Loaded Magazine, How Long??

D

Digger

New member
If I keep a loaded magazine in my carry piece, that also sits by me bed at night, how long can I keep the 10-rd magazine loaded before doing damage to the spring?

Should I keep 8 rounds loaded in it instead of 10? Should I rotate using two magazines, one every other day? Every other week?

Thanks all.
 
Indefinitely.

This topic has been discussed at length on several occasions, with the general concensus being that you can leave factory mags loaded for a long time without a worry. Quality magazine springs don't take a 'set' or loose their 'push'. Although mag springs do wear out, it is from use, not sitting loaded. If your weapon is stored in a cool, dry place (no rust or funkification likely) and you function test periodically (couple times a year), and it's otherwise kept clean and lightly lubed, you should be fine. While I wouldn't load & forget them for years on end, if you cycle/rotate them a couple times a year, you should be fine. M2
 
loaded mags

There was an article in one of the gun mags a couple of years ago and the author was with a fellow who had a 1911 and a loaded mag from WWII. The fellow said that the mag was loaded when he left the service in 1945 and never emptied. The test was if this mag would work after being loaded for 50+ years. It went bang seven times.....Mike
 
Being one who's "better safe than sorry", and having a Father who's 30+ years in a machine shop sometimes relates well to guns, here's what I decided with his input.

Working a spring will wear it out. So swapping mags every day, week, month, etc... will cause more wear.

The farther you compress a spring, the more likely it will not rebound fully.

As a result, I download my mags about 15 - 20% (10 rounder = 8+1) only swap them after a trip to the range, when they get used anyway.

Too bad a Klintonized mag can't be made where the spring can go all the way to the end-cap, but the actual ammo capacity is limited to 10 rounds. I HATE wasted space! ;)

Take care, and be safe...
 
If you do your research using the TFL SEARCH function you'll find all your answers. They'll just be repeated here IF people bother to reply.

In a nutshell..
springs are worn out by the up and down movement. I remember one member once posting that he keeps all his mags loaded 2 shy of the max to insure no spring wear would occur. Who knows? Maybe its better that way.
 
Steel springs fatigue after x number of cycles. Not from being loaded for a long period. The best paradigm I have heard is one of a piece of wire being bent back and forth until it breaks.

If this be the case, changing periodically to relieve stress is worse than leaving them loaded.

Personally, I favor Onslaught's approach.

PigPen
 
You should keep a genuine Colt 45 Auto magazine

loaded for no longer than two generations. After elapse of that time, you should fire off the ammo and reload the mag.
 
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