How many rounds do you keep in your magazines at home?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How many rounds do you keep in your magazines at home?

Posted: 1/20/2008 7:51:34 PM EDT

How many rounds is it safe to keep in a magazine, at home, for extended periods of time, without worrying about wearing out the springs in the mag?

I keep 10 rounds in one magazine. How long is it safe to keep them in that mag?

Posted: 1/20/2008 7:52:18 PM EDT

[#1]

As many as they'll hold.

Cycling kills magazine springs, like loading and unloading them, they're perfectly content and happy with constant pressure on them.

Posted: 1/20/2008 7:53:02 PM EDT

[#2]

I have magazines that i loaded in 1979 and they still function fine. You wont live long enough to worry about long term spring failure.

Posted: 1/20/2008 7:53:38 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
As many as they'll hold.

Posted: 1/20/2008 7:55:14 PM EDT

[#4]

If you take out the spring and follower you will be able to hold more rounds in your magazines.

Posted: 1/20/2008 7:55:24 PM EDT

[#5]

I guess I didn't have to unload my magazines today then. LOL.

Posted: 1/20/2008 7:55:27 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
As many as they'll hold.

Cycling kills magazine springs, like loading and unloading them, they're perfectly content and happy with constant pressure on them.

+1. Plenty of mags loaded to full capacity.

Posted: 1/20/2008 7:55:57 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

Quoted:
As many as they'll hold.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:00:17 PM EDT

[#8]

height=8

Quoted:
height=8

Quoted:
As many as they'll hold.

Cycling kills magazine springs, like loading and unloading them, they're perfectly content and happy with constant pressure on them.

+1. Plenty of mags loaded to full capacity.

Are you saying that if I went to the living room, and loaded my magazines to full capacity... 6 months from now, they'll still function without jamming or other problems with the springs?

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:00:59 PM EDT

[#9]

BTW: Welcome to the site.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:01:12 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
As many as they'll hold.

Cycling kills magazine springs, like loading and unloading them, they're perfectly content and happy with constant pressure on them.

+1. Plenty of mags loaded to full capacity.

Are you saying that if I went to the living room, and loaded my magazines to full capacity... 6 months from now, they'll still function without jamming or other problems with the springs?

6 years.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:02:33 PM EDT

[#11]

height=8

Quoted:
BTW: Welcome to the site.

Many thanks. I'll soon be a team member so that I can share my photos of hot chicks with my AR in the Babe of the Day forum correct?

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:14:47 PM EDT

[#12]

I always thought it was funny that in the .mil, when I was in Iraq, I had NCO's telling me I should unload my mags to "let the springs rest". They even named off some time interval for how often you're supposed to do it.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:16:25 PM EDT

[#13]

height=8

Quoted:
I always thought it was funny that in the .mil, when I was in Iraq, I had NCO's telling me I should unload my mags to "let the springs rest". They even named off some time interval for how often you're supposed to do it.

Why would they have that policy and is it necessary? What was the logic?

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:16:38 PM EDT

[#14]

I keep every single mag I own loaded to full capacity except for one or two 20 rounders that I use for range time at one paticular range....

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:17:32 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
As many as they'll hold.

+1

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:26:19 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I always thought it was funny that in the .mil, when I was in Iraq, I had NCO's telling me I should unload my mags to "let the springs rest". They even named off some time interval for how often you're supposed to do it.

Why would they have that policy and is it necessary? What was the logic?

I don't think it was a 'policy'. I think it was that they didn't know any better and probably heard it from someone else that they trusted.

A lot of people, such as myself, would go the whole deployment without firing a shot. So we would have loaded mags that would otherwise never be unloaded. They thought by leaving the springs compressed all year they would be weakened.

The only times I ever took the rounds out of my mags were after a dust storm to clean them.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:26:30 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
I always thought it was funny that in the .mil, when I was in Iraq, I had NCO's telling me I should unload my mags to "let the springs rest". They even named off some time interval for how often you're supposed to do it.

+1 i remember when i was in Iraq having to swap mags and un/re load them weekly...i never questioned it. i guess i figured it made sense.

interesting to hear the opposite hear, i guess ill go home and load some mags now

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:27:43 PM EDT

[#18]

87

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:31:18 PM EDT

[#19]

90 in my Beta.
:-)

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:33:14 PM EDT

[#20]

I find that magazines aren't a good place to keep ammo. Just no good way to keep 'em in there. Whenever I try, they always seem to fall out and go into the basket.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:37:28 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
BTW: Welcome to the site.

Many thanks. I'll soon be a team member so that I can share my photos of hot chicks with my AR in the Babe of the Day forum correct?

IM them to me for current member approval.

It's standard policy around here.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:42:24 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I always thought it was funny that in the .mil, when I was in Iraq, I had NCO's telling me I should unload my mags to "let the springs rest". They even named off some time interval for how often you're supposed to do it.

