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  • andy41567

    Active Member
    Oct 1, 2018
    176
    ok I might be over thinking this whole thing. But i was told a long time ago when i purchased my first handgun to never load the mag to full capacity and leave it, as it can damage the spring and cause it not to feed the ammo right. The store owner said that unless i was shooting a lot and cycling thru my mags a lot that i should only load to about half of the mags capacity.

    Well yes i probably only make it to the range 1 or 2 times a month and maybe get time to shoot 50 to 300 rounds through each gun. but that doesn't always happen. So yes they spend most of there time as a CCW or in the Safe.

    So my question is: To be 100% ready for the unthinkable DO i keep my mags fully loaded guns good to go or what. I mean when seconds count what do i do? I am just John Q Public. I am not Military, Police or anything like that. I have about 10k rounds fired under my belt through various firearms over the last 20 years. So i am not an expert but looking for advice on whats best. I Know training is key and my CCW is a Springfield XDS Mod 2 that i do not have much experience with and was chosen for ease of carry. I do have experience with the XD 45 and XDM 40.

    The same goes for my wife as well who CCW is a Glock 43

    Also dose the same advise go for my AR...Can i keep them mags loaded or only when ready to use.

    like i said i may be over thinking. But I want to make sure I am making the best informed decision.

    thanks guys
     

    Boondock Saint

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 11, 2008
    24,366
    White Marsh
    Myth busted. Mags don't wear out from being fully loaded, or not loaded, or partially loaded. Cycling is what stresses the spring and will eventually wear it out. Load 'em up with confidence.

    One caveat: if you're working with mags with plastic feed lips (pmags, perhaps), the pressure from rounds pushing on the lips can deform them over time and affect feeding. In that case, you'll need to use the "dust covers" or take other steps to keep pressure off of the plastic lips while in storage.

    Happy shooting.
     
    Last edited:

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    One caveat: if you're working with mags with plastic feed lips (pmags, perhaps), the pressure from rounds pushing on the lips can deform them over time and affect feeding. In that case, you'll need to use the "dust covers" or take other steps to keep pressure off of the plastic lips while in storage.
    pmags don't really have that problem according to Magpul, but other polymer feedlips mags do. In particular, I've personally seen a fair number of 22lr rifle mags self-destruct in that fashion.

    Another exception is shotgun stick mags. The mags themselves will probably be fine, but the shells can deform. Contrary to what you've heard, this isn't really that big a deal - I recently shot about 25 slugs that sat in S12 mags for five years, and they fed and fired with usual accuracy at 25yds. But if you can avoid it, it's probably worth avoiding. Where you really get burned is with leaving a loaded shotgun stick mag in the shotgun, which really can cause severe enough deformation to cause functionality issues.
     

    Gorba

    Deplorable Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 24, 2018
    341
    Annapolis
    Happy to hear the consensus is to leave the mags full because I've been doing it forever with nary a problem.
     

    OLM-Medic

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    May 5, 2010
    6,588
    Myth busted. Mags don't wear out from being fully loaded, or not loaded, or partially loaded. Cycling is what stresses the spring and will eventually wear it out. Load 'em up with confidence.

    One caveat: if you're working with mags with plastic feed lips (pmags, perhaps), the pressure from rounds pushing on the lips can deform them over time and affect feeding. In that case, you'll need to use the "dust covers" or take other steps to keep pressure off of the plastic lips while in storage.

    Happy shooting.

    Even pmags I've had loaded for several years still work fine.
     

    spoon059

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 1, 2018
    5,335
    I'm a cop. My mags are fully loaded all the time. I don't get to shoot as much as I like, so it'll be 6 months between range time that my mags stay fully loaded.

    Our department doesn't allow us to have 15 in the mag and a 16th in the chamber thou. I forget the logic behind it, but we can only have 14 in the mag.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
     

    Blaster229

    God loves you, I don't.
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 14, 2010
    46,408
    Glen Burnie
    Our department doesn't allow us to have 15 in the mag and a 16th in the chamber thou. I forget the logic behind it, but we can only have 14 in the mag.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

    I believe some think that it causes too much pressure on the mag when fully inserted and locked in, or some shit like that. Could cause a top round feed issue or can "push" the mag out of it's seating, which it TOTALLY asinine.

    I retired last year from the Air Marshal service. I shot quite a bit. We didn't have to, but I had training mags and carry mags. 3 for the range and 3 for duty. Training mags got cycled and beat to shit. I only had 1 mag issue over the years. And it wasn't a feed issue. Did a reload, the empty mag hit the floor(inside range). I guess it was the perfect storm(Like hitting your funny bone) and the base plate snapped/slipped off and the spring shot out. It was pretty worn and I just put a new one on.
    My duty mags stayed fully loaded (12 rounds) all the time. I did shoot them a couple times a year just to cycle the ammo. Never had a "spring issue" with any mags, ever.

    12+1 loaded P229. Never some fairy tale "fully loaded " mag+1 issue either.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    I have 1911 mags that stayed fully loaded for over 15 YEARS without issue. And they work fine. They are quality mags, Wilson or McCormack.

    Busted myth. :D
     

    bigdv

    Ultimate Member
    May 17, 2010
    1,297
    Calvert Co.
    I leave mine loaded. These are in safes ready for quick access. I do not want to have to load the mags if I need them quickly. No issues in 15 years.
     

    Blaster229

    God loves you, I don't.
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 14, 2010
    46,408
    Glen Burnie
    Just did my yearly LEOSA qual today and someone brought this up. Typical of most people who think they know, but they didn't want to hear that cycling the mags weaken springs, not leaving them loaded.
     

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