terra
    Posts
    22,286
    Posts liked by others
    906
    The original ETMs would not fit -- physically -- in all guns. Not because of spring pressure but because the design of the ETM was intentionally made to seat the tops of the feed lips higher than the Browning/GI spec. The result was that a pistol could be within 1911 specs but the ETM feed lips were an interference fit with the slide.

    I don't know if that has ever changed. Wilson Combat, at the time, seemed to regard that as a feature rather than a bug.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  



Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from Brownells, please use their banners above. Whatever you buy from them, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Non-gun-related supporters.
Thank you for visiting our supporters.