magazine question

[rebel yell]

Is it okay to load 25 round magazines for a extended period of time before using them?

 

[cxwrench]

This has been covered many times. The spring wears only from movement, not from being stationary. You can load them and store 'em for as long as you want. As long as they're clean and dry, they're fine. Spring wear is basically fatigue, fatigue comes from movement. If they're not moving, they're not going to change.

 

[CrazyFingers]

The spring is not going to wear out from prolonged compression.
However, the polymer feed lips on these magazines might be susceptible to wear from prolonged pressure. Or not, I'm not certain.
What I do know is I have 4 magazines that are basically useless because the feed lips are worn out where the rim of the cartridge hits and they don't hold the rounds anymore. Now, I can't really say that's from prolonged storage with loaded magazines, since I don't keep my magazines loaded, so it's probably just from use.
But it might also happen from storage. Magpul provides the snap-on storage caps to keep stress off their feed lips for a reason, so it's something to consider.

Or maybe it's just the cold medicine talking...

 

[cyphertext]

While I have kept pistol mags and AR mags loaded with no ill effect, I have not had the same experience with .22lr mags.

Not 15-22 mags, but the old Ruger 10/22 magazines made by Ram Line. These were plastic mags, with the feed lips being an integral part of the magazine body. I had several that I kept loaded, and apparently the constant pressure against the feed lips was enough to cause the magazine to split right down the middle where the two halves come together.

The S&W magazines appear to be made in the same fashion. They are probably built much better than the Ram Line mags from the '80s, but it still seems possible for them to split.

 

[gm272gs]

Along that same vein, I had a Smith & Wesson mag split at the top (from the feed lips down). It was just from use, not prolonged loading.

I sent it to Roz at Smith & Wesson (2100 Roosevelt Ave. Springfield, MA 01104) and she sent me a new one, for free.

As for Ruger 10/22 mags, use the Ruger brand (BX-25).
You'll be glad you did. The cheap knock-offs are exactly that.

 

[Jaysq]

Since this question comes up ever so often, I decided to ask someone that should have the correct answer to the question. Following is an email I sent to MAGPUL INDUSTRIES CORP. and their reply to me.
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Could you please help clear up the issue of magazine spring fatigue. Should you periodically unload and "relax" the magazine spring? Will this help to increase the life or does it do more harm than good.

Thank you
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry,

Thank you for your inquiry. The factor that truly wears out quality springs is compression cycles, not constant compression. However, we use a high-quality stainless steel springs in our PMAGs and if one ever does happen to wear out any USGI spec spring can be swapped out for the factory one.

Regarding the question of how long, we've had magazines fully loaded for over four years now with no Impact/Dust Cover on and have experienced no feed lip or spring issues. With the cover installed storage life is considered indefinite. There have also been PMAGS reportedly tested to hundreds-of-thousands of rounds (military vetting), and we know positively of ones that have gone tens-of-thousands, so usable life is quite excellent too.


Magpul
_____________________________________
TRICIA PARRISH SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE

MAGPUL INDUSTRIES CORP.

 

[gdnagle]

Since this question comes up ever so often, I decided to ask someone that should have the correct answer to the question. Following is an email I sent to MAGPUL INDUSTRIES CORP. and their reply to me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Could you please help clear up the issue of magazine spring fatigue. Should you periodically unload and "relax" the magazine spring? Will this help to increase the life or does it do more harm than good.

Thank you
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerry,

Thank you for your inquiry. The factor that truly wears out quality springs is compression cycles, not constant compression. However, we use a high-quality stainless steel springs in our PMAGs and if one ever does happen to wear out any USGI spec spring can be swapped out for the factory one.

Regarding the question of how long, we've had magazines fully loaded for over four years now with no Impact/Dust Cover on and have experienced no feed lip or spring issues. With the cover installed storage life is considered indefinite. There have also been PMAGS reportedly tested to hundreds-of-thousands of rounds (military vetting), and we know positively of ones that have gone tens-of-thousands, so usable life is quite excellent too.


Magpul
_____________________________________
TRICIA PARRISH SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE

MAGPUL INDUSTRIES CORP.

Yep. Same exact form letter I posted before but from DANIEL HUNTER TECH SUPPORT SPECIALIST. They must get this asked of them a lot. I agree about the springs as you can see Magpul doesn't confirm the feed lips as being suitable for a extended amount of time loaded, I mean decades as they stated they have them loaded for less then a lustrum so far, without the first round off the feed lips by using the Impact/Dust Cover. Steel magazines I've had loaded for over 40 years before I found them loaded and they still functioned. As for the polymer I wouldn't leave them loaded for that long without something to keep the first round off of the feed lips. Just my .02.