How long should mags be left loaded?

[Love&Hate12]

I have two loaded mags for both of my semi-autos ready in a safe place in case of an emergency, both are just quick back up mags.

How long can they last for correct functioning being loaded?

Will the spring wear out slow or fast? And should I empty a few rounds and load them back in to keep the spring moving?

 

[ranger dave]

mags

depends what there are if its an ak mag allmost for ever for an ar i would swap them ever 6 months. the problem i have is where to put the reload when only in my boxers

 

[Rainbow Six]

Until you shoot them empty... Supposedly, springs don't wear out from staying compressed. They wear out from repeated compression and decompression. So, you'd be effectively wearing them out quicker by unloading them and loading them back rather than leaving them loaded.

 

[halfcocked]

I have also read that the concensus is that the loading/unloading will fatigue the spring more than being compressed. I don't unload mine usless I go shooting. Ones I leave around for "just in case" are loaded a few rounds shy of capacity to minimize the stress on them.

 

[Love&Hate12]

Thankyou guys, thats good info to know

 

[Ozzieman]

I have AK mags that have never been unloaded

Other than to shoot, and there over 10 years old and have never failed.
I Have government issue AR that I have done the same thing to, 30 rounders but only keep 28 in them, why,,,,,, no real reasion other than there much lighter and the springs are weaker and I dont know any better.

 

[Art Eatman]

In 2003, my father gave me an ammo can with eleven (11) WW II souvenir pistols. The mags were all loaded; they'd been that way since at least 1950 or so.

The mags all functioned; the ammo all fired.

As far as "cycling": If the springs are of "real" spring steel, how can they wear out if they're not compressed beyond the yield point of the steel? Think about the cycling rate and number of cycles of the valve springs of any car's engine...

Art