Charlie Martinez
Member
For all that carry pistols daily; Do you leave the magazine(s) loaded all the time or do you remove the bullets at the end of the day (or periodically) to give the spring a rest?
At the end of the day, do you leave the magazine loaded or unloaded?
- Thread starter Charlie Martinez
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mcb
Member
Leave them loaded. Both my CCW pistol magazine and my favorite rifle magazines.
The Night Rider
Member
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- Feb 16, 2022
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- 2,146
There are Eighteen Pages of different discussions about Magazine Springs on this forum.
usp9
Member
Leave them loaded but never more than fifty years.
trackskippy
Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2010
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- 3,508
I leave the mags and the guns loaded.
Bill_in_TR
Member
An unloaded defensive pistol is a paperweight.
Alllen Bundy
Member
I leave my P365 series magazines loaded. The springs loose most of their spring force from being cycled. They do loose some of their spring force while sitting their compressed, but not enough to worry about. That said, not all springs are created equal. Some brands of springs lose their spring force much faster than others. Also, even within the same brand, some magazine springs are significantly weaker than others.
I use a spring force gauge and measure the required magazine insertion force, as that is a very good indicator of the spring's condition. Even after cycling magazine springs over 500 times and letting them sit compressed for over a year, they are nowhere near weak enough to cause a malfunction.
I use a spring force gauge and measure the required magazine insertion force, as that is a very good indicator of the spring's condition. Even after cycling magazine springs over 500 times and letting them sit compressed for over a year, they are nowhere near weak enough to cause a malfunction.
Ironicaintit
Member
I unload mine periodically at the range, but promptly fill them again
.455_Hunter
Member
I guess it just depends on the quality of the magazine. I had some supposedly pre-ban low-grade CZ 75 magazines (USA or National brand), bought in 1999, that absolutely lost their spring strength after being loaded for a year or two. I also would never leave polymags, like Magpul AR-platform, loaded for extended periods of time without the snap cover in-place to take the load off the feed lips.
sparkyv
Member
I rotate my CC magazines at least twice per year, but the ones I rotate into current CC service are kept loaded.
Rubone
Member
Springs wear out from frequent cycling, not being held under compression, leave them loaded.
WestKentucky
Member
Drop mag from gun, unchamber round, close slide. Round goes back in mag.
Alllen Bundy
Member
Very good point. Steel does not cold flow anywhere near as fast as most plastics.
A very important consideration of the spring material is what kind of process it went though. Ideally the spring should be formed and THEN heat treated and stress relieved. Unfortunately some companies form the springs AFTER the heat treatment and stress reliving, which puts stresses back into the spring and reduces the lifespan of the spring.
Corpral_Agarn
Member
Mags for business purposes are kept loaded.
Mags for range use vary
Mags for range use vary
CoalCrackerAl
Member
Loaded.
These two sum it up for me, except it’s “maybe twice a year.”
Unloading them and refilling them will wear them out faster than leaving them loaded
P5 Guy
Member
Loaded both gun and magazine, but I do NOT do plus one.
IOW my Glock 34 with Glock's standard 17 round magazine has 17 shots before slide lock.
IOW my Glock 34 with Glock's standard 17 round magazine has 17 shots before slide lock.
Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
Loaded as ccw gun becomes night stand gun.Along with other home defense options at night.
Stop finger banging those semi-auto carry guns.
My carry guns are kept loaded and chambered in holsters. At the end of the day, the holstered, loaded, & chambered pistol comes off my belt as one unit.
The only time I unload my carry guns is to shoot them at the range and I have my own range.
Daily - weekly unnecessary unloading and handling is how you get bullet setback (in a semi-auto) and negligent discharges.
My carry guns are kept loaded and chambered in holsters. At the end of the day, the holstered, loaded, & chambered pistol comes off my belt as one unit.
The only time I unload my carry guns is to shoot them at the range and I have my own range.
Daily - weekly unnecessary unloading and handling is how you get bullet setback (in a semi-auto) and negligent discharges.
I don't carry revolvers, they are capacity deficient compared to a semi; that said, if I was tempted to unload a pistol magazine to "give the spring a rest" I might carry a revolver.
I keep magazines fully loaded +1 in the chamber; doesn't matter if the magazine holds 7 rounds or 15.
When the magazine spring needs replacement its not that expensive; a Glock magazine spring (for example) is $7.50
https://www.gunsprings.com/GLOCK+®/cID1/mID5/dID116#148
I keep magazines fully loaded +1 in the chamber; doesn't matter if the magazine holds 7 rounds or 15.
When the magazine spring needs replacement its not that expensive; a Glock magazine spring (for example) is $7.50
https://www.gunsprings.com/GLOCK+®/cID1/mID5/dID116#148
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