Keep extra mags loaded

[Guest str8shooter]

Do you all keep your extra mags loaded? Seems to me it would be stupid not to. I was just worried if keeping them loaded will hurt the mags over time.

[UncleJak]

I have all available mags loaded at all times.

[piercedan]

I keep mine loaded. Once in a while I will unload them and let them rest empty for a while. Don't really know if that helps or where I got the idea to do it, but I do it anyway. I've never had any problems with mags that have been loaded for long periods of time.

[Lumber_Jack]

I don't think I have any empty mags. Remember springs were out from coiling and uncoiling not from staying compressed. I do keep the Magpul covers on my AR mags but that's to protect the feed lip.

[Dolomite_supafly]

The magazine springs go bad from cycles. If it it compressed or at rest or anywhere in between it will be fine as long as it isn't being worked.

I found a magazine that was loaded almost full with blanks. It was in my father's stuff and the last time he was in a until where he would have had it was 1985. I found the magazine in 2005 and promptly unloaded it. I filled it up and took it out and it chot fine and has continued to do so for a probably 50 more loadings.

And with today's modern metals and durability testing magazines of today will last a lifetime more than likely. And yes, I do keep mine loaded.

Dolomite

[Caster]

The Russians have been finding German weapon caches in the eastern areas of WWII for years. Many if not most have loaded magazines for Lugers or mp44s and they are still perfectly serviceable.

[G27]

I keep mine loaded. Once in a while I will unload them and let them rest empty for a while. Don't really know if that helps or where I got the idea to do it, but I do it anyway. I've never had any problems with mags that have been loaded for long periods of time.

That's actually worse on the springs than leaving them loaded all the time. Granted, unless you do it often there's likely little difference, but static loads are ideal.

[piercedan]

That's actually worse on the springs than leaving them loaded all the time. Granted, unless you do it often there's likely little difference, but static loads are ideal.

Thanks, I'll stop doing it. Not sure where I got that from.

[Guest str8shooter]

Thanks all for the responses!

[tartanphantom]

Every magazine in my house stays loaded unless I am servicing them.

[peejman]

You can damage a magazine spring by over-compressing it. If the follower has bump on the underside that prevents you from mashing the spring until it's flat, it's there for a reason. If you take the mag apart, don't mash the spring flat. Otherwise, you won't hurt the spring keeping a mag fully loaded.

[1pointofview]

the only thing I have heard is that if you have metal mags, the top of the mag may start giving a little when fully loaded and laying around for a while. Not as susceptible for the composite mags but either way, I recommend stripper clips to take the pressure off the top of the mag

[tnhawk]

I always keep my mags loaded. I rotate them every few months for range use. I haven't had to replace any of my mags yet in several years of use.

[Dolomite_supafly]

the only thing I have heard is that if you have metal mags, the top of the mag may start giving a little when fully loaded and laying around for a while. Not as susceptible for the composite mags but either way, I recommend stripper clips to take the pressure off the top of the mag

Actually it is just the opposite.

Polymer mags do and have been having issues with swelling under the pressure of being left loaded. I have NEVER seen a metal AR mag suffer from issues from being left loaded. I have, on the other hand, seen several brands of polymer mags suffer from it. Things have gotten better in recent years but at one point polymer mags were so bad I would cut up and throw away any I got.

I had one brand in particular that you could not seat in the magwell if it was loaded longer than 24 hours. And after a few days the magazines would spontaneously empty themselves as the feed lips spread. And forget about them dropping free. Even if you just reloaded them they would not drop fee because of all the flex.

Dolomite

[Patton]

The only mags I have seen the springs wear out on from being loaded is on a Taurus 24/7. After a couple of years of being loaded the spring was very weak. But generally loading and inloading is what appears to be what causes wear.

I keep about 1/3 of my magazines loaded, I do switch out the round in the chamber when I eject it.

[RobertNashville]

I keep many magazines loaded but most of mine are unloaded. I suppose I've never seen any reason to keep them all loaded all the time. But, I guess also depends on how many magazines you have - I have quite a few but if only had a few I probably have them all loaded all the time!

[Guest FIST]

I used to keep all of mine loaded. Not sure why I don't anymore.

As for Polymer mags I haven't seen the feed lips stress from being loaded but I have seen the bolt sheer one off. Not sure of the exact cause but would imagine the feed lips spread.

