I have the sku#108283 scandium PD with 4/14"barrel. I am getting close to a 1000rds throught it. The only problem I know of with them is you need to use the round nose followers in the mag. CMC mags will damage the gun if you use them or any designed like them. Mec-gars and Wilson or the stock Acts work perfect in them and no damage.

Originally Posted by Shipwreck

Aluminum 1911s suffer from a couple of problems - A magazine with a metal follower can cause a gouge inside the grip. And, visible wear can appear on the feedramp as the gun is shot over time.

Is anyone having these problems with the S&W Scandium framed 1911s? Anyone who put a few thousand rounds thru theirs - can U comment?

Ship, Ship, Ship...everyone knows you should only use Wilson mags in 1911s, and they have polymer followers. Problem solved!

Early in 2005, I bought the fullsize Kimber Tactical 2 - A very kewl looking 1911. very accurate. I had it 2 weeks, and then read a thread about the dreaded "gouge" from metal followers. When I bought the thing, I figured that I had shot an aluminum framed Beretta for years, so it wouldn't be a big deal.

But, I also failed to remember that in a 1911, the frame provides the feed ramp. After 200 rounds, I saw the very, very beginnings of that gouge - there was a small mark inside of the frame. I tried Wilson mags. The gun would not function w/ anything but the Kimber mags. I had 3 of them, and all worked fine. But, it wouldn't work with any Wilsons. At the 400 round mark, the gouge mark was getting bigger, and I saw some actual visible wear on the aluminum feed ramp.

I got pissed that I spent $908 + tax (almost a grand) on a a911, and I was gonna see it slowly wear apart right before my very eyes. Between the gouge and the feed ramp, I was pissed. I got rid of the gun w/ only 400 rounds show thru it, and I took a loss. Told myself I'd never buy an alumin frames 1911 again. I MIGHT if I had one with a ramped barrel and w/ polymer followers in the mag. Only way.....

Any mag that has what they call a folded lip on it will not damage your pistol. I use Mec-Gar mags in both of our guns, and they work flawlessly. They have the top follower welded to the bottom one, smoothed out.

Yes, I've found out more after I got rid of the gun. I've also tried the Tripp rebuild kits on my last TRP 1911, and they worked fine. Even if I eliminated the mag issue, on that particular aluminum 1911, I was SUPER unhappy with the feedramp wear. So, the mags don't matter on that.

Granted, another aluminum framed 1911 may have a more durable feedramp. And, I realize that if ya pay a smith around $100, they can attach a steel piece on the ramp to eliminate this. But, I'm still pissed that Kimber sells gun destroying mags with its own aluminum 1911 - and this is a $1k pistol. Why doesn't Kimber put aluminum followers in its own mags for the aluminum framed guns? The whole thing is ludicrous. And, when my gun only functions with the stock mags, what was I to do.

So, I will probably never buy an aluminum 1911 again. But, I was asking about the scandium because I always hear that they are more durable. So, I was just astaifying my curiousity about them. I asked on the S&W site, and people there claim they hold up well. If I ever buy another 1911, however, I'd still go w/ steel.

I wrote to Kimber about their mags in my aluminum framed gun:

I have been warned away from Kimber magazines for my new Kimber Compact CDP II. There was some concern about the metal in the follower gouging the aluminum frame.

Others have said if it has a "skirted" follower it should be OK.

How can I tell if the magazine that came with my Kimber is "skirted" or not?

The magazine that came with my gun has Patent 6,560,907 written on the top.

Thanks,

Paul Hamilton


And I got the following reply from Kimber:

Paul,

Thank you for your email and question. Kimber magazines can cause a bit of finish wear on the frame, but this is cosmetic wear and it will not cause function issues. Your follower is most likely a step down follower, which the top part of the follower is free and right below this is the step down to engage the slide stop. With a lot of use this magazine will cause a bit of wear, but I will not be excessive.

If you have any further questions please let me know and I will be glad to help you.

Thank you and best regards,

Carl Flesch
Technical Representative

1-888-243-4522 ext 223

Kimber Mfg. Inc.

I have not yet run any rounds through my gun using the Kimber mag. But I have run about 100 rounds using the Wilson Combat mags I bought to go with the gun.

Not many rounds, I know, but I have not had any major problems yet. The gun is still in its break-in period and I have had four FTF, within the first 60 rounds. None in the last 40. Three FTF were with Monarch's FMJ. One with WWB Hollowpoint. All were the fourth round in the magazine.

At cleaning time, no indication of gouging on the ramp.

WM

If I searched the two 1911 forum websites I might find the pics from a 2004/2005 thread I saw on 1 of the sites. But, I'll tell U that I have seen some pics of some HORRIBLY huge craters inside the frame caused by the metal follower if you use the gun enough. It will just get worse and worse over time. The gun may still function (eventually, it's gotta fail, however, after seeing the pics I saw). But that's not the point. When you have a crater inside the gun, that's not just "cosmetic" to me. Sorry. Not on a $1k gun. I was so sorry I had not seen that thread 2 weeks earlier. I never would have bought that gun.

Its like if U drove your car every day, and every 2,000 miles, a piece of the outside sheet metal fell off. First, the front quarter panel........ Next, the hood........ Oh, the car keeps driving. Sure... It's just cosmetic. But, as long as you use the factory steering wheel the car came with, the car will keep loosing parts as you add more miles. Its the same analogy....

Why Kimber uses junk mags I don't know? You can use metal follwers as long as they look like the Metalform on the left above. Mec-Gars have work great for me, and no damage to the gun. S&W ships with Acts in their guns, and they also work great. Scandium frame guns are great for a gun that you are going to carry because of the saved weight. The difference in recoil between the two is very little.