Magazines

[deviated rationality 4]

Being as I bought a gun for home/personal protection, I have a question about magazines. While in the USMC I never had rounds in them for long, and I know with airsoft mags you cant keep bb's in to long or else the spring will lose its tension. So how long should I keep ammunition in a magazine?

 

(P226 9MM)

[mikeyboyeee 66]

Until your next range trip

[Maksim 1,504]

thats a really good question. I know I have some mags that are very tight, so I keep them loaded and cycle through every week or so. the spring is still tight though, tough to load. they are 9 round mags and anything after 5 requires a speed loader.

[pronoun 1]

I had this same question a while ago, so I did some reading online (for what its worth).

 

While I fully acknowledge the amount of inaccurate information there is on the web, the consensus from what I read is that a spring will not lose its tension simply by being compressed. It is the action of compressing, and then decompressing the spring that causes it to fatigue. It seems as if the belief that a magazine can "take a set" and be unable to feed its ammunition simply from being loaded for an extended amount of time is a myth.

 

I found this spring tension calculator that can determine if a spring is in danger of failing, but it would require you to know the constant of that particular spring. Whether the calculator is useful for our question I'm not sure, but if you notice at the top of the page it says

 

Fatigue is an issue in springs subjected to cyclic loading, where the force on the spring varies between a maximum and minimum value.

 

Here's the site I mentioned:

 

http://www.efunda.com/DesignStandards/s ... atigue.cfm

 

Of course, my disclaimer is that I am not a mechanical engineer (Dan that's your cue).

[djg0770 481]

a spring will not lose its tension simply by being compressed.

 

I think the proper terminology would be that a spring will not lose its ability to recover from compression just by being compressed. Otherwise, you are spot on.

 

Just a point, very few of you consider that your car sits on its springs since the day it was built and yet you rarely if ever worry about the ability of that spring (though exposed to all manner of environmental assaults) to compress and then expand, only to be compressed again. My cash for junkers truck had 250,000 miles on it, when it went to the crusher, it needed new shock absorbers, but though it had been put through the ringer (I overloaded it more times than I care to count) I never needed to replace the suspension springs.

 

I do not expect the same from my pistol magazines, however, simply compressing the spring for a long time will not "wear out" the spring.

[tj462nj 32]

the key phrase here was home defense. if you don't keep it loaded, its not going to help you if a situation arises. I keep my mags loaded to 2 rounds short of capacity for hd.

[crazyboy 13]

It seems the springs go bad from constant unloading/reloading and from over loading. Keeping them loaded shouldn't be a problem but a few more mags sure wont hurt.

[Maksim 1,504]

Or just get a revolver for home defense. =P No mags to worry about.

[deviated rationality 4]

well my intent was to load them anyway, for obvious reasons. what i was trying to find out is when i should cycle through or a time frame to be on the safe side (ie: one mag for a few weeks, than switch to the other to relieve constant pressure). But, as posted above, I feel fairly confident with what everyone has been saying.

 

and on revolvers, ill probably never own one as it takes a LOT longer to reload, and in survival situations (like if the country fell apart) revolvers arent that dependable over time without proper care, which would be hard to do.

[crazyboy 13]

Shotgun, problem solved

[tbtrout 141]

I have a Mag for my Sig that I have kept loaded for around 10 yrs just to see if there is any effect.. I go out and shoot it just to see how it goes and has not given me a problem at all. YMMV

[Jersey Joe 4]

Shotgun, problem solved

 

+1

 

Also, use quality mags, not cheapies.

[Jersey Joe 4]

 

and on revolvers, ill probably never own one as it takes a LOT longer to reload, and in survival situations (like if the country fell apart) revolvers arent that dependable over time without proper care, which would be hard to do.

 

This is just completely inaccurate. While revolvers have there shortcomings, reliability is not one of them. They are far less likely to fail than an auto and will eat any ammo you stick in the cylinder. I also know guys that can reload a revolver faster than most laymen can reload an auto...not me by a longshot

[Shane45 807]

Revolvers can have malfs just as easily IMO. In fact I have had more outright mechanical malfs with revolvers than auto's! The fireing pin on my Colt Python pierced and stuck in the primer. Because it couldnt retract, it couldnt cycle. My shooting partners Ruger GP100 had a failure when the hammer block got jammed up and stoped it from being able to cycle. Although the Jerry M's of the world can do amazing reloads, average shooter vs average shooter, auto wins. In regards to springs I read a first hand account of an old vet that found loaded 1911 mags he stuffed away more years ago than many of us have lived. They all functioned! If it concerns you. Swap em out every even calender year. Cheap insurance.

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

ill probably never own one as it takes a LOT longer to reload, and in survival situations (like if the country fell apart) revolvers arent that dependable over time without proper care, which would be hard to do.

