# Magazines for Kimber



## wpshooter

I just received my Kimber Team Match II 9mm yesterday.

I can hardly wait to put a few rounds thru it this weekend.

My question is on Kimber guns in general and the Team Match *9mm* in particular are the Kimber magazines *proprietary* or are there after-market magazines made for the 9mm Kimber guns by other magazine manufacturers ? When I look at the Kimber magazine that came with my pistol, the top lip / feed plate of the magazine has a sort of strange configuration that I have never seen on any of the other gun magazines that I have.

When I look around at some of the other magazine manufacturers on the web, I see magazines for most every type of gun brand and caliber except the Kimber 9mm. I ran across a few listings for magazines for Kimber 45acp caliber guns but none for the 9mm.

Does all of this mean that I can only get and use magazines manufacturered by Kimber with this pistol ?

Thanks.


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## Baldy

I have a Team Match II also, but mine is a .45acp. I use Wilson mags in mine, but I am not sure if they make any for the 9mm. Take it to the range and see how the pistol runs. If OK I would buy more mags from Kimber. Kimber does sell a quality mag, but I don't know if they manufacture it or buy it from someone else. Good luck. :smt1099


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## wpshooter

Baldy said:


> I have a Team Match II also, but mine is a .45acp. I use Wilson mags in mine, but I am not sure if they make any for the 9mm. Take it to the range and see how the pistol runs. If OK I would buy more mags from Kimber. Kimber does sell a quality mag, but I don't know if they manufacture it or buy it from someone else. Good luck. :smt1099


Will any brand of 1911 styled 9mm magazine fit and work on my Kimber Team Match II 9mm pistol ?

The guy at Brownells said that they would, does he know what he is talking about ?

Thanks.


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## VietVet68

I don't think you have anything to worry about, but, call Kimber if it'll make you feel better.


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## Sully2

wpshooter said:


> Will any brand of 1911 styled 9mm magazine fit and work on my Kimber Team Match II 9mm pistol ?
> 
> The guy at Brownells said that they would, does he know what he is talking about ?
> 
> Thanks.


They do in .45 ACP. I use the Kimber branded magazines in any of mine ( no idea who makes them??) and they all work fine


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## wpshooter

Sully2 said:


> They do in .45 ACP. I use the Kimber branded magazines in any of mine ( no idea who makes them??) and they all work fine


Are any of the other brands of magazines considered to be better than the Kimber brand magazines ?

I have seen some posts on various gun forums wherein the suggestion has been made that some of the other brands may be of a better quality.

Thanks.


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## Baldy

wpshooter said:


> Will any brand of 1911 styled 9mm magazine fit and work on my Kimber Team Match II 9mm pistol ?
> 
> The guy at Brownells said that they would, does he know what he is talking about ?
> 
> Thanks.


It depends on who you was talking to at Brownells. They may work 50% of the time, but you want ones that are 100%. Example, Mec-Gar mags work like a Swiss clock in both of my S&W's, but they choke in my Kimber. Wilsons 47D's run great in my Kimbers, but choke in my S&W's.

The only way to be sure is run them in your pistol. I have seen the same make pistol require different mags. I can remember years ago when you bought a RIA the first thing you did was throw the mag away. You went down and bought a couple of Act mags and you were off and running. Now they come with Acts. Crazy but that's the way it is...


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## Sully2

wpshooter said:


> Are any of the other brands of magazines considered to be better than the Kimber brand magazines ?
> 
> I have seen some posts on various gun forums wherein the suggestion has been made that some of the other brands may be of a better quality.
> 
> Thanks.


I dont really know! I see all the time people scream "Wilson"...but if you tear one apart I see no mechanical differences??

The Kimbers I get are from the local gunshop and in "blacked" steel are $17.95 each.....kinda tough to beat


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## Baldy

Sully2 said:


> I dont really know! I see all the time people scream "Wilson"...but if you tear one apart I see no mechanical differences??
> 
> The Kimbers I get are from the local gunshop and in "blacked" steel are $17.95 each.....kinda tough to beat


The difference is in how and what the mag is made of. Also how it is formed. The lips and followers makes a huge difference in how it relates to your pistol. About 80% of the troubles with a 1911 pistol is the mag springs. New Wolff springs have cured a lot of problems over the years for shooters.

I am like you as I buy what works, not what's pretty. :smt023


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## flieger67

I have a Stainless II in 9mm on order. Like you, wpshooter, I've been wondering about magazines. Several of the employees at the shop where I ordered the Kimber (and they are obviously Kimber dealers) are recommending Wilson Combat magazines, particularly the ETM.

I've posted a question like yours on a different forum and there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus on what the "best" mags are for a 9mm 1911. Some people recommend WC, others Chip McCormick, and still others like Virgil Tripp's magazines. 

As for me, I'm pretty much planning to get a couple of the WC ETM's to start and see how those work with my Stainless II.

Good luck to you, wpshooter, and please do post up about what magazines you choose and how they work with your Kimber.


