1911 10mm mag question

[Retired Squid]

Will 40cal magazine follower work in a 10mm 8 round magazine? Reason I ask is I have a new 10mm magazine w/o spring or follower. Spring & follower is no problem to find for 1911 40cal, but none for 10mm.

[Longcarbine]

Dont see why it wouldn't but others may have more knowledge about it.

[John A.]

Wouldn't a 40 follower be shorter?

[Rooster41]

Wouldn't a 40 follower be shorter?

Not necessarily. But there may be a block at the backside of the follower to make up for the shorter cased round. Ill check with my dad as he has both a 10mm and 40 1911. Ill ask him if there is a difference in the magazines between the two.

[Retired Squid]

Thanks, Rooster41 for checking. I did find a 10mm follower with spring and ordered it even though it said for 9rd mag. I didn't know anyone made a 9rnd, only 10 rd mag's.  Worse thing that can happen is order new spring from Wolff for about $12 including S&H.

Gun involved is a estate sale gun that's 5yr old and was only test fired by factory and/or owner, never cleaned, and apparently left partially loaded. Leaving a magazine partially loaded will quickly weaken a spring rather quickly. I saw loaded mag's taken out of box from WWII fired w/o a problem several different occasions over the years.     

[Markwell]

   You will not kill mag springs by leaving them loaded. Old wives tale.  Rotate your carry ammo by shooting it and refreshing with new, and don't worry about the mags

[John A.]

Lots of old mags that have been left loaded for decades, now don't work and are weak.  With having owned a gun store, I've seen it enough that I don't leave mine loaded for more than a year at a time, then rotate mags.

Same for hammer/action springs.  Especially striker fired and old hammerless guns.    I never store my weapons with a cocked hammer.  Ever.

I did have to recently replace an ejector spring on an old (45 year old) shotgun.  When the barrel is closed, the spring is always under tension.  Would pull the empty hull about half way out the chamber and not enough energy to actually eject it.

Seen lots of old shotguns that have weak (or non-existent) ejection that act more like extractors now. 

Weak springs happen.

Weak springs are more common when stored under tension/load.  Just seen it too many times to dismiss it.

[sqlbullet]

I have my own opinions about loaded versus unloaded, but like politics, it can be a sensitive question.

I will say that springs are a consumable.  No one should depend on "old" springs regardless of how they are treated.  I will also say that if you don't know the condition of a spring you need to practice more.  Better to find out you have a problem at the training range than when facing a threat.

[Graybeard]

I have my own opinions about loaded versus unloaded, but like politics, it can be a sensitive question.

I will say that springs are a consumable.  No one should depend on "old" springs regardless of how they are treated.  I will also say that if you don't know the condition of a spring you need to practice more.  Better to find out you have a problem at the training range than when facing a threat.

I would agree and add that the entire magazine is a consumable. Feed lips and followers can wear out as well. I also believe spring tension is a bigger issue for certain calibers in the same platform, like 1911s. The slide speed is much faster with a 10mm 1911 than a .45acp.

I'm often amazed at people that cheap out on magazines for guns that they've spent $1000 and up for and that they may bet their lives on. If your gun runs perfectly on Checkmates and Mecgars, great, but spending a little extra on Tripp and Wilson is never a bad idea.