Keeping mags loaded for extended periods [Archive]

JoaMei

04-10-2006, 10:16 AM

Hi all,
Does keeping a mag loaded for long periods of time weaken the spring? I mean if I kept a mag loaded in case of a break-in could it not work at that moment of need? Thanks!

No, the modern steels used today can take that. Loading and unloading again is what weakens the spring over time.

I have three loaded Mags with my gun in the Safe for eight years now. I shoot just a few times per year, the rest of the time they are loaded and ready.

They are still fine like on the first day.

Geezah

04-10-2006, 10:19 AM

Hi all,
Does keeping a mag loaded for long periods of time weaken the spring? I mean if I kept a mag loaded in case of a break-in could it not work at that moment of need? Thanks!

I've heard different responses to this question. I have heard that it is not the magazine that is under stress that will cause it to fail, but the constant up and down of using them. I have a couple of mags that are loaded and they have yet to fail. I think any responses you get will be similar to the which is better, 9mm or .40, or the Chevy/Ford arguement.

JoaMei

04-10-2006, 10:22 AM

I've heard different response to this question. I have heard that it is not the magazine that is under stress that will cause it to fail, but the constant up and down of using them. I have a couple of mags that are loaded and they have yet to fail. I think any responses you get will be similar to the which is better 9mm or .40 or the Chevy/Ford arguement.

You want still an answer on that donkey/mule thing? p-)

East Scout

04-10-2006, 10:25 AM

IMO its best to rotate to be on the safe side...............

East Scout

04-10-2006, 10:26 AM

However I have never had a problem:-)

JoaMei

04-10-2006, 10:30 AM

By the way, Geezah do you get an automatic email notification when a gun related thread is started?

@3Dguy

On topic, what you should take care of regarding your mags is to have no sand in them. And make sure you dont have to much oil in your mags if your Ammo isnt oiltight, it will soak into the catridge and causes misfires.

East Scout

04-10-2006, 10:39 AM

Geez that avatar is outright GAY.........:-)

Geezah

04-10-2006, 10:44 AM

JoaMei, nah, just cruising the forums;) I was we had that option though.

Brandenburger, it came to me in a flash of light while watching Family Guy last night, it was when Mayor Adam West made a reference to Jemp-)

JVeld

04-10-2006, 10:45 AM

What are you all talking about ?!?!?! JeM was HoT hahahahahahaehehehe......
regarding the mag question, I never load them all the way when Im gonna keep them for a while, just about half way, for instance....I keep 2 AK-47 mags with about 15 rounds on them at all times. Same with my ARs .....but I never had any problems !

California Joe

04-10-2006, 10:55 AM

I think there was a very long thread about this subject on here before but I'm too lazy to search for it. There was a lot of opinions from combat veterans if I'm not mistaken.

2RHPZ

04-10-2006, 11:01 AM

I used to have 5 loaded mags (M4) as a reserve in my backpack during my Iraq tour. After 4 months without reloading they worked well.

3Dguy

04-10-2006, 11:32 AM

Thanks everybody. I didn't think to use the search button for something like this, but it is nice to ask a question and get answers directly.

Seraphim

04-10-2006, 11:53 AM

Also depends on what type of mags too. Such as crappy USP45F mag springs sucks the big balls. Replace them with Wolff springs

Hollis

04-10-2006, 12:07 PM

Ok, what I thought I knew. Springs have a "K" value. As long as the spring is not over stretched, or overly compressed it will retain it's K value. I think most mags, have that in mind when they are designed. I tend to leave spare magazines unloaded. My position has not been over runned in many decades, I think I can relax now. Except for the occasional insedious Eastern Grey Squrrel robbing my wife's Bird feeders or stripping the tops of our trees.

Laworkerbee

04-10-2006, 05:15 PM

Hollis

04-10-2006, 06:09 PM

I put stickers on my mags, 1 through 3 and rotate them out once a month or so. Since each mag holds 18 rounds ( for a Glock 17 ) I usualy keep one mag loaded with only 10 rounds in the weapon.

One reason why I still like wheelguns, those babies can just be loaded and left for years on end and are good to go if ever needed.

I have a few Panic magazines around, one reason I like 30 rounders, is that, like you, I load them half way. I am not as organized thought, But do occasionally rotate them. I like to show all my toys equal Love.

StukaJr

04-10-2006, 06:20 PM

I put stickers on my mags, 1 through 3 and rotate them out once a month or so. Since each mag holds 18 rounds ( for a Glock 17 ) I usualy keep one mag loaded with only 10 rounds in the weapon.

yup - I saw your stickers, one of them looks something like this:

http://www.blackjackinc.com/ProductImages/ihb/stickers/ihb_mewanthurt_sticker_b.gif

The rest have unicorns, smileys and even some Lil'Homies kind.

