You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Leaving an AR magazine loaded will damage it..RIGHT??
- Thread starter Dfariswheel
- Start date
I've left magazines laoded for many years, a few as long as 25 or so. They all seem to work fine.
When I messed with AR's years ago, I did notice it was easier to seat a magazine that was downloaded by a round or two when the bolt was closed. It helped also when hitting the bolt release to close the bolt on a fresh magazine. The gun would sometimes either close very slowly when cold and/or dirty, and a few times stopped. The bolt could be closed by pushing it shut with a thumb in the cutout on the side (pre-forward assist on commercial Colt AR's). Dowloading by a round or two helped noticably.
When I messed with AR's years ago, I did notice it was easier to seat a magazine that was downloaded by a round or two when the bolt was closed. It helped also when hitting the bolt release to close the bolt on a fresh magazine. The gun would sometimes either close very slowly when cold and/or dirty, and a few times stopped. The bolt could be closed by pushing it shut with a thumb in the cutout on the side (pre-forward assist on commercial Colt AR's). Dowloading by a round or two helped noticably.
Alabama Shooter
New member
In the 1970s, the Army taught us to only load 18rnds in the 20rnd mag and only 28 in the 30rnd one. This was because of concerns about "reliability".
From a casual shooting perspective this is not a problem.
From a military perspective it is a little different. In operations magazines will get filled with dirt and dust. If that works it's way into area between the first round and the feed lips it can lock it up tighter than drum. I have seen this many times when the soldier tries to chamber or reload and can not and then bangs the weapon on the ground to get it to load.
Putting fewer rounds in the magazine can help by reducing the tension on the spring. On the other hand this will cause the magazine to wear out slight faster due to the extra play in the magazine.
Most pros don't notice this problem because on a regular basis they unload their magazines and clean the mag and the rounds and then reload.
I've left magazines laoded for many years, a few as long as 25 or so. They all seem to work fine.
I'm not trying to argue and I leave a bunch of my mags loaded. But I have seen magazines fail. For instance, I have a WWII M1 Carbine. I put the GI green sleeve on the buttstock that holds two magazines. Put two loaded GI 15 round magazines in that sleeve. (These mags looked brand new.) Left it that way for.... I don't know, 3-4 years. If I wanted to shoot the rifle, I just left those two mags there. I decided to fire them one day and took the rifle out in the pasture. Both mags failed. There would fire maybe half the mag and then just stop without raising the next round. It's like the mag spring wasn't long enough any more to push the carrier all the way to the top.
I threw them both away. And I don't keep my M1 Carbine mags loaded anymore. Maybe it is a design thing with that mag... I decided to "take the hint."
Gregg
Compression and decompression wear the spring - not prolonged compression
This!
As long as the spring doesn't rust and you store it properly, no reason a Magazine fully loaded today won't work in 25 years.
A properly made spring is not going to go soft from being compressed, once or a thousand times. (How many times do the valve springs in your car get compressed driving to the grocery store? How many times have you replaced them to prevent flattening?)
As to guys with stripes and hashmarks knowing guns, we were told in basic training that the ammunition we were using (M2 Ball) was for training, and that "black bullets" (AP) were for combat. True, to a point. Then the instructor informed us wide-eyed 'cruits that training ammo was only powerful enough to penetrate the paper target and that it fell to the ground right behind the target. In the interests of not getting in trouble, I did not suggest he stand behind the target and confirm that.
Jim
As to guys with stripes and hashmarks knowing guns, we were told in basic training that the ammunition we were using (M2 Ball) was for training, and that "black bullets" (AP) were for combat. True, to a point. Then the instructor informed us wide-eyed 'cruits that training ammo was only powerful enough to penetrate the paper target and that it fell to the ground right behind the target. In the interests of not getting in trouble, I did not suggest he stand behind the target and confirm that.
Jim
A properly made spring is not going to go soft from being compressed, once or a thousand times. (How many times do the valve springs in your car get compressed driving to the grocery store? How many times have you replaced them to prevent flattening?)
As to guys with stripes and hashmarks knowing guns, we were told in basic training that the ammunition we were using (M2 Ball) was for training, and that "black bullets" (AP) were for combat. True, to a point. Then the instructor informed us wide-eyed 'cruits that training ammo was only powerful enough to penetrate the paper target and that it fell to the ground right behind the target. In the interests of not getting in trouble, I did not suggest he stand behind the target and confirm that.
Jim
Had to chuckle at this. I remember the first time a DI showed us the M16 he was adamant about how low the recoil was. He demonstrated by placing the butt firmly against his manly parts and fired it. I was impressed, but had no desire to duplicate the demonstration.
The valve spring on a car is an excellent analogy. But those who are convinced otherwise are usually firmly entrenched in that belief. I say to them do what makes you feel safe, you'll sleep better. It's much like the discussion about the Hillary hole on my S&W 642. I firmly believed that the internal lock would not fail. Yep, was certain of that. But.... I eventually "fixed" the problem and slept just a little better. Not so with the magazines. I keep mine fully loaded and I sleep just fine.
Alabama Shooter
New member
As to guys with stripes and hashmarks knowing guns, we were told in basic training that the ammunition we were using (M2 Ball) was for training, and that "black bullets" (AP) were for combat. True, to a point. Then the instructor informed us wide-eyed 'cruits that training ammo was only powerful enough to penetrate the paper target and that it fell to the ground right behind the target. In the interests of not getting in trouble, I did not suggest he stand behind the target and confirm that.
If it makes you feel any better a lot has changed over the years. It really depends on where you are and what you do for a living.
Actually, downloading the magazines DID have some merit, but it was not for the benefit of the magazine.
Very frequently, users of the AR platform do NOT charge the weapon correctly. I've seen people ride the charging handle forward plenty of times. If the magazines are topped off, there is a lot of spring tension on those two top rounds. It takes a strong, healthy push from that bolt to strip the round out of the mag and then feed it.
Now, when the magazine is downloaded by two rounds, the spring tension is loosened a bit, just enough to permit smooth cycling. I don't believe that PMags have many problems of this nature, because of the inherent lubricity of the polymer used. But it still does happen, especially if the action spring has lost some of its ginger.
Very frequently, users of the AR platform do NOT charge the weapon correctly. I've seen people ride the charging handle forward plenty of times. If the magazines are topped off, there is a lot of spring tension on those two top rounds. It takes a strong, healthy push from that bolt to strip the round out of the mag and then feed it.
Now, when the magazine is downloaded by two rounds, the spring tension is loosened a bit, just enough to permit smooth cycling. I don't believe that PMags have many problems of this nature, because of the inherent lubricity of the polymer used. But it still does happen, especially if the action spring has lost some of its ginger.
Two years ago I was heading to an annual qualification and was gathering gear. In the bottom of an old bag, I found two AR mags that were loaded, so I started looking at the bag and the magazines trying to remember when I had loaded those magazines. After several minutes it came to me: Desert Storm. I had been tasked with bringing several racks of M16s from our Demob point to our home armory and had loaded two magazines for the trip. After getting the rifles into the arms room, I had dropped the magazines in the bag and had forgotten about them for 20 years.Leaving an AR magazine loaded will damage it..RIGHT
I figured "what the hell" and took them to the qualification and used them to qualify. When it came time to get on the line, I put one of those mags in the well and when the target turned, I went to work. No problems, qualified easily with 20 year old ammo and magazines that had been loaded for 20 years.
I'm pretty sure that leaving an AR magazine loaded for 20 years doesn't hurt anything. One anecdote doesn't make data, but I've never worried about magazines. When they break, they break.