Posted: 1/13/2010 3:02:47 AM EDT
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Ok, I'm new to ccw, just turned 21 a month ago, got my lisence asap. Now, amoung many other things, what I've wondered is, should I load my mags to full cap? And how often should i unload them and fill other ones, what does it do to the springs? It's always been a rule of thumb not to load our m16 mags past 28. Now, Ive often loaded my ar15 mags full with no problem so i really dont know what to think on that.
The question being. Should i load my mags full for my ccw, and if so how often should i change mags? I have a glock 19 useing standard 15 rd mags, + 1 thanks |
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Quoted:
thanks for the feed back, i heard keeping them loaded for prolonged periods of time damaged the mag but i guess that was inaccurate, good to hear! thanks again Nope. (Pause for facepalm/AGNTSA picture.) Have created my own new AGNTSA pic. 
Repeated flexing of a spring will cause it to weaken and fail. Compressing it once (as you do when you load your mag again and again) will cause microscopic cracks to form in the spring, weakening it. |
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All of the above is true.
Plus there is no reason to unload your CCW unless you shoot it or clean it. Leave it loaded. Secure it properly when not in your direct control, but leave it loaded. Everytime you fuck with it, you increase the chances of an ND / AD and instill a doubt in your mind, that should you need it you won't know the status of it. |
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Although I lack any proof, most in the know agree the loading and unloading of mags is not good for spring life.
What you really need to do is train. Then, train some more. Practice shooting with mag changes and, if you can, insert some snap caps or dummy rounds into your pocket of ammo. This will help you wtih the "oh shits". Get out there and warm it up. Congrats on the CCW also. |
| FWIW, I never unload my CCW unless I fire it. When I take it off for the night, I leave it safely in my holster. When I put it back on in the morning it is ready to roll with a round in chamber. All guns are always loaded anyway, right? Load up your carry gun and don't mess with it unless you are going to take it to the range for practice. |
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Quoted:
Ok, I'm new to ccw, just turned 21 a month ago, got my lisence asap. Now, amoung many other things, what I've wondered is, should I load my mags to full cap? And how often should i unload them and fill other ones, what does it do to the springs? It's always been a rule of thumb not to load our m16 mags past 28. Now, Ive often loaded my ar15 mags full with no problem so i really dont know what to think on that. The question being. Should i load my mags full for my ccw, and if so how often should i change mags? I have a glock 19 useing standard 15 rd mags, + 1 thanks You know why that's done? To make inserting the mag easier on a closed bolt. Has nothing to do with the mag itself. Just FYI. Full mags in carry pistol/reloads (no insertion issues using my Glock 23, 27 or USP45c) for me. TRAINING IS KEY. Don't just carry w/o training: at least go take one "tactical" handgun course. Basic military M9 pistol training is very poor. |
| I also keep my pistols loaded all the time unless I am cleaning/shooting/practicing drawing, dry firing, etc. Fill the mags to capacity and don't think twice about it. Also I second the fact that the reason you were taught in the military (i'm assuming) to only load to 28 is for ease of loading on a closed bolt. Glocks aren't AR's/M16's. |
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I also keep my pistols loaded all the time unless I am cleaning/shooting/practicing drawing, dry firing, etc. Fill the mags to capacity and don't think twice about it. Also I second the fact that the reason you were taught in the military (i'm assuming) to only load to 28 is for ease of loading on a closed bolt. Glocks aren't AR's/M16's. This. |
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Quoted:
Ok, I'm new to ccw, just turned 21 a month ago, got my lisence asap. Now, amoung many other things, what I've wondered is, should I load my mags to full cap? And how often should i unload them and fill other ones, what does it do to the springs? It's always been a rule of thumb not to load our m16 mags past 28. Now, Ive often loaded my ar15 mags full with no problem so i really dont know what to think on that. The question being. Should i load my mags full for my ccw, and if so how often should i change mags? I have a glock 19 useing standard 15 rd mags, + 1 thanks You were told that about your rifle mags because dumbasses were too lazy to realize mags are 'class 9' expendable items. Current production rifle and pistol magazines are perfectly safe to load to capacity. |
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Quoted:
thanks for the feed back, i heard keeping them loaded for prolonged periods of time damaged the mag but i guess that was inaccurate, good to hear! thanks again I don't know where this type of talk got started but with any current high quality magazine it shouldn't be a problem. For some reason people still believe that the springs are going to "take a set". I had 2 sig P229 magazines that where loaded for 12-13 years straight. They both fired off with out any problems and still work perfect today. |
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I always carry my duty pistol fully loaded, with fully loaded spare magazines. Same goes for my CCW, a G27.
At a previous agency, I was issued an ancient Gen1 G17 (two-pin model). No telling how old the gun or mags were, or how many rounds had been through them. Mags and gun were 100%. 
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Properly engineered magazine springs are not damaged by being compressed for extended periods. The only things that damage springs are repeated flexing (loading and unloading of the magazine) and loading the spring past its elastic limit (something that you shouldn't be able to do with a well designed magazine). |