Mag Springs

[camacho]

I was under the impression that the mag springs ought to be stretched once in a while to relieve tension and prolong life. This is what I have been doing with my semi-autos. In the latest issue of "Handguns" Magazine, it is said that this is not a good practice because the life of the mag spring is shortened by doing it.

Any thoughts on that? Do you guys stretch your mag springs?

 

[cslinger]

Good quality spring steel like those used in magazine springs is only fatigued through use or in your case stretching. The springs in a high quality magazine should not take a set or have any problems from lack of use or being compressed over time as long as they were designed properly from the get go. There are numerous instances of folks shooting 1911 magazines that have been loaded for 40-50 years with no problems.

IMO you are doing much more harm by stretching your magazine springs and you would be better off buying new springs and installing them every couple of years or so.

My two cents.

 

[1 old 0311]

DO NOT STRETCH MAG SPRINGS. Springs weaken from use not compression. Load your mags, use your mags, but leave the springs alone. If you are worried about if order replacements from Wolff and replace them every 5-10 years.

 

[1 old 0311]

DO NOT STRETCH MAG SPRINGS. Springs weaken from use not compression. Load your mags, use your mags, but leave the springs alone. If you are worried about if order replacements from Wolff and replace them every 5-10 years.

 

[wally]

I agree in theory about mags springs lasting a long time, but in practice, guns like the Para Ordnance P14 tend to have rather short operational life of the magazine springs because of the radical compression used to get the 14 round capacity.

No doubt about it stretching a spring beyond its elastic limit (so it remains longer than when you started) if it doesn't ruin it straight away will shorten its life. I've done it as a field expedient and got a few more uses from a mag but it was in no way a real fix.

I've heard of IPSC shooters rigging a jig to hold a spring at its original when new length and periodically "baking" in ~500 degree oven to reset the length and temper. These are even more radical springs than in the P14 cramming 21 rounds of .40S&W or 29 of .38Super into a 140mm magazine. See www.henningshootsguns.com for more info.

Most springs "take a set" meaning their initial unloaded length (for compression springs) is longer than it ends up being after a short initial use and remains at this length for the remainder of its useful life -- its factored into the original design.

--wally.

 

[camacho]

Thanks folks. Appreciate your input!

 

[possum]

the only thig that i do to my mags is clean them and change out the springs when i cn tell that they aren't performing like they should, i swap out the sprig test fire a few times and they are g2g.