P.S. One of my Mini-14 10 round magazines began to accept 12 last weekend! I guess I'll be turning myself over to the authorities tonight :D

P.P.S. Wolff springs for the win!

Hollis

04-10-2006, 06:29 PM

No rainbows?

yup - I saw your stickers, one of them looks something like this:

http://www.blackjackinc.com/ProductImages/ihb/stickers/ihb_mewanthurt_sticker_b.gif

The rest have unicorns, smileys and even some Lil'Homies kind.

P.S. One of my Mini-14 10 round magazines began to accept 12 last weekend! I guess I'll be turning myself over to the authorities tonight :D

P.P.S. Wolff springs for the win!

XxDualityxX

04-10-2006, 06:30 PM

Use 28 rounds instead of 30 will help.

Laworkerbee

04-10-2006, 06:42 PM

Did you replace all your springs in your mags with Wolff springs?

I bought some sand paper and rounded down some of the harder edges on my new mag's which I was hoping to test out this past weekend but now will have to wait until our next trip this month during E3

HOLLiS No rainbows? Thats it! I'm going to get some pink pistols decals and put them all over my weapon, I bet I'll get some fine looks at the range.

http://www.pinkpistols.com/ woot

Hollis

04-10-2006, 06:45 PM

Thats it! I'm going to get some pink pistols decals and put them all over my weapon, I bet I'll get some fine looks at the range.

http://www.pinkpistols.com/ woot

LOLOL< well one thing would be for sure, noone will allow you to sneak up behind them,

StukaJr

04-10-2006, 06:57 PM

Did you replace all your springs in your mags with Wolff springs?

I bought some sand paper and rounded down some of the harder edges on my new mag's which I was hoping to test out this past weekend but now will have to wait until our next trip this month during E3

No, just on my CZ mags - the springs got pretty loose. I also installed Wolff XP recoil springs on my Mini and the CZ... And Makarov...

My Mini mags are John Madsen make - never a problem. I began to suspect a while back that one mag fit more ammo than the other - now I've confirmed it by doing the count :D Hope your mags work this time.

HoboWithAK

04-10-2006, 08:19 PM

If you have good springs there should be no problem storing them at capacity. I've seen springs in cheap bolt action rifles go (internal magazines, spring attached to the floorplate), but rarely in detachable ones worth their weight in sand.

sergey31

04-11-2006, 09:41 AM

What wears out magazines, is compressing and decompressing of the spring. I've read that WW1 1911 magazine was once found loaded and it fired all the rounds without malfunction. Same thing with Vietnam era loaded M16 magazine.
If you use your magazine a lot, then replace spring when it becomes weaker. Magazine springs are pretty inexpressive.

If you call Glock, Berretta, S&W, Springfield or whoever you will most likely get the same answer.

At my job, we keep loaded Glock magazines for over several years now and use training mags for the range.

Durandal

04-11-2006, 10:48 AM

I have no idea if springs go bad if the mags are loaded for a long time. I keep mine loaded. Only time I have had a bad spring is when I bought a bunch of 70s USGI mags for $1 each. Three of the five had rusted springs...obvious failure. The rest I kept as is and replaced the bad ones. A mag spring at a show is what? A quarter? Maybe a buck?

Solution? Regardless of advice given? Load 'em up and buy an extra set of springs.

See what happens.

Seriously, do it. So you can see for yourself.

DO IT!

:|

jason82

04-11-2006, 05:48 PM

Use 28 rounds instead of 30 will help.

use 29....

we (IDF) use 29 bullets exclusively, and i've had 4 magazines 'fully' loaded like that for almost a year without any problems. I test them once in a while and they work great - and we recycle our used magazines way more than the US army.

The most important thing about m16 mags is to check the 'lips' (surrounding the rear of the last bullets) of the magazine and see if any cracks have developed, they will usually be on the left side (if you load 29, which puts the last bullet on the left).

A quick, but very unscientific test is to give a moderate smack to the bottom of the magazine and see if more than 2 bullets fall out (not too hard).

As people have mentioned, sand and dirt on the spring kills magazines. If you insert a clean mag into an oily gun (too oily) the oil will seep in to the mag and attract sand and dirt.

One of these days, i am going to try and start a thread on IDF magazine tips, because I humbly think we treat our mags better than anyone else.

Durandal

04-11-2006, 09:08 PM

One of these days, i am going to try and start a thread on IDF magazine tips, because I humbly think we treat our mags better than anyone else.

