Store magazines loaded?
- Thread starter Lavan
- Start date
It has been asked before. Consensus says its ok, a few disagree,
as a retired engineer, it is conceivable that a very long period of
sitting in a drawer fully loaded to the max, might cause some springs to set. Springs do set, and you can get about 200 replies
in the metallurgical arena to argue about this.
I leave mine loaded for no more than six months or so, just being
prudent- less than that I would have no concerns
as a retired engineer, it is conceivable that a very long period of
sitting in a drawer fully loaded to the max, might cause some springs to set. Springs do set, and you can get about 200 replies
in the metallurgical arena to argue about this.
I leave mine loaded for no more than six months or so, just being
prudent- less than that I would have no concerns
Most are loaded, some loaded down by 1 or 2 rounds. In my experience if you can load the magazine to full capacity with ease then it doesn't seem to hurt anything. But many newer designs are trying to squeeze in as many rounds as possible into the smallest magazines. With those where you really have to work to get in the last 1 or 2 rounds I usually don't. And that depends on the magazine. I have some 30 round AR mags that take 30 rounds easily. Others are hard to load after 28. Same with some 17 round 9mm mags.
springs lose their power in 2 ways.
being compressed and decompressed, in short lots of loading and unloading.
from being over compressed, past the point they were intended to be compressed.
Magazine springs are a disposable part so to speak, they don't last forever, but a good spring in a well designed magazine should last a long time.
for example. I was issued a G22 (new), 40cal glock for a number of years years until we switched to G17s. The magazines were always loaded. We fired close to 2000rnds during academy usually loading the magazines to 5-10rnds at a time. We qualified and trained once a year and usually shot 200-300rnds. I also got issued 100rnds a month of training ammo for a few years until someone did something stupid and got us cut off (selling it, then we had to go to open ranges and it was issues and shot there). Around the 5-6yr mark I had to have new springs put in as they were not feeing properly here and there. think I had about 3-4 failures in 300rnds while at training. they put new springs in, all better.
If you use them springs wear out, buy spares, change them as needed.
being compressed and decompressed, in short lots of loading and unloading.
from being over compressed, past the point they were intended to be compressed.
Magazine springs are a disposable part so to speak, they don't last forever, but a good spring in a well designed magazine should last a long time.
for example. I was issued a G22 (new), 40cal glock for a number of years years until we switched to G17s. The magazines were always loaded. We fired close to 2000rnds during academy usually loading the magazines to 5-10rnds at a time. We qualified and trained once a year and usually shot 200-300rnds. I also got issued 100rnds a month of training ammo for a few years until someone did something stupid and got us cut off (selling it, then we had to go to open ranges and it was issues and shot there). Around the 5-6yr mark I had to have new springs put in as they were not feeing properly here and there. think I had about 3-4 failures in 300rnds while at training. they put new springs in, all better.
If you use them springs wear out, buy spares, change them as needed.
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Bill DeShivs
New member
I have magazines that have been loaded for almost 50 years. They work fine.
Springs don't need to "rest."
Springs don't need to "rest."
Jim Watson
New member
And yet we have manufacturers recommending that magazines be left loaded to "set" the springs to a suitable tension.
It depends on which magazine you are talking about.
Back when Jeff Cooper was popularizing the big bore automatic, everybody had a Government Model, frequently an Army surplus 1911. The magazine holds 7 rounds. The spring had so much reserve power that you could leave one loaded for a generation or you could shoot with it every day and seldom if ever need to replace the spring.
But then the racegunners began cramming in more and more ammo.
My Wilson 47D 8 shot magazines had to have the springs replaced about every other season. I watched shooters dismantling their crammed CZ magazines and stretching the springs after every match stage.
I recently struggled with a 2011 double stack .45. I changed bullets, I changed OAL, an expert told me about "tuning" the magazines so I bent and sanded magazine lips. Nada.
I finally got around to replacing the springs. Smooth sailing ever since. My next order, I will buy some extras for the next cycle.
It depends on which magazine you are talking about.
Back when Jeff Cooper was popularizing the big bore automatic, everybody had a Government Model, frequently an Army surplus 1911. The magazine holds 7 rounds. The spring had so much reserve power that you could leave one loaded for a generation or you could shoot with it every day and seldom if ever need to replace the spring.
But then the racegunners began cramming in more and more ammo.
My Wilson 47D 8 shot magazines had to have the springs replaced about every other season. I watched shooters dismantling their crammed CZ magazines and stretching the springs after every match stage.
I recently struggled with a 2011 double stack .45. I changed bullets, I changed OAL, an expert told me about "tuning" the magazines so I bent and sanded magazine lips. Nada.
