Leaving magazine. Loaded

47ford2n · Oct 16, 2012

I was going to leave one magazine loaded all the time so if needed for varmint shooting it would be ready. Just pop in the mag charge and go. I was told today this would cause damage to the spring. What do you guys think.

Juvicator · Oct 16, 2012

Springs only die from doing what springs do, springing. Compressed or not same thing. Going from compressed to not is the stressor for a springs life.

bp231986 · Oct 16, 2012

not an issue. compressing and depressing all the time is what will wear on the spring. Keeping it conpressed for a long period will have little to no wear on the spring. I think it was here sometime back this was posted on the forum and either a guy from this very forum or somewhere else did a test were he had the spring pressed down beyond its limit for a little over a years time and the spring still worked fine with very little wear. Now bend a spring a direction its not supose to and you will have problems.

Majorlk · Oct 16, 2012

I was told today this would cause damage to the spring. What do you guys think.

A columnist for the America Rifleman, Reid Coffield just repeated this nonsense in the latest issue on page 47.

50 years ago keeping springs compressed did weaken springs, but modern metallurgy has done away with the problem. All my magazines (for all my firearms) are loaded all the time, except for that short period between shooting and reloading. Some of them have been that way for years and I have never experienced a problem.

Desert Five-0 · Oct 16, 2012

I know Glock mag springs wear out if kept loaded over a long period of time, but that still takes at least a couple years. Since the mags are not that expensive you could try it out and buy a new mag or spring if they are available. If the spring wears out you will start having feeding issues. Your other option would be to not fully load the mag. Maybe just keep 10 or 15 in it keeping the spring under less pressure.

BP_Z28 · Oct 16, 2012

I keep mine loaded 24/7

Majorlk · Oct 16, 2012

Desert Five-0 said:
I know Glock mag springs wear out if kept loaded over a long period of time, but that still takes at least a couple years.

That's another reason I don't like Glocks, but that's another story.

Your other option would be to not fully load the mag. Maybe just keep 10 or 15 in it keeping the spring under less pressure.

In my experience, that makes little, if any practical difference. Others may feel otherwise.

squidsix · Oct 16, 2012

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-m-p15-rifle/272107-loaded-mags.html

billyray26 · Oct 16, 2012

Loaded!!! Always

SweetMK · Oct 16, 2012

From a materials science point of view;

1) the springs are probably made of cheap spring wire.

2) spring wire is not susceptible to creep, which is the change in characteristics (the spring will loose strength) due to long term stress.

BUT, (there is always a but ain't there) unless a high grade alloy used for the springs, they would be very susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, if under stress.

Certain oils can deliver hydrogen to the spring. (Oil is a hydro-carbon!!)

So, from a scientific point of view, weakening of the spring can happen, and the higher the stress, the more weakening!!

I keep my mag springs unlubricated, and unloaded except for the "important" gun, that one stays half loaded so there is less stress, until there is "STRESS!!".

ironruger · Oct 16, 2012

Always loaded from this point on

Majorlk · Oct 16, 2012

SweetMK said:
I keep my mag springs unlubricated,

I have yet to find ANY reason to lubricate magazines with anything other than dry graphite, if then. None of my magazines have ever been lubricated.

47ford2n · Oct 16, 2012

Thanks guys

PapaChop · Oct 16, 2012

Majorlk said:
I have yet to find ANY reason to lubricate magazines with anything other than dry graphite, if then. None of my magazines have ever been lubricated.

This. Just keeping them clean is good enough. Even 20 year old STANAG magazines work fine once they're cleaned out.

Gunut01 · Oct 16, 2012

I had a mag loaded with (3)9mm rounds left in the clip for 3.5 years.(mag was misplaced for 3.5 yrs.)
The spring had compressed with the 3rounds in the mag.
I loaded the mag to capacity fired off 9 rounds and would not fire the 3 rounds at the bottom of the mag.

DelFuego · Oct 16, 2012

I stay loaded most of the time...I meant, I keep my magazines loaded all of the time.

Kayback · Oct 17, 2012

Desert Five-0 said:
I know Glock mag springs wear out if kept loaded over a long period of time, but that still takes at least a couple years.

Really? Not my experience at all. I've got a Glock 17 magazine that was my bedside gun magazine that stayed loaded for about 7 years. I used it the other day and it ran just as well as my brand new out the box ones.

Staying compressed does not weaken a magazine spring. What does weaken a spring is the heat inside it from being compressed and uncompressed - ie using it or loading and unloading it.

There was an issue with magazines a long time ago, which if left loaded would actually splay the feed lips on the magazines due to the force of the spring pushing against them, which would cause stoppages, but this had nothing to do with the spring getting weak.

You could possibly still find some of these magazines for IIRC an M16, but I wouldn't worry about it.

KBK

xxspudxx · Oct 17, 2012

All mags loaded all the time. All of them, always.

Springs don't "go out" when left compressed.

CrazyFingers · Oct 17, 2012

The magazines for my defensive firearms are kept loaded all the time. As mentioned, springs wear out from compression cycles, not from being kept statically compressed.
I do not keep my 15-22 magazines loaded. Not because I'm worried about the springs, but because it is not a go-to defensive firearm, and I'm a little concerned about the effects of long-term pressure on the polymer feed lips.

Majorlk · Oct 17, 2012

CrazyFingers said:
The magazines for my defensive firearms are kept loaded all the time. As mentioned, springs wear out from compression cycles, not from being kept statically compressed.
I do not keep my 15-22 magazines loaded. Not because I'm worried about the springs, but because it is not a go-to defensive firearm, and I'm a little concerned about the effects of long-term pressure on the polymer feed lips.

Now that is an interesting concern. Rimless cartridges exert pressure pretty much evenly across the length of the feed lips, but rimmed cartridges exert pressure (generally) only where the rim bears against the lip.

Metal feed lips can be bent and reshaped rather easily; polymer, not so much.

Leaving magazine. Loaded

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