Could be, over time, but it would have to be more than just thirty or forty years. A friend of mine came into possession of a loaded 7-round mag that had been brought home from what came to be known as WWI. It had been misappropriated from the Army along with a 1911. The 1911, however, didn't make it. As I recollect, my friend got it from the soldier's widow, and, in the sixties, inserted it into a 1911 and fired seven rounds with no problem, except he probably had to clean the gun afterwards, since that old stuff was corrosive.
Do you keep a mag loaded at home near your gun?
- Thread starter Plunky McPlunker
- Start date
Could be, over time, but it would have to be more than just thirty or forty years. A friend of mine came into possession of a loaded 7-round mag that had been brought home from what came to be known as WWI. It had been misappropriated from the Army along with a 1911. The 1911, however, didn't make it. As I recollect, my friend got it from the soldier's widow, and, in the sixties, inserted it into a 1911 and fired seven rounds with no problem, except he probably had to clean the gun afterwards, since that old stuff was corrosive.
m1gunner
US Veteran
Quality springs are not hurt by staying compresed (within their normal operating range). It is the cycling of the spring that will eventually wear them out.
GatorFarmer
Member
The general consensus is that leaving mags loaded doesn't hurt anything. However... There are RKIs who comment to the contrary, including Larry Vickers and I think SW Lifer reported having issues with issued 3rd Gen 9mm S&W factory mags left loaded.
There are also exceptions/things to be aware of. If you have an AR, there may be issues over time with the feed lips of GI type alum mags if you store them loaded. This is why the Magpul Pmags have the little cover that you're supposed to keep on if you store them loaded. Another caveat is that a shotgun with a tube magazine left loaded may cause the plastic hulled shells to deform. This might or might not lead to feed issues. Something like an old Mosin Nagant probably also isn't the best thing to leave loaded, I personally killed the mag spring doing this, though who knows what shape it was in to begin with.
I generally keep all my magazines loaded. It's a convenient way to store ammo. So far it hasn't caused issues even with my GI type alum AR mags. I do not store guns with a round in the chamber unless it is my carry gun. (I do not want to rechamber a round that has been repeatedly chambered and want to minimize administrative loading/unloading.) The holster for my Sig 229R is of the type where the gun can be secured in the holster with a cable lock if one desires.
I do not store revolvers loaded since chambering/rechambering isn't an issue for administrative handling.
There are also exceptions/things to be aware of. If you have an AR, there may be issues over time with the feed lips of GI type alum mags if you store them loaded. This is why the Magpul Pmags have the little cover that you're supposed to keep on if you store them loaded. Another caveat is that a shotgun with a tube magazine left loaded may cause the plastic hulled shells to deform. This might or might not lead to feed issues. Something like an old Mosin Nagant probably also isn't the best thing to leave loaded, I personally killed the mag spring doing this, though who knows what shape it was in to begin with.
I generally keep all my magazines loaded. It's a convenient way to store ammo. So far it hasn't caused issues even with my GI type alum AR mags. I do not store guns with a round in the chamber unless it is my carry gun. (I do not want to rechamber a round that has been repeatedly chambered and want to minimize administrative loading/unloading.) The holster for my Sig 229R is of the type where the gun can be secured in the holster with a cable lock if one desires.
I do not store revolvers loaded since chambering/rechambering isn't an issue for administrative handling.
unclefish
Member
I keep 1 loaded mag in my pistol under my pillow.
user
Member
No, I have two, and each holds seventeen rounds.
Smitty500Mag
Member
Just make sure it's not an older single action revolver with the hammer down on a round that you have between your mattress and box springs.
A guy I used to work with came very close to dying when he changed the sheets on his bed one day. He forgot about his old Ruger Black Hawk .44 Mag. being there. When he reached down and pulled the sheet out from underneath the mattress the gun fell out on the floor on the hammer and it shot him in the chest as he was bent over and it exited out his back through his shoulder blade. Just a miracle that it missed his heart and that the hollow point bullet didn't expand.
He said he was lying on the floor when the neighbors found him and he said he could hear everything they were saying but he couldn't answer back. He said he remembered them saying "well it looks like he's goner" which scared the hell out of him. Then they couldn't find his keys to his car to take him the hospital in and they were back in the sticks in KY about 50 miles from the nearest hospital which seemed like an eternity until they finally got him there. He said the last thing he remembered was a doctor shoving a tube in his chest and then he passed out from the pain and didn't wake up until 3 days later. He showed me his scares and while the 2 holes weren't that big they were just scary to look at knowing it was a .44 Mag JHP Bullet that made those holes that could have been the size of your fist on the exit wound had it expanded.