I finally got around to replacing the springs. Smooth sailing ever since. My next order, I will buy some extras for the next cycle.
Any quality made spring will not wear out by being left loaded.
If this was not the case, if you let your car sit for a year and came back the springs would be wrecked and you'd have to buy new ones. Springs wear out from cycling, assuming they are not over compressed or over extended.
If this was not the case, if you let your car sit for a year and came back the springs would be wrecked and you'd have to buy new ones. Springs wear out from cycling, assuming they are not over compressed or over extended.
While this is certainly true, the difficulty is that there is no way to determine the difference between a quality made spring and one that isn't, UNTIL IT FAILS.
The quality spring lasts and lasts, the piece of crap spring fails "early".
But what is early?? weeks, months? certainly. A year? 3? 5? where do you draw your personal line?
I have personal experience with magazines left loaded 15 years. They worked normally when used. I've heard of magazines being left loaded 40+ years and working fine.
And, while I've heard stories of magazine springs that failed in a year or three, I've never personally experienced one.
The "Common Sense" of not storing a spring compressed under a load dates from the time of flint and caplock guns, where the springs were leaf springs,hand made by blacksmiths, which could, and would often take a set, or even break if stored under tension.
Modern coil springs are a much different matter.
Jim Watson
New member
When I was shooting a lot of .45s out of those 47Ds, about every other year, they would quit lifting the slide stop. Feeding was still good. A fresh spring fixed them. People talked about wear on the plastic follower but I did not see it. No matter, spring and follower sets were the standard Wilson replacement.
I still have three of them but only two are fully functional. The other will not drop free. I cannot find a crack or a bulge but it sticks somewhere. I use it for Barney Bullets.
I still have three of them but only two are fully functional. The other will not drop free. I cannot find a crack or a bulge but it sticks somewhere. I use it for Barney Bullets.
Bill DeShivs
New member
Here's some "common sense:"
If you never load your magazine, the spring will never fail.
Everybody is a spring expert.
I make springs-not magazine springs, but small springs. A properly made, designed, and maintained spring will never get weak. They work-harden and break, but it takes a very long time and many, many compression cycles before that happens.
If you never load your magazine, the spring will never fail.
Everybody is a spring expert.
I make springs-not magazine springs, but small springs. A properly made, designed, and maintained spring will never get weak. They work-harden and break, but it takes a very long time and many, many compression cycles before that happens.
Unkl Chuck
New member
I try to keep it simple and agree with both sides. My antiques are only loaded if they are being used, then cleaned and stored empty. Modern mags are kept loaded for some guns and unloaded for others, depending on their use.
My reasoning is that a replacement mag spring for a C-96 or Luger can be challenging and expensive, a replacement for an AR or Ruger is simple and inexpensive. Besides, I'm not keeping a Luger in the nightstand.
My reasoning is that a replacement mag spring for a C-96 or Luger can be challenging and expensive, a replacement for an AR or Ruger is simple and inexpensive. Besides, I'm not keeping a Luger in the nightstand.
Factory glock have steel feed lips. For ar's Lancer have steel feed lips, and p-mag uses a dust cover that pushes the rounds down to take pressure off the lips. If i remember right for ak's the bulgarian circle 10s have steel feed lips
I think magazines were historically designed with a built-in margin of durability that isn't necessarily seen in today's hi-cap gun culture.
Look at the original 7rd 1911 mag that can accommodate an eighth round with just a slightly modified follower; do mags today have room for an additional round or three?
I do keep a half-dozen loaded, "ready" mags in the safe, and don't worry about it, having read enough about springs being worn by cycling and not by storing compressed - and my own experience with a mag left loaded for 20 years - but if I have multiple mags for a given gun, I'll occasionally rotate them, usually after a range trip.
Look at the original 7rd 1911 mag that can accommodate an eighth round with just a slightly modified follower; do mags today have room for an additional round or three?
I do keep a half-dozen loaded, "ready" mags in the safe, and don't worry about it, having read enough about springs being worn by cycling and not by storing compressed - and my own experience with a mag left loaded for 20 years - but if I have multiple mags for a given gun, I'll occasionally rotate them, usually after a range trip.
spring can be over compressed, or rather compressed past their intended limits, which can weaken them. but in general, yes, cycles. most magazines have stops to keep you from over compressing the springs. some... not so much.
think about a spring in a ballpoint pen. if you put it in a vise and smashed it flat, and put it back in the pen would it still work? No, it was over compressed and damaged. granted forcing an extra round in somehow (my 4th gen 17rnd g17mags will hold 18rnds, did it by accident, now i have to count to 17 every time) is not that severe but its the same concept.