For metal mags, I've heard of the feed lips spreading, but have never seen it. If you find the aluminum G.I. mags with the Tan follower grab em. The spring inside it is beefy, to big to fit magpul followers.

[1gewehr]

In 1981, I found a GI cartridge belt with six loaded BAR mags in it at Ft Hood, TX. Ammo was all headstamped 1942. By the sheerest coincidence, I also had a friend with a live BAR. The last use of a BAR at Ft Hood would have been National Guard troops who had them until about 1964. So these mags had been sitting loaded under the sand through all kinds of weather for somewhere between 17 and 39 years. All six mags were shaken out, wiped off and fired as they were. Every round fired, and every mag worked perfectly.

A year later and about two miles away, I found a two-tone 1911 magazine with four rounds in it. Ammo had 1928 headstamps. Again, the magazine worked fine and the ammo fired.

Last story.

In 1982, as a result of my experiences, I loaded up 21 used USGI 30-rd M-16 magazines and marked each one with a year on the baseplate. They were placed in GI ammo pouches and stored in .50 ammo cans. Starting in 1983, one magazine was fired as rapidly as possible. If available, a full-auto M-16 was used to fire a continuous 30-rd burst. That was possible almost every year. The ONLY failures were due to feed lip cracks on the 1997 and 2001 magazines. The 1997 mag would try to double-feed due the crack, and the 2001 mag spewed all it's rounds out as soon as it was removed from the ammo pouch it lived in. There were no issues due to spring compression. This is not a scientific test, but I have no worries about spring compression failures as long as I don't over-compress springs.

[RobertNashville]

Here is, perhaps, a related question.

For semi auto weapons (I'm mostly thinking about pistols including 1911s, Glocks, etc but applies to semi-auto rifles too)...do people recommend keeping the slide or bolt open (and therefore, spring compressed) when in your safe or do you guys think it best to keep the action/slide closed?

I've gone back and forth on this myself and would appreciate your input.

[peejman]

Here is, perhaps, a related question.

For semi auto weapons (I'm mostly thinking about pistols including 1911s, Glocks, etc but applies to semi-auto rifles too)...do people recommend keeping the slide or bolt open (and therefore, spring compressed) when in your safe or do you guys think it best to keep the action/slide closed?

I've gone back and forth on this myself and would appreciate your input.

I keep mine closed simply to keep dust/dirt out of the action. And also so my fingers don't get mashed should I grab one in the wrong place or bump it and have it slam shut. I doubt it has any significant effect on the springs. As stated above, it's cyclic fatigue that degrades a spring, not static load.

[Kevo]

I am going to reassemble and load up some magazines when I get home. Somehow I thought a magazine spring was only at rest when fully extended. I'd also "almost" swear that I'd read an article in GunsAndAmmo years ago that said it was best to not fully load Glock magazines for extended periods of time. But if Gordon says so, that's good enough for me.

FWIW I've only had one magazine that was left loaded for years malfunction. First Gen 30 round Pmag, and as I only have one AR, I haven't confirmed it with other rifles yet.

[Garufa]

I'd also "almost" swear that I'd read an article in GunsAndAmmo years ago that said it was best to not fully load Glock magazines for extended periods of time.

I left a Glock Gen 2 mag fully loaded for close to 15 years and it still works fine.

[Guest dfsixstring]

Semi-auto mags are relatively inexpensive (relatively, that is). I keep my "duty" and "defense" weapon mags fully loaded - just in case. My "for fun" pistol(s) I do not keep loaded at all. I figure, if I wear out the springs on my 9mm mag, I'll buy another. I keep extras around in case I need one quickly though.

[runco]

I recall reading an article in Guns & Ammo back in the early 90s on this subject, and for some reason I recall it suggested for long term storage to have -2 rounds from the maximum. I have always practiced that. I figure for home defence, -2 rounds in my Sig P226 or my Glock 17 will not matter. If I can not defend my home with those missing 2 rounds, I probably should just yield and surrender! So after reading these other posts, I am cloudy now, but will probably keeping practicing my long practice just in case.

[Caster]

It seems to be that spring fatigue from a loaded magazine is mostly due to poor springs in the first place. Start with crap, end with crap. A quality spring will not give issues in any timeframe that should cause alarm.