Magazines, Store them loaded or unloaded?

[Jimini]

I have only Magpul Pmags 30 round Gen2. I have read on several sites that the quality and heat tempering of the springs in modern magazines will not degrade if stored loaded.

So my question is how many keep all your magazines loaded and ready?

Thanks

 

[eharri3]

I own about 24 total magazines. 16 of which are stored in my gun safe loaded and ready for range use, 4 have SD loads in them at all times. My 4 that remain empty are new and unused reserve mags to replace any that become irreparably damaged.

Everything I have in regular use is loaded so all I need to do for a range trip is toss a pile of them in a bag.

 

[BloodyThumb]

I keep a portion (10) of my Magpul mags loaded with the covers in place to take any pressure off of the polymer feed lips. I keep my backup mags (5) in my response kit loaded WITHOUT the covers for speed, and they are rotated in and out of the portion I keep at home in order to keep the ammo and mags moving through rotation. In fairness none of them stay loaded for years.... more like a few months at most.

I have been told that the covers are not necessary, but I do it anyway.

Not being in a war zone where going through dozens of magazines while stationary (personally, I can't carry 30 or 40 mags with me... just a wimp I guess), I have never really understood the practice of loading all my mags and storing them loaded.

On the other hand, in the past I have come across some loaded GI mags that I believe to have been sitting loaded for 30 years or so... they ran just fine and the mags are still in play as range mags.

 

[gfors]

From a durability standpoint, leaving the mags loaded will not prematurely harm the springs. It is the act of compressing and releasing the spring that fatigues the metal. Your mag springs will last longer if you just leave them loaded, than if you are constantly loading and unloading them.

 

[eharri3]

I do not keep so many loaded for war or anything but my long term storage is limited right now and it clears up 350-plus rounds worth of storage room in the dry cans my ammo closet. After a range trip I can move some 223 or 556 out of my cans and into mags and make space for top-off purchases.

 

[Ranger17]

The above posts are good to know. I have kept some mags full for my various MP 9’s. But being newer to the AR platform I wasn’t quite sure on those mags just due to the plastic housing.
So glad this thread popped up.

 

[03hemi]

Keep em stored loaded and ready to go, springs wear from being compressed and being decompressed.
Leaving them compressed does nothing harmful at all.

 

[Skeptic 9c]

For a professional opinion:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgLxVqN9chY[/ame]

Assuming you assume Brownells is definitive.
Geoff
Who worries about splitting a definitive.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

From a durability standpoint, leaving the mags loaded will not prematurely harm the springs. It is the act of compressing and releasing the spring that fatigues the metal. Your mag springs will last longer if you just leave them loaded, than if you are constantly loading and unloading them.

You nailed it!

 

[GaryHK]

From a durability standpoint, leaving the mags loaded will not prematurely harm the springs. It is the act of compressing and releasing the spring that fatigues the metal. Your mag springs will last longer if you just leave them loaded, than if you are constantly loading and unloading them.

Keep em stored loaded and ready to go, springs wear from being compressed and being decompressed.
Leaving them compressed does nothing harmful at all.

^These nailed it

 

[BSA1]

I store many of my magazines in surplus ammunition cans. There is room in 50 caliber military ammo can for 10 30 round magazines and 300 rounds stored in sandwich baggies. With the magazines loaded and a additional 300 rounds (600 rounds total) loosely stored in sandwich baggies the can becomes very heavy.

I don’t even want to think about how heavy a 50 caliber ammo can filled with loaded 15 round pistol magazines will weigh.

I have occasionally thought about buying one of those magazine loaders that I just fill with cartridges and turn the handle but they are too expensive. If the world decides to riot I will need two or three days advance notice so I can load all of my magazines

 

[Univibe]

Nah. The only mags I keep loaded for any gun, are home or self-defense guns. And then the only mags loaded are the one in the gun, and one spare.

 

[Moe Mentum]

Load them and forget them.

 

[GaryHK]

As others have said, firing and reloading, and firing again, etc etc will wear the mag a lot more than storing them loaded will.

Just load and store. There is no point in storing an empty mag...none.

 

[Sevens]

There is no point in storing an empty mag...none.

Ugh, more nonsense.

Are you also writing a series of post-it notes and taping them to each magazine so that you can identify absolutely every single round of ammo in every magazine? Makes far more sense to leave the magazines empty until you need them, except for the cache of magazines you have specifically in the event of emergency use.

Why must so many post with the “ultimate” answer, and in such a tone where it begs a contrarian response?

 

[GaryHK]

Ugh, more nonsense.

Are you also writing a series of post-it notes and taping them to each magazine so that you can identify absolutely every single round of ammo in every magazine? Makes far more sense to leave the magazines empty until you need them, except for the cache of magazines you have specifically in the event of emergency use.

Why must so many post with the “ultimate” answer, and in such a tone where it begs a contrarian response?

OP only has one magazine.

 

[SchemaEnigma]

Ugh, more nonsense.

Are you also writing a series of post-it notes and taping them to each magazine so that you can identify absolutely every single round of ammo in every magazine? Makes far more sense to leave the magazines empty until you need them, except for the cache of magazines you have specifically in the event of emergency use.

Why must so many post with the “ultimate” answer, and in such a tone where it begs a contrarian response?

Well, your hyperbole aside (not post-its), but yes. And, aside from your other hyperbolic statement (each and every round), I don't load the magazines with 30 different types of rounds (and IDK anyone who would do that ... that is actually "more nonsense").

Here is a pic of what I do:

 

[Sevens]

Not what I’m saying. I’m saying that if you open the ammo cabinet and it has a selection of five different ammo varieties all in .223/5.56, each box is labeled. End flap if it is factory ammo, or information on the flip top box if it’s handloads.

If you load up magazines “because there is no point in storing an empty mag... none... then yep, you get to either make little labels for any/every magazine that you have, or you guess.

 

[Sevens]

As for it being nonsense that some might load a single magazine with more than one kind of round, I will agree that to do this is nonsense, but if you think NOBODY does this, you’re very wrong.

We had a guy in our grassroots state based political Pro2a forum get in a defensive shoot with his Glock 30, and this guy quite literally put two entirely different brands, weights and style of .45 ACP ammo in to a bad guy at a gas station.

I wouldn’t do it either. Then again, I wouldn’t tape labels to my magazines but whatever works for ya.

The shooter that flung Cor-Bon Pow’r Ball and 230 FMJ at his defensive shoot was not charged. And no, Mas Ayoob didn’t speak to the local DA on his behalf. Not sure if that gives you your dose of hyperbole, but I gave it my best shot.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Ugh, more nonsense.

Are you also writing a series of post-it notes and taping them to each magazine so that you can identify absolutely every single round of ammo in every magazine? Makes far more sense to leave the magazines empty until you need them, except for the cache of magazines you have specifically in the event of emergency use.

Why must so many post with the “ultimate” answer, and in such a tone where it begs a contrarian response?

Wait, what?