Magazine Spring Life

T

t-man

New member
Hello all!
I'm new to this forum, and relatively new to gun ownership/technology, etc. It's nice to see such a well run-polite bunch of people! So anyway, as a very happy owner of a Ruger P94 (.40 cal), which I'm very satisfied with, I had a question that one of my more gun saavy friends wasn't able to answer. The question is, is it a bad thing to leave the magazine full all of the time (and continue to keep the springs fully compressed)? Or should I rotate my clips (i.e. keep one clip full while the other remains empty for awhille, then rotate them every month or so)I have read some threads in this group that suggest that a pistol could be more prone to jamming on the last round in the clip due to tired springs.

Thanks!
 
Hi t-man, welcome to the forum. Magazine springs are not going to fail if they are left compressed in loaded magazines. There is an interesting article in the latest THE POLICE MARKSMAN magazine (vol XXVI No. 3) on magazine springs by Sheppard W. Kelly.
http://www.policemarksman.com

Quoting from the article with Ruger's take on the question.


STRUM, RUGER & COMPANY

"The function of the magazine spring with respect to "taking a set" is dependent on the design of the spring and the magazine. If the spring is constantly flexed beyond its yield strength, it may "take a set." If not, it is unlikely that a modern magazine spring will ever go bad. Generally, a spring that will "take a set" will do so immediately. Modern magazine spring steel is so efficient that unless the spring is purposely damaged or has rusted or corroded, malfuction is unlikely. Ruger recommends that if a loaded magazine is to be stored for an extended period of time, one less round than the magazine's absolute capacity should be loaded. Because of the frequency of requalification for law enforcement officers, rarely will a magazine be left a full capacity and spring tension for extended periods of time (years)."

From the Ruger's mouth, so to speak.
 
I agree with JimV, with one exception. The eight round mags for the 1911 pattern dramatically reduce the space for the spring stack. If one keeps one of these mags fully loaded all the time, periodic replacement of the spring is indicated. This from the Wolff Gunspring Co:

Magazine springs in semi-auto pistols are one of the most critical springs and the subject of much debate and concern. Magazines which are kept fully loaded for long periods of time, such as law enforcement applications, will generally be subject to more fatigue than the weekend shooter's magazine springs which are loaded up only when shooting. Magazine design and capacity also affect the longevity of the spring. Older designs where maximum capacity was not the goal such as the 7 round 1911 Colt magazines will last for years fully loaded. There was a lot of room for a lot of spring which reduced the overall stress on the spring. In recent hi-capacity magazines, the magazines were designed to hold more rounds with less spring material. This puts more stress on the spring and will cause fatigue at a faster rate. Unloading these magazines a round or two will help the life of the spring. Rotating fully loaded magazines will also help the problem somewhat but is not always practical. In applications where the magazine must be kept loaded, a high quality magazine spring such as Wolff extra power magazine springs, will provide maximum life. Regular shooting will verify reliability and regular replacement of magazine springs will provide the best defense against failure from weak magazine springs.
Click to expand...

I think some extra power mag springs would be an excellent investment for you.

Walt
 
Well I hate to disagree with Mr Ruger but having just placed an order with Wolff today for (you guessed it - a mag spring) and after just going thru a rebuild of several Hi Caps (yes I still call them that) in the last several weeks, They will take a set and you should rotate them and they will last longer if you download by one or better by two. That has been my experience.
 
I usually rotate my magazines monthly, and I will load them one round less of max capacity. I have heard both sides of the arguement, but I always feel better loading magazines short one round and rotating them monthly or so. But that's me. I think there is a place called Wolff Springs that sells a variety of magazine springs if you ever need replacements.
 
Gee (cynic alert!)

I would believe Mr. Wolfe's statement about magazine springs IF he wasn't in business to sell more magazine springs!

It would be as if Gale MacMillan (God rest him!) gave bbl breakin directions with his premium rifles.

:(
 
I'm not a LEO, but I do leave a couple of magazines full most of the time and rotate magazines. Ruger is wrong in my opinion, especially with high cap mags. I have recently had to replace 3 magazine springs that had weakened over time. These were Beretta mags for 96FS. They had weakened to the point that they would not hold the slide back after the last round, although they still reliably fed ammo. I shoot at least once a week and have never had to replace springs in mags that aren't left full.
 
Chip McCormick magazines are highly regarded and they have a new line labeled "Tactical". They have stiffer springs to specifically address this issue.

-I bought an extra 8rd to back up the factory mag & two 10rd for use at the range. When I start storing it loaded, maybe I should use the 10rd mags with one missing? I'm waiting to build a hidden enclosure before I store it loaded...
 
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