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## wpshooter

flieger67 said:


> I have a Stainless II in 9mm on order. Like you, wpshooter, I've been wondering about magazines. Several of the employees at the shop where I ordered the Kimber (and they are obviously Kimber dealers) are recommending Wilson Combat magazines, particularly the ETM.
> 
> I've posted a question like yours on a different forum and there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus on what the "best" mags are for a 9mm 1911. Some people recommend WC, others Chip McCormick, and still others like Virgil Tripp's magazines.
> 
> As for me, I'm pretty much planning to get a couple of the WC ETM's to start and see how those work with my Stainless II.
> 
> Good luck to you, wpshooter, and please do post up about what magazines you choose and how they work with your Kimber.


After much research & thought, I have decided to also try the Wilson Combat Elite.

I am going to be placing the order today.

Will post back after I have used them.

Thanks.


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## wpshooter

wpshooter said:


> After much research & thought, I have decided to also try the Wilson Combat Elite.
> 
> I am going to be placing the order today.
> 
> Will post back after I have used them.
> 
> Thanks.


I received my Wison Combat Elite magzines for my Kimber Team Match II 9mm pistol today.

I notice that the follower on the Wilson magazines are different from the follower of the magazine that came with my Kimber Team Match pistol.

The followers on the Wilson magazine are plastic and they have just basically flat surfaces similar to the followers that are on my Strum Ruger Mark II magazines (except the mags on the Rugers, I believe are metal).

The follower that is on the magazine that came with the Kimber Team Match pistol is metal and it has some kind of funny looking rounded off-set at the front part of the follower.

I am just wondering if these Wilson magazine followers are really going to be compatible with the Kimber Team Match ? I asked several parties (including Wilson) before I purchased them if they were compatible with the Team Match and I was assured that they are.

I know that I can just try the magazines and see if they work in the pistol but I don't want to put the loaded Wilson in the gun and then have it malfunction and either jam the gun or possibly not be able to get it out of the gun.

Does anyone know *for sure* if Wilson Combat Elite 9mm magazines are compatible with Kimber Team Match 9mm pistols ?

Thanks.


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## VAMarine

They're fine, there are many different follower designs. Sometimes finding the right gun/mag combo can be hard with 1911s so there is no guarantee that "X" mag will function in every make and model of gun out there but generally speaking the Wilson mags are hte safest bet in any 1911.


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## Sully2

wpshooter said:


> I received my Wison Combat Elite magzines for my Kimber Team Match II 9mm pistol today.
> 
> I notice that the follower on the Wilson magazines are different from the follower of the magazine that came with my Kimber Team Match pistol.
> 
> The followers on the Wilson magazine are plastic and they have just basically flat surfaces similar to the followers that are on my Strum Ruger Mark II magazines (except the mags on the Rugers, I believe are metal).
> 
> The follower that is on the magazine that came with the Kimber Team Match pistol is metal and it has some kind of funny looking rounded off-set at the front part of the follower.
> 
> I am just wondering if these Wilson magazine followers are really going to be compatible with the Kimber Team Match ? I asked several parties (including Wilson) before I purchased them if they were compatible with the Team Match and I was assured that they are.
> 
> I know that I can just try the magazines and see if they work in the pistol but I don't want to put the loaded Wilson in the gun and then have it malfunction and either jam the gun or possibly not be able to get it out of the gun.
> 
> Does anyone know *for sure* if Wilson Combat Elite 9mm magazines are compatible with Kimber Team Match 9mm pistols ?
> 
> Thanks.


Ive got 2 Wilsons here that I bought when I had a loaded Springfield. They work perfectly. Of all the 1911 mags I have there has to be at least 3 and maybe 4 different configured followers.

You need time on the firing line to get over that "fear" of getting a loaded magazine stuck in the weapon. If it jam's the weapon...it jams the weapon. Learn how to "UNjamb" the weapon


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## LePetomane

wpshooter said:


> Are any of the other brands of magazines considered to be better than the Kimber brand magazines ?


Wilson Combat. I just picked up a Kimber Ultra Raptor II and 2 Wilson magazines. They are a lot better than those supplied by Kimber. Another thing to invest in is this little device for take down.
Kimber Ultra II 3" barrel Teardown Tool - Long


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## cedarhill

I purchased a Kimber Pro Carry II in 9mm and I purchased 2 additional Kimber mags and they work very well of course but difficult to load with a loader. I also have some Meg Gar mags and they work fine. Never a problem with loading the other Meg's or the pistol, one of my favorites.
J


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## rex

Be careful with trusting the Mec Gar mags. They make a lot of mags for gun manufacturers and they are just fine, but for some reason they can be problematic in 1911s. Why I don't know but this has been happening for decades.

Kimber's good mags, the PRO's I think, are supposed to be good but their everyday mags are iffy. Wilson's are normally excellent mags along with McCormics. The Mc's have always worked for me but occasionally a gun just doesn't like Wilson's. The uncontrolled feeding of them sometimes messes with a gun that isn't adjusted just so, where a little more control from a hybrid or longer lip design feeds just fine. Kimber was known for barrel fitting, feed ramp and barrel timing issues that will cause FTF's but whether they have improved I don't know- or care really.


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