I don't have a ton of spare mags for all my guns, I think I have a max of 6 mags for any one gun, but they're all loaded all the time. Am I in the minority? All of my available moon clips are loaded too and stored in ammo cans. Normal?

Well - I don't know if your normal or not - but I do the same thing. I find when I get the itch to shoot, it's really a pain to load the mags when I could be shooting...takes some of the fun out of things. So when I'm all done shooting, I pick up all my stuff, load new targets on my stand and put it in the barn, I clean my guns and reload all the mags I shot. That way I'm already for the next session, I just pull out my target stand, take my position and start shooting! Makes no difference to me, I do that same procedure for handguns, rifles and shotguns. Guess I'm just like you? Normal?????

__________________
Don't tread on me

Only 2 mags. per pistol, so yes they are loaded at all times. Some wise person once said "Mag. not loaded ain't woth nothing."

I keep all my cylinders loaded...

I try to have at least two speed loaders for each revolver but I may just buy a bunch of speed strips from now on so they aren't so model specific. But that might make too much sense...

Call me uptight, but I keep 1/2 my mag's loaded and switch out the ammo every month or two. Not sure I would argue the issue, but want to make sure things run smooth.

__________________
always trust your cape...

I worked armed security years ago and I have qualified with Glock mags that had been loaded for years and they worked fine. There are probably a fair number of LEO's on duty every day with mags on their belt that have been loaded for over a decade.

In the Army I used M4 mags that had been loaded for who knows how long.

Keeping a mag loaded will not hurt it.......it's constant use, loading and shooting and reloading, that will eventually fatigue the spring. Much like any other spring.......I bought a Mosin rifle at a gun shop that had been cocked for years and it fired fine, no light strikes or anything. Eventually, constant cocking and firing will weaken the spring more than keeping it cocked ever will.

All mags for all guns???? No. Why???
Seems like a lot of strain on the springs.

If I have a bottom feeder as a carry gun or home gun I only keep the mag in the gun loaded.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

no..........

__________________
God spelled backwards is dog.

Well,

I have one in the gun and two on my belt always loaded. For reserve I carry 12 more duty mags in my gear bag all fully loaded. I believe in being prepared for no back up considering the remote areas I work.

I must admit it is nice when I go to quals, I can run two complete 72 rounds quals without having to reload a single mag. So I guess most of my mags get downloaded once every 3 months, at least for a few minutes.

__________________
Non illegitimae carborundum

All my real gun mags are loaded. The plastic ones such as Glock mags are kept empty.

Mags? I got no stink'in mags!



I do keep most of my 240 moonclips loaded... Zombie protection! Now, my wife has the rude case-tossing collection. Her Seecamp .32 has one mag - full - in the gun. Her PPK/s has one full - in the gun - one empty.

Stainz

The springs are not a concern. Good modern springs , properly designed , don't weaken , take a 'set' or need a rest.

The main concern is that when fully loaded for long periods , the feed lips may get pushed out of shape. This is especially true of aluminum bodied M-16 mags and polymer mags that are not steel reinforced. MagPul polymer mags come with a cool little 'cap' that takes pushes the rounds down a bit and takes the pressure off the lips.

I have 1 625 moonclip loaded. Sometimes it is even in the gun.

Ohio stupid laws says that gun + loaded mag/speedloader/clip in your car = loaded gun, even if they are separate. That requires a permit.

I would have to unload to go to the range, so I don't bother keeping them loaded.

most seem to run two or three mags ... that I've seen anyhow.
I have 13 mags (and climbing) they are loaded and stored in a few mil surp pouches mounted upon my "Genghis Khan belt of brutality"
the setup isnt all the tacticool eye hammer the name may imply. Rather its an amazingly effective rig that aids in putting all those rounds down range in a matter of less than 5 minutes.

__________________
it just needs more voltage

To me, this is a good indication of a need to buy better mags.

__________________
Incoming fire has right of way

I have had no issues with Wilson mags...

__________________
Rather be outdoors

Yes... every mag I own...


Jim

__________________
Big bullets leave big holes

I am not in a high risk area. My normal practice is to have a couple magazines loaded for the nightstand gun, and once a year, I unload those mags and reload the cartridges into another set of magazines. I have the four magazines numbered with a sticky label on the floor plate, 1 & 2. 1=odd years, 2=even years. Simple enough even I can keep track of that. I change them out around New Year's Day.

I also keep an AR P-mag loaded that has the strain-relief clip and use the same rotation system. Between the pistol, the AR, and a couple shotguns with stock cuffs, that should be plenty of firepower until the cavalry can get here.

In addition to worrying over the springs and feed lips, the worriers might also consider magazine floor plates, and the lips on the bottom of the mags that hold the floor plates. And, if you leave a plastic mag in your gun, there is also some chance for deformation of the notch that keeps the mag in the gun. I have seen internet pictures folks post of what looks like a safe-full of loaded magazines, and always wonder where they live that makes them think they need that many loaded mags at ready.

I can't afford to buy enough ammo to fill every mag I own.

__________________
Insert short witty words here

I'm a wheelgun nut so I haven't had to worry about mags for quite a while.......

I have a few CZ autoloaders and none of those mags are loaded since I don't use them for defense any longer, since I went "full revolver"