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Storing Loaded magazines

3K views 29 replies 22 participants last post by  xdjyo 
#1 ·
I hear pros and cons about storing magazines loaded. Some say it will soften the spring tension others say it's no problem. Comments please. :scratch:
 
#5 ·
I found a couple of 45 ACP mags I had loaded years ago. They still worked just fine.
 
#10 · (Edited)
It depends on how good the spring is. If you don't know who made your spring or how old it is it's a good idea to replace all of them with quality extra power springs (Wolff or ISMI). Most of the factories buy cheap bulk springs (wouldn't you?) I have seen plenty of cheap springs fail and cause a gun to stop working. Single stack mag springs generally last longer than double stack mag springs. Springs wear out. Don't believe they'll last forever and never weaken. I may keep 1 or 2 mags loaded but I never load all of them up and store them that way. If you replace your mags springs yearly you won't have to worry about them failing on you.
 
#11 ·
One of my gunsmithing instructors told me that, when he was with Colt they had a stash of magazines put away in the 1920s just for the purpose of checking this. Every couple of years they take one out, shoot it, and check the spring. So far no trouble. Also every now and again you hear about somebody finding a WW II SMG or pistol stashed somewhere and still loaded. Every once in a while somebody function checks these old magazines to see how they work. So far, they work. I am inclined to believe this is not a real issue, but I don't leave magazines loaded for more than a year on general principles.
 
#16 ·
No, but there HAS been a tendency for mass manufacturers to not take advantage of it to save a couple of pesos. And those old Colt springs were made to fairly tight military specs, not for the mass market and built to a price point. They made very good springs 100 years ago and there are very good springs available today but they're not going to come with most production guns. Spring technology has not changed as much as you might think and just because something is "new" doesn't mean it must be "better".
 
#20 ·
It's not as simple as "leaving them compressed" or not. If they are compressed near or beyond their rated load then they can lose temper sooner. Most single stack mags are not compressed anywhere near their rated load ( some 8 rounders might be), double stack mags are being worked harder when fully compressed and in some cases are being pushed right at or past their rate. On high cap magazines I would much rather download by one or two rounds if left loaded indefinitely. Those extra rounds aren't going to help you if the spring won't get them up all the way in time to be picked up. The best bet is to buy high quality springs from Wolff or ISMI and replace them yearly if you must leave them loaded indefinitely.
 
#21 ·
I have 3 1911's now but haven't had them long enough to comment on them specifically, but I carry an HK USP .40 as a duty weapon and have done so for the last 16 years. (Since they started issuing it). Other than when shooting, all three magazines have remained loaded during that entire time. I haven't experienced any issues with that practice. The magazines are polymer as well and have no metal "lips" at the top either.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Deleted double post,

Cheers,
 
#24 ·
I don't worry about mag springs in loaded magazines, I'm too busy worrying about jacking my jeep up at night so the springs won't compress from fatigue!

When you're closer to 70 than 60 nobody pays attention to your sarcasm!

On a more serious note, I have my old duty weapon on the night stand, a S&W 4566 that has a loaded magazine that has been loaded for so long it's half way through it's second set of night sights. It gets test fire several times a year. The several other S&W mags are likewise kept loaded, never a failure of any kind.

Cheers,
 
#27 ·
Straight from the horse's mouth

After decades of keeping full mag's, this week I found I had to replace one for a S&W 645. One of the three mag's would sometimes not feed the last round, or once in a while the slide failed to lock back. Stretching the the spring had helped temporarily.

The M1911A1 my father used in WWII has always been fully loaded, 'cept when shooting or cleaning. Other 1911's, and even the 9mm have been kept fully loaded, both the one in the weapon and the spare mag's. No problems, if the mag is kept clean. I don't fill the .22 pistols...it would not add much weight, if I had to throw them.

I did some looking, then decided on springs from Integrated Systems Management. I then called tech support. Their reply to my questions about partially filled mag's, "resting" a mag and filling the spare, etc. Brought this reply from the spring manufacturer...I fill mine, fire off the rounds once a year, clean and refill the magazine. He said he does get to shoot more than that, but that was his comfort zone for magazine springs. He said you might have to replace the spring once in a life time.

I ordered five springs; three for the 645 and two spares in case one of my sixteen other mag's starts to misbehave. They are to be shipped out tomorrow morning. It was great to deal with the people at Integrated Systems Management...and the "horse's mouth" was not meant derogatorily!
 
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