It just wasn't his time to go is all I can say!
Smitty
raw6464
Member
A loaded mag... hell no.
I keep a loaded bazooka under my bed, a flame thrower in a trap door in my front lawn, a 90mm cannon behind my front door with an automatic string activated "uninvited intruder" system, 3 Pit bulls with very tight nylon cable ties around their nuts. If they get thru all that, my mother-in-law is my last line of defense... she stands naked in the hallway... that'll bring anybody to their knees.
I keep a loaded bazooka under my bed, a flame thrower in a trap door in my front lawn, a 90mm cannon behind my front door with an automatic string activated "uninvited intruder" system, 3 Pit bulls with very tight nylon cable ties around their nuts. If they get thru all that, my mother-in-law is my last line of defense... she stands naked in the hallway... that'll bring anybody to their knees.
In Vietnam we kept 20 round M16 magazines loaded with 19 and some were only loaded for days and some for weeks on a time. I must admit that I keep a loaded mag next to the gun and a loaded mag in it in the one by the bed. I have others around the house loaded as well but that is just one mag in the gun. I also rotate mags every three months to give the springs a break. I've heard the story that mag springs don't fail by being loaded but I would sleep better knowing that ever three months I start with a different magazine freshly loaded.
Loomis Guard
Member
I USED The Up HIGH (Always Loaded) approach when my kids were little.. As they grew to understand what was going on in this world of ours, they (The Weapons) came lower and lower!!!!! WE started them off shooting at a very young age and taught them all of the safety stuff first!!! Its the only way to go with kids around weapons. All of my weapons are loaded all of the time!!!!
L.G.
L.G.
HOUSTON RICK
Member
They are in quick access safes to keep them from the kids, but yes, loaded magazines in the grip and a round in the chamber. When you are startled from your sleep by an intruder is not a good time to start a treasure hunt.
OP
Plunky McPlunker
Member
"If they get thru all that, my mother-in-law is my last line of defense... she stands naked in the hallway... that'll bring anybody to their knees. "
I am laughing my ass off.
I was going to say I could get a naked picture of mine blown up to poster size for home defense, but how am I going to ask her to pose?
Any advice would be appreciated.
I am laughing my ass off.
I was going to say I could get a naked picture of mine blown up to poster size for home defense, but how am I going to ask her to pose?
Any advice would be appreciated.
yashua-p
Member
Plunky, you can have some of the pix that I have...BUT, I will not identify the subject. These will out ugly most anything around. I once used the pix to hunt but the meat was too torn up.
yashua
yashua
Grandma
Member
Fully loaded magazines in the pistols always! The way I see it, my guns might as well be rocks if they are not loaded!
dave-arlington-va
Member
one weapon on all three floors of my home. well hidden but easy access. always loaded with either a speed loader or extra mag nearby. the well hidden part is for the possible daytime burglary. they may find them but it's going to take more time than they'll want to spend. no children in the house and family and friends know I keep them around but not where except for my youngest brother who got me carrying and into the shooting sports. for years I kept only one gun in the bedside drawer but now having a weapon easily accessible at all times gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling I probably last had as a kid with a favorite blanket and a regular Army combat veteran infantry/aviator type Dad.
ALL loaded in hand gun safe with one up the pipe, handgun safe is mounted for immediate access at chest level. Safe is unlocked and open at night, locked during the day. M&P 9c is on me always during the day ,wife carrys Mdl 64 snubbie during the day but has her eye on a Mdl. 642 guess that's a good news bad news kind of deal
RightWinger
Member
Smith pistol,
I read your response and for the most part I agree with what you are saying and I would say you and I share similar views, however I'm not going to chamber a round in my shotgun soley for the "scary noise" it makes and hope that deescalates the situation. If someone is already in my house the object at that point is to survive and protect your loved ones. The best way I can think to "deescalate" the problem would be to take advantage of the element of suprise and turn the intruder's head into a canoe. If you said you keep your shotgun un-chambered for safety reasons I can relate to that, at work we keep our shotguns in what they call "cruiser ready" which is magazine full, chamber empty, bolt foward, and safety on.
I read your response and for the most part I agree with what you are saying and I would say you and I share similar views, however I'm not going to chamber a round in my shotgun soley for the "scary noise" it makes and hope that deescalates the situation. If someone is already in my house the object at that point is to survive and protect your loved ones. The best way I can think to "deescalate" the problem would be to take advantage of the element of suprise and turn the intruder's head into a canoe. If you said you keep your shotgun un-chambered for safety reasons I can relate to that, at work we keep our shotguns in what they call "cruiser ready" which is magazine full, chamber empty, bolt foward, and safety on.
