In light of all the confusion as to the new magazine design...and in an attempt to clear up what seems to be a basic misunderstandings...for those who didn't get in on the early discussions...
I coined the term "Hybrid" to describe the feed lip geometry. It mates the early/abrupt timed release of the wadcutter magazine with the late, gradual release of the original "Hardball Only" magazine by making the timing of the release a little later and less abrupt, and it works very well with a wide variety of bullet shapes and cartridge overall lengths in a large percentage of the guns that haven't been hand-tuned by a pistolsmith.
The "Hybrid" feed lip design is NOT a new design, and it's not under ongoing development. It's a proven design, and has been for many years. It predates the wadcutter design that has become the standard, aside from the ones that were homemade by reforming the feed lips. Up until recently, it's been used on Colt contract 7-round magazines ONLY. It's a Colt design, and the vendors who make it for Colt use those specifications. Norinco copied the design, and the OEM magazines included with their pistols are 7-round magazines with the hybrid lip geometry. They work very well once the springs have been upgraded.
The "wadcutter" magazines were designed and intended for use with target semi-wadcutters...usually 200 grain bullets of the Hensley & Gibbs #68 design, or something similar...loaded to 700-750 fps. Using those criteria, and under those condotions, the magazines work very well. They also work well with bullets loaded to less than 1.210 inch overall cartridge length...which doesn't work well with full-tapered hardball magazines, and which work a little more reliably with even the excellent "Hybrid" design.
Check-Mate has developed a follower that is compatible with 8 rounds in a flush-fit magazine tube, and it shows a lot of promise. PROMISE...Not guarantee. The magazines are still in the development stage, and the bugs are being addressed as they show up. This is a normal progression with a new design, and to be expected in most instances. CMI can't afford to buy 10,000 different pistols and the ammunition required, and pay the salary of the people required to do the test-firing. Based on what I've seen so far, with the limited number of pistols that I've tried them in...I have every confidence that these bugs will be worked out.
Meanwhile, they rely on the test market for feedback. That would be us. They've replaced defective magazines...no questions asked...even though the same magazine may have worked perfectly in another identical pistol. They are trying to make their product as good as it can possibly be...but expecting that every single magazine produced will work perfectly in every single pistol that it's locked into is asking a lot...but they're trying to up the odds of that ideal by adjusting their production machinery. That's no small task.
CMI offers the 8-round magazines with either the wadcutter or the hybrid lip geometry. If your game is played with target wadcutters, the wadcutter magazines are the better choice for you. If you want the advantages of the hybrid design for full-power ammo, and you must have 8 rounds...then the 8-rounder with the hybrid lips is well worth investigating as long as you understand that they're still in the developmental stage. If you're okay with 7 rounds, then your magazines are ready when you are. If your pistol won't feed and function with the 7-round hybrid magazines....it's likely time for a trip to the smith.
Again...This is not a guarantee. This is a promise of a much greater chance of reliable function in any given pistol and nothing more. In many cases, they've corrected feed problems that defied all reasonable efforts, short of expensive frame rework. That makes it at least worth a try, and it's a no-lose proposition. If you wind up having to send the gun away to be repaired, you still have a very good magazine when you get it back.
Finally...I have no vested interest in Check-Mate Industries. Zero. Zip. Nada. If the company folded up tomorrow, I wouldn't feel a thing, financially. The only pain that I would feel would be that I wouldn't be able to order 7-round hybrid-lip magazines with good springs direct from the manufacturer any more. I'd have to pay two prices for the same magazine just because it has a rampant horse on the baseplate...unless I get lucky and catch Metalform with a few left from a contract overrun...and even then, I may have to order Wolff springs for them.
Mods...Fer God's sake...stick this for a month! I'm plumb wore out.
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Originally Posted by 1911Tuner
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