# magazine springs wearing out myth or fact



## m.williams43 (Mar 12, 2013)

i was told on our m4 mags to only load 27-28 rds in them. they are 30 rd magazines. is it true for handguns as well? is their a SOP to handgun magazines i should follow? thanks


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## tacman605 (Oct 11, 2012)

The reason for loading the M4 mags with 29 is that the sometimes they will not seat/lock when fully loaded into the weapon with a closed bolt.

Magazines generally suffer more wear from compression and extension than from leaving them loaded or downloading them a round or so. I am not at home very often and leave mags fully loaded for months at a time with no issues.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I leave my handgun mags loaded for years at a time. 

No issues at all.


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## BigCityChief (Jan 2, 2013)

Me too.


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## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

paratrooper said:


> I leave my handgun mags loaded for years at a time.
> 
> No issues at all.


Ide never do that.

I know the whole capacity thing is a marketing thing and even though mine say 25 rounds or 18 rounds (CZ75) i never stuff it full i dont see the need.

Have you ever looked down in the slot at the mag spring when its stuffed full? it isnt compressing uniformly its all bent and twisted and some coils are inside each other how can that be good?

Ever seen a car going down the road with the rear end about dragging the ground?

With the cost of mags now im taking just as good of care of them as the rest of the gun.


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## Broondog (Feb 1, 2013)

i've got boatloads of mags sitting around here loaded up and have been that way for a long time. when i take them out back they unload just fine and i load them back up. over and over this happens and i have never experienced any ill effects from doing this.

that's not to say that i don't have any spare springs because in fact i do, just like i have spare firing pins and extractors and such. spare parts are part of the game. will i ever use them? maybe, maybe not.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

I'll join the guys who leave em' loaded for years with no issues.

My duty mags stay loaded all the time, month after month. If it was bad, I'm sure LEO's would be required to unload em' periodically by their dept. Mine dosen't and none of my friends dept's do either... so I guess it's a non-issue.

I say Myth.


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## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

It's near universally considered a myth. Springs wear out from compression and extension, and can be damaged by over-compression or over-extension, and none of these situations normally occur in a firearm magazine.

KG


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## XD40inAVL (Feb 1, 2013)

Do the springs on your car wear out? No, of course not. 

Besides mag springs have an easy life compared to the recoil spring.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

I prefer not to leave my magazines loaded for extended periods of time, and if I do, I make sure they are new springs. If you change your magazine springs periodically I don't see a problem, but if you have older springs with high round counts and leave them loaded for extended periods of time in my opinion and experience you take your chances.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Older contract M/AR mags would weaken the springs if left fully loaded due to the design,the spring is pushed to it's elastic limit in the remaining space after 30 rounds were loaded.I'd suspect Magpul and the like cured this but without talking to them I can't say.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Every batch of springs may differ.The springs are heat treated to a desired temper. It is a science , carbon content, ,,cooling rate effects brittleness, hardness, creating it's temper


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I'm just going by my own experience. If I had any issues with magazines and their springs, I'd adjust accordingly. 

I keep just one handgun loaded and ready for use in my house. It's loaded to max. capacity. I do keep an extra mag loaded as well, and it's right next to the gun. 

All the other mags for all my other pistols, are of course, not loaded.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

paratrooper said:


> I'm just going by my own experience. If I had any issues with magazines and their springs, I'd adjust accordingly.
> 
> I keep just one handgun loaded and ready for use in my house. It's loaded to max. capacity. I do keep an extra mag loaded as well, and it's right next to the gun.
> 
> All the other mags for all my other pistols, are of course, not loaded.


I do the same thing load em up, forgetta bout em, bada bing


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## 2AFan (Feb 14, 2013)

I'd be interested to hear how the military trains servicemembers. I spoke with a Marine a few months back who told me he was trained to cycle the magazine once each week. If you are serving or served, how were you trained? Also, how recent was your training?


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Back in the early 90's... the Marine Corp never mentioned it being an issue, so mags stayed stuffed at all times.

