Finicky magazines

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I have been a semi-auto fan most of my shooting career (I started out as a revolver guy though). One variable of late has me rethinking this position. A lousy or damaged magazine can adversely affect the reliability of even the highest quality pistols. This appears to be happening with some CZ 97Bs (the Mec Gar magazines they use have had recent hiccups). I checked my reliability records from the past two years, and I notice that most of my Sig Sauer P228 malfuctions (23 in total) were contributed by two faulty magazines (I determined this by running 5 different numbered magazines through the gun and only two of the five caused malfuctions). Interestingly enough, my two P228 "standard" capacity 13 round magazines had no malfuntions. Two of my three "low capacity" P228 magazines had severe reliability problems. Maybe its a coincidence but I don't like the "low capacity" magazines (harder to load and less reliable in my experience). Additionally, a couple of my (sold off Glocks) also had problems with specific magazines. I think the thing to take out of this is that one must inspect AND test-fire your HD/defensive handgun on regular occasions and use EVERY magazine. Write down a reliablity chart, and number each individial magazine (I use either dots or numbers and paint them on each magazine). Ok, I know some of you might consider my methods "compulsive", but it does help to determine what magazines--if any are leading to malfunctions.
 
I would double check all mag problems with "quality" factory ammo. I used to have a lot of magazine problems, at least that's what I attributed it to, until I bought some of those max cartgridge guage dies from midway. My reloads were way outta spec. Now I never have any problems.
 
The biggest problem I've seen with magazines is that the springs get weak after a few months if fully loaded. This has always worried me about my main defense weapon; so I test all magazines every time I go to the range. Also, I test these magazines with dummies during daily malfunction drills. I always try to keep extra magazine springs. My magazines are numbered with an engraving tool, and I rotate them as well.
 
The biggest problem I've seen with magazines is that the springs get weak after a few

Oh boy, here we go again.

Have you actually OBSERVED this, or just heard people saying this? Do a search on "magazine springs" and you'll find that there is NO clear consensus on whether this happens or not...and my _guess_ is that if it was real problem, you'd have more people religiously swapping mags and changing out springs.

Mike

PS FWIW, My duty gun's mags are loaded 24/7/365, and I have not yet seen a problem.
 
Coronach said:

Oh boy, here we go again.
Click to expand...

I agree with what you are saying. I inherited a US-Marked M1911 in the early seventies that had belonged to my Uncle, a Lt. Col. in the Marine Corps during WWII. It had one mag that was loaded, all with the headstamp WD 43. It is my assumption that this mag remained loaded from the time he left the Corps to when I got it 27 years later. Although I don't shoot the gun any more, I still use the mag with it's original spring in my M1927 Argentine. No FTFs at all with this mag.

Presented for what it's worth.

--
Mike
 
I have magazines for my Glock 17 that have been loaded continuously for almost 10 years, except when I empty them and refill them. They work as well as new Glock magazines, and I see no evidence that I'll be replacing them anytime soon.

I keep going back to the car valve spring example, how often to you replace those? They're under tension for a lot of years in older cars...
 
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