Do you leave your clips full of ammo?

[BushyGuy]

i keep all my mags loaded, they are built to be loaded for the life of the mags, look at the military and LEO they keep mags always loaded.

it hurts them loading and unloading them more then keeping them stored loaded for years.

 

[9x19sig]

If someone told you that leaving mags full will ruin the spring they were WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG :banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

[Zerodefect]

I only buy the best mags I can find or build 'em myself. I keep them loaded. A good spring can handle it. When it gets old get a new spring. Cheap insurance if your truely worried.

I'd be more worried about the feed lips bending over time.

 

[nalioth]

I'd be more worried about the feed lips bending over time.

Said condition only affecting one standard magazine design that I'm aware of . .

 

[highorder]

I keep all my clips and mags loaded. I load them when watching movies, etc. I like being ready when I make a range trip. I've discovered that loading at the range sucks. I generally shoot the ammo I have loaded in mags, then switch to another gun. I don't really bring boxed ammo anymore, except for weird guns I only have one or two mags for.

+1 to all that. Get out of my head.

Also,

Said condition only affecting one standard magazine design that I'm aware of . .

I've heard from the internet that both the 1911 and AR-pattern magazines are susceptible to feed lip deformation over time, supposedly due to pressure from loaded rounds. I'm more inclined to believe the stress occurs during feeding.

Which magazines were you talking about?

 

[Clifford]

Fastcast, you are correct that the ride height will be a little lower brand new vs a couple of miles of service. That said once the springs settle they ARE NOT gonna weaken and sag any lower from sitting with just the vehicle weight on them. Just look around at any scrap yard or even better a used car lot. A 1993 Toyota camry with 100k+ miles isn't gonna sit any lower than the 1999 camry with 30k miles on it.

The quality of springs has come a long way in 100 years. When they are used in the correct manner a coil spring, leafspring or torsion bar has a near infinite life in a vehicle. If a spring is overloaded, overextended or allowed to corrode it will sag and eventually fail.

The spring in the magazine of a firearm has a rough life compared to a suspension spring. When the magazine is loaded the spring is compressed to nearly is full travel (very true in 8 round 1911 mag's). During use the spring in a magazine does not have the help of a dampener to slow down and steady it's extension travel. Also a mag spring has to do it's job with the shortest lenght possible (wire diameter and overall lenght) to allow maximum capacity and still make it easy enough to load the mag.

As long as the spring is properly made and cared for it's not gonna lose tension sitting under a load, unless the spring is overcompressed. 8 round .45 cal and 10 round .38 super 1911 magazines are an example of a magazine with an overworked spring. Compared to the original 7 and 9 round designs the springs in these mag's are shorter and they are compressed further than originally designed.

To help make these mags work the springs would need to be stronger (larger wire diameter). Sounds good but they can't be made much heavier for two reasons. One, the thicker the spring the more room it takes up in the mag body and that limits the number of rounds that can be crammed into it. Two, the heavier the spring the harder it is to load the friggin thing.

In mags like this the springs are asked to a lot of work. Therefore they have a shorter working life.

 

[Hatterasguy]

I keep most of my mags loaded all the time, thats what they are designed for.

I have some WW2 vintage M1 Carbine mags that were probably kept loaded for 30-40 years after the war. They still work fine.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Springs fatigue from use (i.e., being rapidly compressed and extended), not compressed in a fixed position. A possible exception might be some magazines that cram a lot of rounds into a small space. Then, the spring might fatigue prematurely due to being overcompressed to start with.

 

[Samkofsky]

Magazine springs

Personally I do not leave my magazines loaded, but I have seen 1911/A1 magazines supposedly loaded since WWII that still worked. Magazines springs do loose strength over a period of time, otherwise why would you break them in? Answer: So they're not as difficult to load as they are when new. Especially high capacity pistol magazines. To avoid this problem I carry a revolver most of the time, however if I get "geared up" I'm strapping on a 45 auto with lots of loaded extra mags because they are much faster to load than a revolver for me. And when my arthritis flares up I'll use a magazine loading tool!

And don't worry about getting your terms mixed up, everyone learns a little more every day.

 

[AKElroy]

Ok than.....What is the natural state of the spring? Uncompressed correct so according to your own explanation, when the spring is compressed the molecules change correct?

The natural state is the one they were forged to achieve, a process requiring a lot of heat & repetitive action. By the way, the spring is compressed in a magizine loaded or not. Ask PTK--He's the mechanical engineer. I just hang out here.

 

[pacerdude]

I too, had originally worried about keeping my magazines fully loaded, but then decided that they were made to be completely loaded, and that only having them partially loaded, wasn't going to do me any favors.

 

[INMY01TA]

 

[NG VI]

Don't know, I don't own a Mauser 1896 yet.

 

[glove]

Yes I keep 8 SKS clips full & my pistol mags. are full also. An empty mag. will do you no good.

 

[okespe04]

Mosin and sks clips stay full as to my ak, 1911, and glock mags.

 

[Clarence]

Did you mean clips or magazines? The only two guns that I have that take clips are my M1 Garand and my S&W 625 which uses moonclips. Yeah, I leave them loaded.

My guns which take magazines - yeah I leave some of them loaded too.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

I'd bet the farm, that if you took a new car and didn't drive it at all but left it sit (experiment) for say 20 years, that ground clearance would not be as high as when new.

