Over the years, the original Chen Magwell has earned the reputation among hard core 1911 aficionados as the very finest magwell available. Its functionally elegant design elevates to a new level the shooter’s ability to quickly reload the pistol under stress, all the while remaining compact and tactically sound.

There are 2 Generations of Chen Magwells: The Gen1 original weld-on (aka “Chen Magwell Suite”), and the Gen2, which is a one piece design. Both generations of Chen Magwells share all of the following features, which taken together, set them apart from all other 1911 magwells.

1.) Adds no length or width to the pistol- concealability, portability, and the overall handling of the pistol is not compromised. If you can conceal a standard 1911, you will be able to conceal a Chen Magwell’ed 1911 with the exact same ease. Most other magazine funnels protrude past the bottom of the pistol, which adds unnecessary bulk, and requires the use of extended base pads. The full size 1911 pistol is concealable with the right carry gear. However, it is not “small” to begin with, and adding length and bulk via other add-on magwells certainly does not help. Both Chen magwells require the full size 1911 frame to be shortened by .300”. With the addition of the Chen Magwell, the pistol is the same length as it was in its stock state. Also, the Chen Magwells do not extend any wider than stock 1911 grips.

2.) Huge magwell opening for speed and consistency while reloading under stress.
Using sophisticated CAD design and CAM driven machining, the magwell opening is opened up as wide as possible without adding bulk. Additionally, the entry angle was carefully designed and 3D machined to be optimized at every point along the contour of the magwell; that is, it allows for the easiest insertion angle at any given point. Traditional magwells maintain a constant angle at all points along the contour, as they are cut with some form of a chamfer mill or countersink that is only capable of cutting one fixed angle, which does not optimize entry angle.

3.) Allows removal of stuck magazine - by allowing access to the toe of the magazine, so that the magazine can be forcefully extracted in the event it becomes stuck in the pistol. This is accomplished by the combination of two unique features: 1.) The front of the Chen Custom Magwell has a geometry that is considerably reduced compared to traditional weld on magwells. On our magwell, the entry angle constantly changes, and is optimized, at every point along the contour of the front of the funnel. 2.) There is a pronounced access notch in front. The radius of the cut was designed so that the baseplate of a spare magazine can be used for extra leverage in ripping the stuck mag out. Simply cutting this notch in an existing magwell design is not totally satisfactory, as it does not blend with the inside contour that is already cut into the existing magwells.

4.) Machined entirely from heat treated bar stock - for strength, durability, and overall quality of final fit and finish. Heat treated 4140 chrome-moly steel and 416 stainless steel are used.


It is the First and only magwell integrated with the mainspring housing, that adds NO length or width to the original dimension of the pistol. It delivers all the features and functionality of the original Chen Magwell, with significantly simplified installation. Multiple US patents have been filed by Stan Chen Custom/Legacy Custom Products Inc. to protect the related intellectual property.