+1 i remember when i was in Iraq having to swap mags and un/re load them weekly...i never questioned it. i guess i figured it made sense.

interesting to hear the opposite hear, i guess ill go home and load some mags now

I could be wrong, but I think I've read that with older springs it could be an issue, where having the spring constantly compressed for a very long period of time would weaken it and prevent it from returning to its shape at rest. But by older, I'm talking a lot older. But with modern metallurgy, this is not really an issue. As others have said, having the spring compressed or at rest will not wear out the spring. The only thing that will wear it is the process of being compressed or released.

Experts, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm trying to find info on that now.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:44:03 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I always thought it was funny that in the .mil, when I was in Iraq, I had NCO's telling me I should unload my mags to "let the springs rest". They even named off some time interval for how often you're supposed to do it.

+1 i remember when i was in Iraq having to swap mags and un/re load them weekly...i never questioned it. i guess i figured it made sense.

interesting to hear the opposite hear, i guess ill go home and load some mags now

The only reason to unload your mags in that environment would be to clean the sand out. Mag springs don't need a "rest". I've got magazines that have remained loaded for over 15 years. When I take them to the range, they function fine.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:44:54 PM EDT

[#24]

FULLY LOADED, sir. We're solid.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:46:04 PM EDT

[#25]

Forgot to mention, the other thing that of course will wear out or deform a spring is compressing or stretching it beyond its elastic limits. This should never be an issue in a magazine though. If fully loading a mag compresses the spring beyond the elastic limits of the spring, the mag was fundamentally flawed from its design.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:46:16 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
87

87

- Clint

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:46:55 PM EDT

[#27]

All my mags are loaded to the hilt. I dont keep any empty mags around the house.

Doesnt hurt the magazine springs. Pls you never know when the zombies will pop out of your front lawn.

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:48:17 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
All my mags are loaded to the hilt. I dont keep any empty mags around the house.

Doesnt hurt the magazine springs. Pls you never know when the zombies will pop out of your front lawn.

I hate them fuckin' Zombies..........

- Clint

Posted: 1/20/2008 8:50:53 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

Quoted:
All my mags are loaded to the hilt. I dont keep any empty mags around the house.

Doesnt hurt the magazine springs. Pls you never know when the zombies will pop out of your front lawn.

I hate them fuckin' Zombies..........

- Clint

[Kaufman]Zombies, man. They creep me out.[/Kaufman]

Posted: 1/21/2008 8:33:47 AM EDT

[#30]

height=8

Quoted:
height=8

Quoted:
All my mags are loaded to the hilt. I dont keep any empty mags around the house.

Doesnt hurt the magazine springs. Pls you never know when the zombies will pop out of your front lawn. hate

- Clint

[Kaufman]Zombies, man. They creep me out.[/Kaufman]

Zombies are the main reason I keep my AR handy. Good to know I can keep my magazines loaded without fear of the springs wearing out or jamming... and without fear of the zombies.

Posted: 1/21/2008 8:47:46 AM EDT

[#31]

A shitload...never know when zombies pop up...

Posted: 1/21/2008 8:51:11 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:

Quoted:
As many as they'll hold.

Cycling kills magazine springs, like loading and unloading them, they're perfectly content and happy with constant pressure on them.

+1. Plenty of mags loaded to full capacity.

Are you saying that if I went to the living room, and loaded my magazines to full capacity... 6 months from now, they'll still function without jamming or other problems with the springs?

6 years.

60 years.

I read somewhere that The American Rifleman did a piece a few years ago about some 1911 that was loaded during WWII era. Same rounds in the gun up until early 2000's or late 1990's. The guy fired it, and the magazine worked just like new.

Posted: 1/21/2008 9:00:35 AM EDT

[#33]

What kind of mags?

Posted: 1/21/2008 9:13:19 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
If you take out the spring and follower you will be able to hold more rounds in your magazines.

Sure, shoot upside down using gravity feed!

Posted: 1/21/2008 9:14:59 AM EDT

[#35]

Full capacity for all mags.

All mags are always loaded.

Posted: 1/21/2008 9:16:26 AM EDT

[#36]

Handgun mags: Fully loaded.

AR mags: -2.

J

Posted: 1/21/2008 9:17:32 AM EDT

[#37]

I keep two with 28 near my HD rifle.

Posted: 1/21/2008 9:18:57 AM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
Full capacity for all mags.

All mags are always loaded.

this.

some people claim to have issues seating a fully loaded 30 rounder on a closed bolt.

i've never had that problem on any of my rifles, with no telling how many different magazines.

cycling magazines out to "save wear" actually causes it.

The only benefit would be over in the sandbox, disassemble the mags once in a while, get all the sand out, then put em back together again.

Posted: 1/21/2008 9:21:07 AM EDT

[#39]

Not many cuz every time I pick one up to read, they all fall out!!!

Posted: 1/21/2008 11:00:54 AM EDT

[#40]

My Mags are full. I keep them full always.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How many rounds do you keep in your magazines at home?

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