Fact or Myth - Leaving Magazines Loaded?

[KimberDude]

Greetings & Salutations:

I have spoken to a couple of my fellow gun buddies, gun shop workers, LEOs, and looked up information on the internet and could not find any satisfactory information/documentation, but just opinions. Can anyone give me any information whether it is fact or fiction for the following question?

Does leaving a magazine fully loaded for an extended period of time, whether it is a handgun or longgun, wear out and/or damage the spring, components, or magazine? I have heard that the constant loading and unloading causes more damage than just leaving them loaded. Some thoughts from fellow CalCCW folks? Thank you for the input and information.

[X-ffdo]

For a spring, I would think that compression is the enemy.

[Tom98915]

NO, leaving it compressed will not weaken a spring. what weakens a spring is repeated compression/expansion past its normal limits. Ask any machinist or gunsmith.

[X-ffdo]

Ok. Past its normal design limits. Got it.
So, the case of a Glock Pierce +2 grip extension is therefore a suspect?

[sholling]

Originally Posted by Tom98915

NO, leaving it compressed will not weaken a spring. what weakens a spring is repeated compression/expansion past its normal limits. Ask any machinist or gunsmith.

It's repeated compression and expansion to anywhere close to its design limits that wears out a spring - it just takes a heck of a lot of compression/expansion cycles. That's why you replace a recoil spring every so many shots. Going beyond design limits just wears the springs out much-much faster. FWIW before switching to computers I was a tool maker (glorified machinist) and machine builder for roughly 20 years. I've got magazines that have been loaded for 5 and 6 years that I trust.

[X-ffdo]

I see, so it is like a muscle, hyper flection will cause problems, and the more cycles the worse, or a wire being bent and going back and forth, number of cycles in a pressurized vessel, etc.
Ok. i think I got the concept.

[X-ffdo]

Originally Posted by sholling

It's repeated compression and expansion to anywhere close to its design limits that wears out a spring - it just takes a heck of a lot of compression/expansion cycles. That's why you replace a recoil spring every so many shots. Going beyond design limits just wears the springs out much-much faster. FWIW before switching to computers I was a tool maker (glorified machinist) and machine builder for roughly 20 years. I've got magazines that have been loaded for 5 and 6 years that I trust.

BTW. I have heard of the same thing, magazines that were loaded and packed away for long periods of time and still functioning in good order. That checks out. Thanks.

[spc]

Leaving magazines fully loaded for extended periods should cause no harm to the spring. It is the repeated cycling of the spring that causes wear.

spc

[RomanDad]

I have magazines that have been loaded for a decade or more....


They still work.

[PHM]

I just replace my springs on my glock 22 full capacity 15 round magazines and they have been left fully loaded since I bought the gun in 1991; 18 years, the springs were about 2 inches shorter than new springs, but the magazines still worked fine.

I would say leaving them loaded without a doubt, compresses the springs, whether is compresses them more that repeated loading and unloading, I don't know.

[SierraNevadaCCW]

I left my 17 round Glock 1989 era mags loaded and the outer shells cracked on all of them. They are all usable, but obviously damaged.

[Tom98915]

Originally Posted by SierraNevadaCCW

I left my 17 round Glock 1989 era mags loaded and the outer shells cracked on all of them. They are all usable, but obviously damaged.

Plastics do not take constant pressure over extended time periods without failure...so it seems like anyone with plastic magazines needs to take that into consideration.

[RickD6023]

Metal fatigue failures occur from compression and decompression since the metal is being exercised (which is why I don't exercise ). Place a spring in compression and it will eventually "flow" toward the new position since the metal in springs is fairly fluid.

The conclusion I draw is that 1) continuous compression/decompression from loading and unloading will wear out a spring faster than either leaving it loaded or unloaded. 2) An uncompressed spring will be effective longer than one under continuous compression.

My bottom line: load em, shoot em, reload em, shoot em. The mag spring will eventually wear out so buy a replacement spring when needed. Otherwise, own enough mags so that when one fails you can just toss it aside.

[spc]

Originally Posted by RickD6023

Metal fatigue failures occur from compression and decompression since the metal is being exercised (which is why I don't exercise ). Place a spring in compression and it will eventually "flow" toward the new position since the metal in springs is fairly fluid.

The conclusion I draw is that 1) continuous compression/decompression from loading and unloading will wear out a spring faster than either leaving it loaded or unloaded. 2) An uncompressed spring will be effective longer than one under continuous compression.

My bottom line: load em, shoot em, reload em, shoot em. The mag spring will eventually wear out so buy a replacement spring when needed. Otherwise, own enough mags so that when one fails you can just toss it aside.

Sounds like good advice and I agree. We should all have plenty of magazines for our firearms.

spc

[45 ACP]

Originally Posted by KimberDude

Greetings & Salutations:

I have spoken to a couple of my fellow gun buddies, gun shop workers, LEOs, and looked up information on the internet and could not find any satisfactory information/documentation, but just opinions. Can anyone give me any information whether it is fact or fiction for the following question?

Does leaving a magazine fully loaded for an extended period of time, whether it is a handgun or longgun, wear out and/or damage the spring, components, or magazine? I have heard that the constant loading and unloading causes more damage than just leaving them loaded. Some thoughts from fellow CalCCW folks? Thank you for the input and information.

I've been on multiple sides of this issue (unload every day/unload every week/leave 'em loaded all the time) especially after the problems I encountered here

Based on my experience, the engineering related advice proffered thus far is absolutely correct.

Therefore, I have come to the following conclusion: If the magazine is desgined CORRECTLY and utilizes GOOD QUALITY spring material, leaving the magazines loaded is not going to cause premature wear.

Notice I said "premature" as every magazine has its own lifecycle. Modifying the internal parts (i.e. extended floorplates that allow for further compression of the spring to add rounds) seems to shorten that lifecycle.

In my case, that's where the myth of "always unload your magazines every night/week" came from, as many co-workers were carrying Para-Ordinance P-14's with 4 round floorplate extensions. Should it have been any surprise that their springs sacked out rather quickly?

I think the lesson here is to:

1. Buy quality magazines

2. Monitor your magazine functionality

Keep 'em clean and when you determine they start to induce malfunctions (such as failure to lock back on last round) change the parts or:

THROW THEM AWAY