I've got a 1970 Cadillac. When I removed the original springs two years ago (to put in stiffer, lower ones ) the ride height was well within the factory spec (yes I have the manual)

Used to own a '54 Bel Air. Didn't have ride height specs for it, but it sure wasn't riding low. Plenty high, and plenty of space to the bump stops.

 

[Zerodefect]

I was thinking of 1911 and AR15 mags. Thats alot of force on those feed lips when their loaded. Cheaper mags seem to deform eventually.

I use Pmags for the Ar to solve the problem and Tripp Cobramags to solve the 1911 problem.

It's not that I'm worried about feedlip stress, but it's something to keep an eye out for.

 

[ross1]

Ok than.....What is the natural state of the spring? Uncompressed correct so according to your own explanation, when the spring is compressed the molecules change correct? Now if the spring stays this way and the molecules are not allowed to return to there natural state, they are static but in their unnatural state correct? I'm not following how this could make no difference in the life of the spring.



I believe this is what I'm saying.....It depends on the quality of the particular spring in question.



I'd bet the farm, that if you took a new car and didn't drive it at all but left it sit (experiment) for say 20 years, that ground clearance would not be as high as when new.

I'd bet the farm, that if you took a new car and didn't drive it at all but left it sit (experiment) for say 20 years, that ground clearance would not be as high as when new.

I guarantee that you are correct, but more because the air leaked out of the tires, not the springs sagging.(test conducted on 1989 Supra sitting in my driveway since 2005 due to blown HG)

 

[swinokur]

I know the new thing is to believe leaving them fully loaded doesn't ruin/weaken the springs. I'm not really buying that logic. I've seen far too many used pistols sold by little old ladies, with full mags, that had shot springs. Their husband died 10 plus years ago and she finally decides to sell his gun but never would touch it, to unload the mags.

IMO.....Spring steel will develop memory if compressed continuously for too long.

I'm sure some will say I'm crazy but the poof is in the puddin

Guess the springs in my car are worn out then. They have been compressed for 9 years.

 

[Average Joe]

All my clips are loaded, mags too !

 

[nalioth]

I've seen far too many used pistols sold by little old ladies, with full mags, that had shot springs.

Jennings and Jimenez and other pot-metal saturday-night-specials are worth every penny paid for them.

I should think we're discussing quality springs (from quality guns) in this thread.

 

[Fastcast]

Gentlemen, like I said early, you do as you please. Here's (below) what Wolff Spring has to say on the subject of keeping mags fully loaded. I'd think they know just a little bit more about springs than the so called experts here.

I'm sure though, that the canned response from all THR experts will be: Of course Wolff would say this, they sell springs and want your mags to wear out quicker by rotating/unloading them occasionally. ...... You can bet Wolff doesn't need to make up BS to sell enough springs to keep their business lucrative.


How often should I change magazine spring? Should I unload my magazines, rotate magazines, load with fewer than the maximum rounds?

Magazine springs in semi-auto pistols are one of the most critical springs and are the subject of much debate and concern. Magazines which are kept fully loaded for long periods of time, such as in law enforcement and personal/home defense applications, will generally be subject to more fatigue than the weekend shooter's magazine springs in which the magazines are loaded up only when shooting.

Magazine design and capacity also affect the longevity of the spring. In many older pistol designs, maximum capacity was not the always the goal such as with the 7 round 1911 Colt magazines will last for years fully loaded. There was room for more spring material in these guns which reduces overall stress and increases the usable life of the spring.

More recently higher capacity magazine have become popular. These are designed to hold more rounds with less spring material often in the same space. This puts more stress on the spring and will cause it to 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 it is not always practical.

In applications where the magazine must be kept loaded at all times, a high quality magazine spring such as Wolff extra power magazine springs, will provide maximum life. Regular replacement of magazine springs will provide the best defense against failure from weak magazine springs. Regular shooting of the pistol is the best way to be sure the springs are still functioning reliably.

 

[CWL]

Gentlemen, like I said early, you do as you please. Here's (below) what Wolff Spring has to say on the subject of keeping mags fully loaded. I'd think they know just a little bit more about springs than the so called experts here.

Fastcast,
Aren't you the guy who already "bet the farm" on a wrong assumption?

I suggest that you stop making claims based on hearsay and assumptions, unless you have personal experience to share about spring fatigue (preferably gathered over decades, and across multiple firearms & calibers).

 

[Fastcast]

Fastcast,
Aren't you the guy who already "bet the farm" on a wrong assumption?

I suggest that you stop making claims based on hearsay and assumptions, unless you have personal experience to share about spring fatigue (preferably gathered over decades, and across multiple firearms & calibers).

What wrong assumption smart guy?.....I see no undeniable proof that what I said is incorrect and I stand by my statement. I believe the springs would still be fatigued and have some sag, may be minimal but measurable.

Lets use this for an example, as compared to the longterm, fully loaded mag: Take a truck and load the bed full of stone, now leave that truck sit without moving for say 15 years and you're telling me there will be no spring fatigue, therefore no sag and those springs are going to pop right back and be factory fresh. LOL

You don't have to believe a thing I say but apparently Wolff's experience and expertise in springs means nothing to you internet commandos .