andrewcdub
Member
I've had the same 5 mags for my 45 loaded pretty much 99% of the time for the last 4 years and the springs are still good.
Mags loaded or unloaded?
- Thread starter 40calmike
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BobC357
Member
The box for my M&P has slots for two magazines and one in the gun so, I keep those three filled up and ready to go. I'll pre-fill some others on range day to save time but I don't keep them full until I'm going to use them.
AR-Getsome
Member
I keep every magazine loaded to full capacity. Each of my firearms have no less than 6 magazines.
jfp357
Member
Loaded. All of them. Ask me again in 10 years.
Murdock
Member
The mags are becoming easier to load because they are getting used/cycled, not because the spring is taking a set.
SWCinthe920
Member
They are not useful unloaded.
Rotating Magazines
I rotate magazines out of habit, learned in the days of my youth as I hung on every word of the gun gurus of the day as gospel truth.
I've long-since learned that you can leave 'em loaded for decades without ill effect. I have two loaded magazines for both my carry and home defense guns, the rest are stored empty. You might call it a compromise.
I rotate magazines out of habit, learned in the days of my youth as I hung on every word of the gun gurus of the day as gospel truth.
I've long-since learned that you can leave 'em loaded for decades without ill effect. I have two loaded magazines for both my carry and home defense guns, the rest are stored empty. You might call it a compromise.
This is how I look at keeping mags loaded full time compared to those that get used quiet often.
Take a metal coat hanger and bend it in half 1 time, there's no ill effect.
Take that hanger and bend it multiple times and it becomes weaker and will eventually break if you continue to bend it back and forth, now granted you aren't putting that much strain on your mag springs but the same rules apply to a certain extent, plus the way spring material is made today I cannot see why you'd want to unload them all the time, with the exception of shooting which is what we all enjoy doing
Take a metal coat hanger and bend it in half 1 time, there's no ill effect.
Take that hanger and bend it multiple times and it becomes weaker and will eventually break if you continue to bend it back and forth, now granted you aren't putting that much strain on your mag springs but the same rules apply to a certain extent, plus the way spring material is made today I cannot see why you'd want to unload them all the time, with the exception of shooting which is what we all enjoy doing
Fishinfool
Member
Leaving them loaded is not a problem. I know of very few LEO's who load and un-load their magazines every day at shift end. Leaving them loaded has never been a function issue.
A bigger problem you face when you load and unload your magazine every day, is after a while, with constant chambering of the same small group of rounds, you increase the chance for bullet set back, which can raise the pressures quite a bit, especially in rounds like the .40
Larry
A bigger problem you face when you load and unload your magazine every day, is after a while, with constant chambering of the same small group of rounds, you increase the chance for bullet set back, which can raise the pressures quite a bit, especially in rounds like the .40
Larry
A few years ago, during a move, I found a G19 (original non reinforced) mag that I thought I had lost 10 years before. It was fully loaded. The springs were fine and fed as well as when it was new.
I also have a WWII issue P-38 that I only shoot annually. The mags and springs are all original and still feed just fine. It's mags stay loaded all the time.
All my mags (4 or 5 per pistol) stay loaded all the time, so I don't have to waste time loading them before going to the range.
Leaving my Shield mags loaded all the time has NOT made mine any easier to load. Exercising them achieved that.
Rather than actually Loading/Unloading them repeatedly, what I did to exercise them was to take a pencil, eraser end down, and "ram-rodded" the Follower all the way down, while watching TV.
I also have a WWII issue P-38 that I only shoot annually. The mags and springs are all original and still feed just fine. It's mags stay loaded all the time.
All my mags (4 or 5 per pistol) stay loaded all the time, so I don't have to waste time loading them before going to the range.
Leaving my Shield mags loaded all the time has NOT made mine any easier to load. Exercising them achieved that.
Rather than actually Loading/Unloading them repeatedly, what I did to exercise them was to take a pencil, eraser end down, and "ram-rodded" the Follower all the way down, while watching TV.
My XD9 stays loaded with 2 mags of Ranger T for the past three years. I keep 3 spares for the range in my bag. The only other gun I own that uses detachable mags is my ar and I don't shoot it that much. The rest is a revolver fest..
Insignificant
Sure, there is an effect, but it is not significant.
I keep a mag loaded with SD ammo and after maybe 6 months I shoot it. Then I load a different mag with the fresh SD ammo. Insignificant Problem pretty much solved. If the springs ever show signs of weakness replacements are readily available. Don't sweat the tiny stuff.
Sure, there is an effect, but it is not significant.
I keep a mag loaded with SD ammo and after maybe 6 months I shoot it. Then I load a different mag with the fresh SD ammo. Insignificant Problem pretty much solved. If the springs ever show signs of weakness replacements are readily available. Don't sweat the tiny stuff.
mjsmith1223
Member
I keep two loaded. One in the gun, one for a spare.
fbcmrjrtykr
Member
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Same here. I try to shoot one or the other every month.
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Atticaz
Member
I keep every one loaded. .....never an issue.
biglatino74
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Keep two loaded in the safe rotate on Gunday (Sunday)
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bikendan
Member
Ditto for me!
Nakanokalronin
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My defensive firearms have a loaded mag +1 in the chamber. I have 1-2 additional magazines fully loaded if they're handguns and about 20+ additional mags loaded for rifles. Using them causes wear, not sitting loaded. My fun guns sit empty.
I remember a gun magazine article where they found an old WWII 1911 sitting in the attic of a veteran who passed away. It had a fully loaded GI magazine in it that was said to be that way for at least 40 years. They took the magazine out of the 1911, went to a local outdoor range, loaded it in a newer 1911 and proceeded to shoot. Not only did every round feed, fire (with some smoke) and eject, but it locked back the slide after the last round.
I remember a gun magazine article where they found an old WWII 1911 sitting in the attic of a veteran who passed away. It had a fully loaded GI magazine in it that was said to be that way for at least 40 years. They took the magazine out of the 1911, went to a local outdoor range, loaded it in a newer 1911 and proceeded to shoot. Not only did every round feed, fire (with some smoke) and eject, but it locked back the slide after the last round.
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