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Bad 1911A1 mags. Beware of MILSPEC mags that have IM291 on the base plate. Two lots of about 300,000 were procured. The first lot was so bad they were excessed out and wound up on civilian market.
The second run of IM291 stamped mags were much better.
You can tell the difference by looking at the edge of the base plate and the two contact welds on each side. If they appear to be heavy you will probably be OK, if they appear light they are the first lot.
Also on the first lot the back of the mag at the top that looks like this !___! and the area just below it will show signs of a belt sander having been applied and the metal is ground down thin.
This area was ground because metal shaving from stamping was in the lower right corner from the stamping and the guy doing the grinding over ground them. The second lot was better.
You may see mags with two different colors, The upper are from the mag catch slot upwards are a much lighter color because of the heat treat and they are generally very good but hard to find.
Also there was a ammo contract let in late 70s and the headstamp has IMI on it. This ammo was over-pressured and we had several barrels blow pieces out of the upper back of the chamber area. Velocity was supposed to be 830 FPS and that ammo was giving about 930 FPS.
Beware of the after market spring kits for M1911A1s. There is a spring that keeps the striker to the rear and a properly made spring has a internal taper to match the taper on the striker. Springs in some of the kits did not have the internal taper and if the weapon is dry fired the striker protruded out the front of the striker port and jammed in forward position making the weapon worthless.
Finally you can carry a chambered round with the hammer cocked and the SAFETY ON just fine. I would not recommend it be carried with hammer down on partial cock as I have heard reports of thumbs slipping during cocking follow by AD.
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