Single Stack 1911 Mag Maintenance: What to Know

As you may know, we produce one of the best single stack 1911 mags in the market. Ours are produced on a computer-controlled, high speed link press, from extremely strong nitrided steel, and are compatible with most single-stack 1911 pistols out there.

But, like all 1911 mags, you need to keep them clean if you want them to function as intended. Letting them get dirty, dusty, or completely gummed with fouling (which can happen after a while, believe it or not) will compromise their ability to feed properly.

Here’s what to know about how to keep your 1911 magazine clean and in shooting shape.

Help! My 1911 Mag’s Base Plate Is Fixed!

On most pistol mags, you can simply drop the base plate and pull out the spring and follower through the bottom of the tube. Not so with many single stack 1911 mags, which have fixed base plates.

Not to worry, though, if you know what to do you can still disassemble them for periodic cleaning and maintenance.

You’ll need something to depress the follower and spring, along with a thin metal rod - an Allen key works wonders.

Use the first tool to depress the mag spring by pushing down on the follower. Push it above halfway down the mag body, then, with it compressed, insert your Allen key (or whatever else you’re using) through one of the holes in the mag body to catch one of the spring’s coils.

With the mag spring now locked in a compressed state, turn over the mag and give it a few shakes. The follower should drop out the top. After that, cover the top of the mag and remove the Allen kay. The spring will come out the top.

Pay close attention to the manner in which they were installed as you will need to reverse this process to reassemble the mag.

How to Clean

With the follower and spring removed, you can now clean your 1911 magazine.

Some basic bore solvent or gun cleaner, like Hoppe’s No. 9, works just fine. There are nylon magazine brushes you can get, but a small enough bore brush will work just fine, too. Check out our long bore utility brushes (pictured below) - they’re for cleaning barrels, but the nylon version works great for scrubbing out the inside of a single stack 1911 mag.

You can also use cotton patches soaked in bore solvent to help dislodge fouling so that it can be cleaned out - if that works for you.

When cleaning, only use nylon and brass as steel may scratch the finish, which can allow corrosion to gain a foothold.

Once the inside of the mag tube is cleaned, wipe down the outside with a microfiber rag and set aside to dry.

Now, using an appropriate solvent and a brass brush, scrub off the top and bottom of the follower. Our followers are made from steel, so brass is fine here.

Set the follower aside and clean off the mag spring with bore solvent/gun cleaner and a microfiber rag. Use a nylon or brass brush to scrub away any stubborn deposits.

Then, after cleaning it off, if you want, you can place a drop or two of gun oil (Rem Oil is a good choice) on the spring to protect it against corrosion.

But we have one caveat…

Don’t Lube!

While you can use a drop or two of oil on the mag spring, the purpose is to insulate it against corrosion, not to lubricate it.

You do not want a lot of oil inside your mag body. First off, they are not designed or intended to be lubricated, and secondly, that oil will serve as a magnet for dirt, dust and fouling, with which it can form tar.

Less is more - or don’t even use it at all.

Can You Keep 1911 Mags Loaded?

This is a common question on the internet so we figured we’d answer it here. Yes, you can store 1911 mags loaded, and it will not fatigue them.

Spring fatigue occurs as a result of compression and decompression cycles, not from the spring simply being compressed. You can leave them loaded as long as you like and you should never have any problems.

Time for an Upgrade: A Better 1911 Mag Is Here

The best 1911 mags in the industry are right here at SARCO, Inc., and we’re offering them at unbeatable prices.

The product of several iterations of refinement and testing, our 1911 mags are tested to 20,000 cycles, made with high-strength springs, durable, magnetite-finished mag tubes, and with an updated follower design.

The best part? The price. Where else can you get 1911 mags of this quality for under $10? If you find them, let us know. Till then, stock up your range bag - for less.