5 or 6 rounds in the magazine for mouse guns?

I have been carrying only 5 of a possible 6 rounds in my Ruger LCP and Kahr CW 380 pocket pistol magazines as I felt it would preserve the spring tension better and be more reliable. I do rotate magazines with fresh ammo every 3-4 months, and have extra mags for both guns.
Click to expand...
Carrying one less round in your mag may, or may not better preserve the spring tension but it won't better preserve your life.

The Vietnam guys used to run a round or two less in their M-16s for reliability, and have read of other guns like that, so have adopted this policy.
Click to expand...
Assuming this is even true (and I don't know about that), the Vietnam guys were using what was then brand new unreliable M-16 rifles that were known to have issues. They did what they had to do until they could get better, more reliable variants. Basing your policy as a civilian carrier of an LCP in 2017 on what Vietnam soldiers did with their rifles in the 1960's is not wise to say the least.

Been looking to boost the firepower output as I kinda feel naked with only 5 rounds late at night, similar to the S/W J frame .38 special snub-nose that I sold off due to limited ammo capability.
Click to expand...
OK, so you sold off a more reliable, more powerful J-Frame for an LCP for only one more shot of an inferior caliber (assuming you carry with one in the pipe)? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Those two extra shots and it's size are the ONLY things an LCP has going for it over a J-Frame.

Would I be OK for the 6th round in the magazine? These are modern guns and comparing them to something from the 1960's may not be relevant.
Click to expand...
Yes and yes. What actually weakens springs the most is their constant flexing and unflexing. In other words, if you keep loading and unloading a mag over and over or you keep pushing up and down on it, that will weaken it. Loading it to full capacity and just leaving it generally won't weaken it. It's true that the springs of a fully loaded mag will eventually weaken over time but we are talking many years here.

So if a person is one of those types who buys a gun for protection and throws it in a draw to languish for years and years and/or never intends to shoot it much if at all, then that person needs a revolver.
 
Last edited:
With one in the pipe, that's still 4-5 rounds left with a .380, more than enough according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Click to expand...

Oh yea. :rolleyes:

That's what the FBI carries now just 4-5 rounds of 380
Most cops followed this lead.... just 4-5 rounds of 380
Cause like citizens they never miss, with the 100% average hit rate and only good hits, no worries.
It only takes a couple good hits of 380 to stop an attacker, so they are GTG if facing two attackers. :rolleyes:

That is their duty weapon...
Off duty a 380 derringer, they encounter a completely different society in Wal-Mart, parking lots, restaurants, ect... on the clock than they would after work.

Spouse doesn't get a gun, they get a whistle, more than enough in some studies. :rolleyes:
 
CDW4ME said:
Oh yea. :rolleyes:

That's what the FBI carries now just 4-5 rounds of 380
Most cops followed this lead.... just 4-5 rounds of 380
Cause like citizens they never miss, with the 100% average hit rate and only good hits, no worries.
It only takes a couple good hits of 380 to stop an attacker, so they are GTG if facing two attackers. :rolleyes:

That is their duty weapon...
Off duty a 380 derringer, they encounter a completely different society in Wal-Mart, parking lots, restaurants, ect... on the clock than they would after work.

Spouse doesn't get a gun, they get a whistle, more than enough in some studies. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Wow cute. The FBI studies say that it is enough, never ONCE did I say that is what they carried on duty!!
 
I'd also like to see a link to the FBI data Model12. I am very sceptical that there is anyone in the agency that would make such a claim. I am even more so that the agency would endorse such a claim.

I carry an LCP occasionally, but I do with the understanding that while it is better than nothing it is far from "enough" in many very reasonable scenarios. CDW4ME's sarcasm notwithstanding, he does illustrate how unlikely most in law enforcement would be to make this claim.
 
Constantly cycling mags is what wears the springs, not leaving the spring compressed.

While I believe that, I also believe that loading one round less than capacity will enhance reliability in some guns.
I have auto pistols that are over 100 years old, with the original springs, and they run great.
I've also had magazines fail after one year of regular use.
I think modern magazines are often designed to hold one more round than a similar mag would have been designed in the past.

100 years ago, having a few more rounds than a revolver was a revelation, while today, having ten rather than nine is considered a big deal by some, so some mags will have that tenth round "squeezed in", and downloading to nine could extend the use of that mag dramatically. Of course, when mag springs cost $5-$10, does it really matter? You shoot $500 worth of ammo through the gun, but don't want to spend $5 on a spring to ensure it runs reliably?

I left an 8-round .45 mag fully loaded for twenty years, testing it every 3-5 years, and never had any issues. If I'd used the mag every day for twenty years, the springs may been replaced three or five times.
 
OK, so you sold off a more reliable, more powerful J-Frame for an LCP for only one more shot of an inferior caliber (assuming you carry with one in the pipe)? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Those two extra shots and it's size are the ONLY things an LCP has going for it over a J-Frame.
Click to expand...

Size is a pretty significant factor and I believe we've neglected the comparatively speedy reloading process enjoyed by semi-autos.
 
"...would preserve the spring..." It won't do anything one way or the other to the spring. Springs do not lose temper from being compressed. Nor do they 'take a set'.
"...Vietnam springs are much different..." Nope. A spring is a spring. Been made the same way since springs were invented.
 
If one thinks about valve springs engines they last a very long time, but some do fail the percentage is very small. Engine valve springs are under constant compression and cycle continuously when the engine is running.


The key is to operate the spring within its designed limits and normally they will last a very long time.


I think that is why a manufacturer designs a mag to hold a certain number of rounds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top