As a current LEO, we leave our duty mags stuffed for months/years at a time (unless used). I feel it's not something to be overly concerned about. I know I've gone years with my personal handgun mags stored loaded and have had no issues when it comes time to use em'.

I've heard of no problems leaving mags stuffed from any of my Marine or LEO buddies either... and the odds of us using our tools to save our lives are greater than other professions... you'd think there would be a policy or general order regarding mags if this was a concern.

I would assume mags are designed for extended compression... makes sense, that way they're always ready to perform.


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## DanP_from_AZ (May 8, 2009)

m.williams43 said:


> *magazine springs wearing out myth or fact*


Both.

It's a *myth* with proper design, proper material specification, proper manufacturing (especially heat treating).

It's a *fact* if shortcuts are taken in ANY of those areas. And that happens. Cost can be king, you know.

It remains "for the student" to determine in which "category" your mags reside. It's likely to be low probablilty,
but your life may depend on "it". Exactly the same "value judgement" is needed for your gun.

As for leaving mags "loaded for life" in a gun, I'd think you should worry more about how the gun was lubed/greased.
And what happens to that lube/grease over time. Especially over a LOT of time.

I take my night table gun to the range about once a year. Run the gun and mags with the self-defense ammo from last year.
Run a couple of more mags of practice ammo. Home to clean, lube, load the mags with today's self-defense ammo du jour.

Once time, after a year, it didn't like to cycle consistently (Beretta FS 92 Centurion). Stovepiped. I don't use that lube any more. 
I'm using thin film of a Mil-Spec light grease. HIGHLY recommended by a local gunsmith I trust. So far, no problems. But, it has
only been tried for two years.

YMMV. :smt1099


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## BowerR64 (Oct 2, 2012)

XD40inAVL said:


> Do the springs on your car wear out? No, of course not.
> 
> Besides mag springs have an easy life compared to the recoil spring.


Bed springs dont wear out or sag either.


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## m.williams43 (Mar 12, 2013)

*how the military trains servicemembers*



2AFan said:


> I'd be interested to hear how the military trains servicemembers. I spoke with a Marine a few months back who told me he was trained to cycle the magazine once each week. If you are serving or served, how were you trained? Also, how recent was your training?


Well, I was in Afghanistan during 2010-11. We had SF teach us proper lube and magazine care differently than we were taught in the states (due to the moondust and sand over there) yes we were told to cycle our rounds out of our mags at least once a week mostly because all the crap that is in the air and all around. That stuff feels like glass when it gets in your eyes, so u can only imagine day in day out what kind of crap your firearms take in.


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## tacman605 (Oct 11, 2012)

In a combat situation yes things will be done differently than at home. Home defense mags, ammo and weapons are not exposed to the abuse like that in a hostile environment.

Over here when I do regular weapons maintenance it is usually proceeded by shooting my current mags and loading new ammunition. I do inspect my mags to make sure they are functional but do not have a regular schedule to unload and reload them. We currently have mags loaded and stacked in vehicles which have been in the ammo cans for awhile but have no problems when we need them.


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## DanP_from_AZ (May 8, 2009)

BowerR64 said:


> Bed springs dont wear out or sag either.





DanP_from_AZ said:


> . . . It's a *fact* if shortcuts are taken in ANY of those areas. And that happens. Cost can be king you know. . .


So, for bedsprings, I agree with your sarcasm. I rest my case:

1. Cheap.

2. Hopefully, "exercised" far more often than firearm magazines. Of course, "your" mileage may vary. :smt1099


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

m.williams43 said:


> Well, I was in Afghanistan during 2010-11. We had SF teach us proper lube and magazine care differently than we were taught in the states (due to the moondust and sand over there) yes we were told to cycle our rounds out of our mags at least once a week mostly because all the crap that is in the air and all around. That stuff feels like glass when it gets in your eyes, so u can only imagine day in day out what kind of crap your firearms take in.


Combat conditions are far different than any other. The SF instructor was most likely more concerned about dirt and debris, rather than spring compression and cycling. And the fact, that your ammo will get cruddy as can be. Clean ammo and a clean mag is essential when waging war.


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