Bullets in the magazine!!

[MikeD99]

I Know One Example doesn't Prove Anything but

I had a fully loaded Glock 17 mag in my safe and car for 16 years. When I shot it 'til empty it worked perfectly.

Mike D.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

The rounds leave the mag

Whenever I rotate my carry ammo, which is at every range trip. I always fire what's in my primary first, usually followed by several more mags of the same load. Then after cleaning, new ammo is loaded.

 

[hdawson228]

ramp teck. Do you relieve the stress on your car springs?

 

[James K]

I NEVER put bullets in my pistol magazines. I have tried it and have found out that the gun works much better if I put cartridges in the magazine.

Jim

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

I unload the magazine in my carry gun by pulling the trigger, once or twice a month I usually shoot what's in there and refill. I always use the same mag.

The spring fatigue question has been answered beyond a reasonable doubt many, MANY times. Using a spring wears it out. Compressing it or leaving it uncompressed does not. End of Story. (So far as magazine springs go)

 

[Rastus]

This business of emptying mags to allow the springs to "rest" seems inadequate to me. You need to remove the springs from the magazine tube so they are fully extended! Only then can they truly rest.

I send mine to Ft. Lauderdale every few years for an extended vacation. Get it? EXTENDED vacation? That's like a joke or something.

Never mind.

 

[Hellbilly5000]

I never unload them unless i am at the range and need to reload for target loads

 

[guntotin_fool]

I recently shot some rounds from some 1911 mags which were loaded at Westpoint in the early 50's. Loaded for nearly sixty years. All worked just fine.

 

[Elvishead]

I unload them at the range, the fun way. TBS, I only load the last half (7-8) with GDHPs +P the rest are FMJ Fiochhi Nato cross circle +P+ (7-8).

 

[MosinM38]

I just switch out every month or two.

And I don't care WHAT people say.

Leaving a magazine loaded WILL weaken the spring... I am not saying it won't function, it would have to be left a HUGE number of years to actually fail in functioning.

Proof? NIW AR-15 and Mini-14 magazines. One half dad loaded, then left in a can, the other half, unloaded in the wrapper. Result=easily noticable differance. This is after 7 years loaded with very few runthroughs.

Likewise a Ruger P85 magazine.....Ruger factory and almost fails to feed, not quite yet. But the spring is so weak that it is the problem....Stayed loaded with all 15 rounds for over 8 years.

On a end note, I also often leave 1 round out of the magazine if they will be loaded over long period. ALso in speed, it also is easier to seat the magazine.

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

I only unload the mag if I am shooting at the range. I put my carry ammo back in before I leave the range. I had 10 1911 mags I found in the safe that were loaded by my grampa well over 20 years ago. I took them to the range and they all fed just fine and still work fine.

 

[JohnKSa]

Leaving a magazine loaded WILL weaken the spring...

It's more accurate to say that it CAN weaken the spring.

Whether it actually does or not depends on the magazine design, the quality of the spring and/or whether the mag is fully loaded or underloaded by a round or two.

Good quality single-column magazines almost never have spring issues from being left loaded for long periods (these threads typically contain a plethora of anecdotes about single-column mags that have been loaded for years without ill effect), but now and again you'll hear of (or experience) a double-column mag spring that will start to sag if the mag is left fully loaded.

 

[mike21603]

i have three guns loaded with carry ammo at all times. i almost never unload them.

 

[N.H. Yankee]

I voted other, I am a "its that time of the month" type, I rotate my magazines monthly. I read an article where they found a 1911 that had been fully loaded since WWII and the magazine performed 100% time after time. I do believe in spring fatigue and while the magazine may still perform, while stare potential disaster in the eye.

 

[riggins_83]

I use all Wilson magazines loaded to 1 under capacity... I do switch them out every couple months but it's certainly not necessary. It's more an excuse to keep lots of Wilson mags on hand more than anything..

 

[Magi]

This business of emptying mags to allow the springs to "rest" seems inadequate to me. You need to remove the springs from the magazine tube so they are fully extended! Only then can they truly rest.

But by taking them out, you risk them falling so deeply asleep that they never awaken again!

 

[Kyo]

i picked never and other. because i don't do it on a regular basis. maybe once every 2 months, since I have 4 mags, I switch them out for my carry. thats about it.

 

[obxned]

Carry mags get emptied at the range, and used in rotation. That means if I have only 3 mags for a pistol, each mag is 'on vacation' 1/3 of the time. It also means I have a replacement mag that has been recently function tested should one of the other mags gets dropped or damaged.

 

[magnum force]

i never unload the mags.

just function test them at the range every week or two, and replace mag springs every few months if needed

 

[Steve1911]

The wearing out the springs .... idea is an old one. This comes from older less quality steel springs.

Todays springs... no problem to keep them loaded for extended periods of time.

I found a gun in the safe that I had not seen in probably 20 years (a 1911) It had one in the chamber and a full mag. Went out back just to see... if she would shoot. It fired all 9 rounds without a hiccup.

I would not worry about the springs as much as I would worry about the moisture from the body making the powder moist in your carry ammo.