1.................how long can a mag. stay loaded befor it causes damage to the springs.. the guns i have the mags i can use in diff. guns like

(2) 40cal sigmas (SW40F & SW40V)
5906
915
639
32-2

2........ should i keep the guns in the orig.box if not in use

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Scott from Canton Ohio

My understanding is that springs don't get worn from remaining compressed, they get worn from usage, the act of compressing and uncompressing. Mags can remain loaded for years without problems. A couple of years ago I shot some grease gun magazines my dad loaded back in the 80s and threw in the cabinet - and I didn't have a problem. Still use them today.

Long story short is they'll last a while. Not sure what you mean in the second part of your question.

if i am not useing the gun at that time should i keep them in the box or just leave them on the shelf in the safe

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Scott from Canton Ohio

Well, that's up to you. Personally, I'd leave them in the safe if you have family or friends who aren't gun savvy. I wouldn't want them floating around.

If this is your home defense gun or everyday carry, you might keep an extra mag handy. I think the main thing is just keep the gun and mags in a safe place - no accidents, and out of sight - no questions. Safe is a good place for them, or where you keep the gun.

thanks .........

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Scott from Canton Ohio

Who knows? I've heard many opinions on this. I keep 3 loaded mags for my 1911 Commander I carry 24/7. Mine are all Wilson mags; the best out there I know of, and I down-load them by 1 round. If I can't settle a problem with 21 rounds of .45 ACP, I'll still have one left for me.
As a general practice, I don't leave any magazines fully loaded for longer than a day or two, and on the pistols I use a lot, I've purchased spare magazine springs, which are relatively cheap, so if you are concerned, buy a few extra springs.

Beemerrider

How long can the valve springs in your car stay compressed?

They are made to be compressed and hold their form.

I have more than a few 1911 mags around here. Some have been loaded for years and never fired. I would trust my life that they would work today just as they did when first loaded.

A friend of mine inherited a .25 Browning maybe 7-8 yrs ago from his father. The mag was loaded when he found the gun in his father's possessions. He asked I go through the gun, fire it and see if the gun worked. I checked the barrel to be sure it was clear, replaced the mag and fired the entire loading. It worked fine. Then we learned his father loaded the gun in 1956 and never fired it. That was over 40 yrs ago and it still worked.

Mags are also much better made now than in years past. The materials are better, the tooling is better and the assembly is better. Mags now days will out last us, compressed or not.

Bob Bell wrote an article in Gun Digest years ago about a GI 1911 that was brought back from WWII and put up on a shelf as a house gun, fully loaded. Fifty years later it was taken down, and it fired all seven shots without a hitch. Good old GI ball ammo still worked fine, as did the magazine. It was then cleaned, oiled, reloaded, and put back on the shelf, ready for another 50 years!

It seems to depend on the gun, the design, and how well made the springs are. But also things like the feed lips can come into play. For example leaving AR mags (of GI type) fully loaded won't necessarily kill the springs, but can gradually cause a problem with the feedlips.

H&K mags, for whatever reason, tend to start to develop problems if left loaded. At least I had it happen with my USP .45 and I've heard of it being a problem with their expensive AR mags.

I also had a Lorcin - cheap components - that the mag spring had become compressed. I "fixed it" by stretching the spring. That actually worked.

I also killed the mag spring in a Combloc M44 carbine by leaving it loaded (Which is a different kind of spring than in most handgun mags).

The general consensus of opinion these days is that there is greater wear cycling the springs than leaving than loaded... but... some knowledgeable folks still maintain that it wears the springs out to leave mags loaded (if I remember right Larry Vickers maintains this position).

Oh and something else to watch for - if you leave a tube fed shotgun loaded, the pressure can start to deform the shells in the mag. It's mostly mentioned in conjunction with - and I've seen it happen myself with - Mossberg 500s, but could probably happen with any such shotgun.

Forever, or until it turns to dust, whichever comes first.