.38 Super Automatic Magazines

[Art]

I posted earlier about a Rock Island Armory .38 Super Automatic I bought a few months ago. I like the gun but like many, maybe most, 1911 owners I did stuff to it. I got rid of the sorry smooth grips and replaced them with diamond checkered coco bolo, and put a nice set of night sights on it. I don't like flat mainspring housings so my M1911 guru friend donated a USGI knurled arched mainspring housing with a lanyard ring (cool or what.)

Now the issue at hand. I did not realize current magazines can be a real problem with .38 super automatic pistols. The other calibers...no prob. but .38 super mags can be host to a bunch of issues. The magazine that came with the gun did not routinely lock back the slide and cartridges sometimes plunged causing stoppages if hollow points were used. Our son suggested a Kimber magazine and it works fine. It is a nine shot. Ten will fit in it but it won't lock in on a closed slide. I wanted a real 10 shot so he recommended a Wilson Combat, they were on sale so I got one. Big mistake, should have read the reviews first. It appears that these not only have the plunging round problem but they either don't lock the slide back or trip the slide lock into the takedown notch. Mine did the latter. I checked and found that a McCormick follower should fix the problem, got one and it did, works fine now.

So a word to the wise. Magazines can matter with these guns more than the 9mm versions and a lot more than the .45 ACP models.

Also, the gun is a tack driver now that I've got decent sights on it .

[1563621]

I have been shooting a Colt custom 9MM converted to 38 Super, Use only Colt mags, older ones with no issues.will post pics.http://imgur.com/a/q0gRA

[Major Tom]

I saw on Gunbroker an older 38 super magazine up for bid at $135.00. Wish I still had my old Colt 38 super which came with 2 magazines. 8-/

[ElWoodman]

I run SA .38 Super NM magazines in my RIa 1911a1.