Wipe 'em down with a baby diaper and used canned air to blow out the dirt?

Then maybe a facial and an manicure? :)

jason82

04-12-2006, 10:00 AM

Wipe 'em down with a baby diaper and used canned air to blow out the dirt?

Then maybe a facial and an manicure? :)

if by facial you mean deisel bath, and manicure scrubbing with a toothbrush...

don't forget the neat little 'outfits' we sew for them...

Durandal

04-12-2006, 10:06 AM

if by facial you mean deisel bath, and manicure scrubbing with a toothbrush...

don't forget the neat little 'outfits' we sew for them...

rofl

Yeah, I got mine a Magpul "princess" set-up.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000520K1.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

JoaMei

04-12-2006, 11:15 AM

Ok, my stupid opinion again but its no Problem to keep a fully loaded mag in your Safe for more than 10 years. It will still work properly.

Hollis

04-12-2006, 11:20 AM

Ok, my stupid opinion again but its no Problem to keep a fully loaded mag in your Safe for more than 10 years. It will still work properly.

I think will the newer steels, better quality stuff, construction and design, I agree with you. I am guessing, the number one failure of a magazine, is probably do to it being dirty, then probably damage (such as being bent). It is easier to just blame the spring. After all it did not over come the dirt or dents in the housing... bad spring!!

coverteye

04-12-2006, 01:14 PM

If you keep a magazine of 30 rounds fully loaded over a period of time it does weaken the spring. Depending on the make of the rifle. This was a common problem with the SA80 A1....

Abolith

04-12-2006, 05:38 PM

No, the modern steels used today can take that. Loading and unloading again is what weakens the spring over time.

I have three loaded Mags with my gun in the Safe for eight years now. I shoot just a few times per year, the rest of the time they are loaded and ready.

They are still fine like on the first day.

ah yes but what if they are older Mags? say 20-30 year old mags?

Durandal

04-12-2006, 06:21 PM

ah yes but what if they are older Mags? say 20-30 year old mags?

Just buy new springs and forget about it. :)

Hollis

04-12-2006, 06:53 PM

I have some old magazines, they keep a lickin' and keep on ticken'. WWII Military stuff and early 50's.

Creeper

04-12-2006, 11:44 PM

FWIW: I have 4-.40 HK USP 10 rnd. that have apprx. 6 yrs time, each stay fully loaded, run 130 to 180 grn thru anyone of them while at the range or in carry , usually rotate the go mag with the standby 3.
No worries ,, EVER.

Ngati Tumatauenga

04-13-2006, 03:27 AM

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=53509

Thrashed to death already.

sct1886

04-13-2006, 09:10 AM

In the mid 80s the Izzies had completed a 10 year study and concluded that a 30rd should be loaded at 25 and a 20rd with 15 for long term storage. As one post stated use sealed primers or seal them yourself. I also have lots of mags and springs when available, good insurance and barter material.

sergey31

04-13-2006, 09:48 AM

James

04-13-2006, 05:24 PM

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=53509

Thrashed to death already.

Ja.

If your life depends on it, err on the side of caution. If you can't be troubled to reload a few magazines once a month or so... well, I don't know what to say.

sergey31

04-13-2006, 07:21 PM

Ja.

If your life depends on it, err on the side of caution. If you can't be troubled to reload a few magazines once a month or so... well, I don't know what to say.

You can but you will wear out the magazine prematurely. Not really fast or anything but you will definitely take quite a few good working years off it.
Technically, my life depends on my gun at my current employment. My firearms instructor has training magazines for us (for the range days) so that way we don't download our duty ones.

Ngati Tumatauenga

04-13-2006, 07:36 PM

You can but you will wear out the magazine prematurely. Not really fast or anything but you will definitely take quite a few good working years off it.
Technically, my life depends on my gun at my current employment. My firearms instructor has training magazines for us (for the range days) so that way we don't download our duty ones.

But if you spend your working life in terrain other than an office/patrol vehicle/city street then you're sure to find your weapon(s) magazines regularly fouled with all manner of detritus, therefore necessitating the need for regular cleaning lest said detritus cause a stoppage in thy weapon thereby causing one to experience an extremely traumatic event at the least opportune time.

So there.

sergey31

04-13-2006, 07:48 PM

But if you spend your working life in terrain other than an office/patrol vehicle/city street then you're sure to find your weapon(s) magazines regularly fouled with all manner of detritus, therefore necessitating the need for regular cleaning lest said detritus cause a stoppage in thy weapon thereby causing one to experience an extremely traumatic event at the least opportune time.

So there.

Agree 100%