The Cobra Tests: Q&A

[10851Man]

I now have (5) of the 7 round Tripp magazines that I will be carrying on duty by month's end. So far, function has been perfect after extensive shooting. All of these new acquisitions have been converted to the Checkmate 'V' Shaped Follower, which I prefer to the plastic/metal Tripp follower.

I am not sure just what you all refer to this 'V' shaped, Checkmate follower as, but Checkmate and Tripp both call it a 'Flex Follower' and there are actually two versions of it available from Checkmate.

Both carry the same CMI patent numbers, but one is black with a dimple and the other is stainless without a dimple. Both versions are available from Checkmate and I have Tripp magazines with both versions installed from the factory. Tripp says they both yield dentical function, but Tripp preferred the stainless finish.

So far, the Tripp magazines have been the best performing out of all the 7 round units tested. I am also pitting the Checkmate, Wilson and Tripp 8 rounders against each other in head-to-head testing in stock Colt Series 70 pistols...Robert

[REDTAIL]

10851 MAN So I guess that you are saying that the Tripp"s magazines & using JHP ammo for your on duty setup, that they are dependable enough to bet your life on, & after reading that review comment by you, I am going to go with the Tripp"s mags also, As I will be giving Virgil a call soon, & thanks for your honesty, on their Mags.

[10851Man]

Redtail,

I carry them everyday and I have now put over 4,000 rounds through the (11) that I own without a single issue.

I carry (5) 7-round (7R-45-WG) on-duty which are never used for range training, although they have been extensively test fired and proven, they will never be dropped on the ground except in an actual gunfight. I have (6) 8R-45-RG (8-round) magazines that I use exclusively for range training and they are dropped on cement, ran over by patrol cars and stepped on. They continue to work flawlessly.

I am using the all metal 'flex follower' in the 7 round Tripp magazines, which is an ask-for upgrade. The 8 round mahazines use Tripps metal/polymer follower and they work flawlessly. I like the all-metal follower in a duty magazine as I can just throw the whole unit in the ultrasonic cleaner.

I will also recommend the Checkmate 8 round removable floorplate magazine that I recently tested. They also worked perfectly and are very durable. I have one of them that I use for range training with very good results.

I carry my (6) 8 round Tripp magaines in my patrol car as a back-up. In my 1927 Colt, they have worked with 100% reliability...Robert

[LJA]

Just got 8 of Virgil's new second generation Cobra mags (7rd - welded floorplate) and am impressed. They all have the Tripp follower and function flawlessly in four or five different 1911's. I notice a lot less "ker-chunk" feeding the first round from slide-lock - and can hand-cycle a round into the chamber slowly with no perceptible snags or problems. The higher round position and delayed release seems to work to smooth out the feeding process. No problems with really heavy ammo (DoubleTap) - or +P. Hat's off to Virgil Tripp!

[LJA]

Went back and read some of Tuner's stuff about the hybrid feed lips and controlled round feeding. Happened to have a couple of Colt original mags (appear to have hybrid feed lips) with Tripp Cobra Mag conversions in them. Compared the top round position and the Colt mags with Tripp followers seem to position the first round just as high as the new generation Cobra mag. I did encounter the same thing that Tuner did when feeding similar rounds from both mags into my Kimber CDP Pro - noticeably less "ker-chunk" with the Colt Hybrid lip mags. The feeding just seemed to be a lot smoother and more controlled (as it should be) with the Colt mags and Tripp conversion spring an d follower. No FTF'S with either, though. That Tuner is one smart cookie!

[10851Man]

LJA,

When I was shopping for magazines for our agency, I tried all of them, including Wilson, Tripp, Checkmate, McCormick and Colt Hybrid. I also tried every feedlip design out there in my 1927 Colt and several of the department's Series 70 Colts.

To be quite honest, I didn't notice any difference at all in terms of "Ker-Chunk" with any of those magazines. Every magazine I tested worked 100% of the time in my 1927 Colt. Only the Wilson ETM had a sporadic FTRB that eventually went away.

I finally settled on the Cobra 7 round welded floorplate with a Classic Pistol rubber bumper that keeps the lanyard loop from digging into your palm during fast magazine changes. My decision to use the Tripp magazines was based on overall feel, construction, finish and durability.

My daily carry setup consists of (5) of Tripp's 7R-45-WG 7-round magazines in a Gould & Goodrich Quad Pouch. I carry (10) of Tripp's 8R-45-RG in my patrol car, loaded with FMJ. I have fired about 500 rounds through each of my (5) carry magazines and they are never used during range training. The only time my daily carry magazines will ever be dropped on the ground is during a shooting.

Right now, I have (5) assorted magazines that are dedicated to use on the range and for magazine change and demonstration. I teach the typical USMC F.A.S.T. style magazine change technique where you bring the pistol close-up, touch the fresh magazine to the heel of the empty one and then violently flick your wrist while pushing the magazine release. I routinely toss my magazines 15 to 20 feet to my right using this technique.

I don't want to beat up my carry magazines, so I use a Wilson ETM 8 rounder, (2) Wilson 7 rounders and a Checkmate 8 rounder exclusively for range training. They all work perfectly, even though they have been beat up a bit from being tossed around on concrete. I find no difference in using the 7 and 8 round magazines as our fast-paced, shoot-on-the-move training doesn't afford you time to count your rounds.

Very happy with the Tripp magazines...Robert

[1911Tuner]

The "Ka-Chunk" feed is an indication that something's not right with the feed ramp angle, and the gun is going into a light 3-Point Jam. The tapered feed lips of the hybrid and the full GI "hardball" designs very often compensate for the bad geometry.
It's actually a sort of band-aid fix, but it's one that incorporates the proper magazine design to get the gun feeding like it should...and it's faster and cheaper than having an overburdened pistolsmith recut or replace the ramp.

That's very likely a big part of the reason for the taper. It allowed for a slightly out of spec frame and/or barrel ramp without sacrificing feed reliability with a correctly in-spec gun.

When the tapered hybrid magazines are used in a gun with the correct ramp geometry...it's so smooth that many people wonder if it's actually feeding ammunition.

[RRFlyer]

just figured I'd throw this out there.

I've got over 7,000 rounds on my current 1911 that I use for USPSA and IDPA.

I've got 6 Tripp mags that I've shot all the rounds through this gun with as well as a couple thousand on my previous pistol.

So you figure thats at least 1500 per mag. Hundreds of drops on the ground on concrete and gravel. Empty and partially loaded.

No mag related problems to date.

[LJA]

John - I hear what you are saying about ramp geometry - and I tried the hybrid mag vs. Tripp in four more 1911's - and noticed smoother feeding with the hybrid mag in all four. So, the five guns I used could (and probably do) vary somewhat in ramp geometry, but I'm thinking that the Checkmate hybrid tube with Virgil's spring and follower may be the best of all possible worlds at this two minutes in time. I ordered a few conversion kits from Virgil to road-test the theory. What I can't figure out is why so many mag makers flocked to using wadcutter feed lips exclusively. Controlled feeding is such an important aspect of the 1911 (and Browning's machine guns, BAR etc.) George

[JTQ]

LJA,

Are you converting to the Tripp hybrid follower or the Tripp folded metal (Devil type) with the front skirt?