 

You've obviously never seen Jerry Miculek or Ed McGivern reload a revolver, or even worked at it a little yourself with speedloaders or moon-clips. And, not sure where you are coming from with this "revolvers aren't that dependable" BS - they are generally considered much more so than a semi-auto. If you have a FTF with a revolver, it's probably bad ammo - just pull the trigger again. FTF with a SA, you may be SOL. Just an old-time wheelgunner's $.02.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[Shane45 807]

Alright you wheel gunner die hards. One thing you cant argue.. Capacity :twisted:

[Jersey Joe 4]

Alright you wheel gunner die hards. One thing you cant argue.. Capacity :twisted:

 

DAMMIT...FOILED AGAIN :shock:

[9C1 0]

Agreed. I personally used to think that stopping power was the most important thing, however its been shown that when a person is under real life or death stress, accuracy goes out the window along with fine motor skills (such as trigger control, clearing a malfunction, reloading....etc).

 

Unfortunately, no matter how well you train or can shoot at the range, if you find yourself in a life or death situation you will not shoot as well as you could have otherwise.

 

Capacity is IMHO just as, or MORE important than stopping power. (within reason. Dont carry a 20rd .22) Ide rather have 15 (or more) 9's or .40's than 7-8 .45's if I am forced to defend myself with a handgun. And the 1911 in .45 ACP is my favorite handgun so its not about what platform you shoot. 8-)

[bbk 188]

I do what TJ said, I keep my magazines loaded two short of their max capacity. I also rotate my magazine(s) every couple weeks... this way I always have something loaded (except for when I transport to the range... yea yea, I don't want to get into that conversation here). I'd probably only need one magazine (of rifle or pistol) for an HD situation-- but I'll be damned if I don't have more then one good to go when the zombies come (or if I have magazine malfunctions )

[Ray Ray 3,566]

Once again Shane has proven that he doesn't know anything about guns! And, for the first time me and Pizza bob are argreeing!

Revolvers will always be more reliable than semi-auto's, and everyone knows it. There's alot more going on with an automatic to make it work, where as a revolver just has to rotate.

 

Come on Shane, your better than that!

[mikeyboyeee 66]

Once again Shane has proven that he doesn't know anything about guns! And, for the first time me and Pizza bob are argreeing!

Revolvers will always be more reliable than semi-auto's, and everyone knows it. There's alot more going on with an automatic to make it work, where as a revolver just has to rotate.

 

Come on Shane, your better than that!

 

 

Maybe he saw your Charter Arms revolver?

[tbtrout 141]

Once again Shane has proven that he doesn't know anything about guns! And, for the first time me and Pizza bob are argreeing!

Revolvers will always be more reliable than semi-auto's, and everyone knows it. There's alot more going on with an automatic to make it work, where as a revolver just has to rotate.

 

Come on Shane, your better than that!

 

 

Maybe he saw your Charter Arms revolver?

[GoNRA 12]

I like powermag easily loads all 8 rounds.

[bulpup 98]

I had been told long ago that keeping the mags loaded would do more to the strength of the lips than the spring.

 

Is this not true?

[TommyRuss 6]

The great thing about magazine springs is that they're cheap (even top-of-the-line springs) and can be replaced fairly easily.

 

Also, +1 on the 2 rounds short of capacity for HD magazines.

[jeff47 30]

Everything I've read has been that as long as you don't over stretch the springs (plastic deformation vs elastic) the force from the springs should not be decreased. I read an account where a loaded mag that was found from WW2 was loaded and run through 50 years later without a single misfeed. As far as downloading a magazine, I've read that the reason SF groups in Nam used to download mags by 2 rounds had nothing to do with deforming the springs, it was actually the opposite. The early mags when fully loaded where too tight and they found it difficult to strip the first round off the top of the mag. Hence the reason for downloading by 2 was for reliability, but not for the reason commonly thought.

[Maksim 1,504]

Just get an Hk. it is one hell of a penis extension.... but they are reliable. I have yet to have a failure in mine.

[Celraysoda 7]

I keep 4 rounds in two mags that are bedside (single stack 8 rd mags). When I go to the range, the mags came with and the other two empties get the 4 rounds so they flip flop. I like to believe this doesn't affect spring life.

[Ray Ray 3,566]

Once again Shane has proven that he doesn't know anything about guns! And, for the first time me and Pizza bob are argreeing!

Revolvers will always be more reliable than semi-auto's, and everyone knows it. There's alot more going on with an automatic to make it work, where as a revolver just has to rotate.

 

Come on Shane, your better than that!

 

 

Maybe he saw your Charter Arms revolver?

 

Mikey, I love you! And Shane knows I love him.

[Shane45 807]

Ray Ray, brother, that revolver reliability faith you got going there... well it hasnt been my experience I can tell you that. So the amount of revolvers Im exposed to vs the amount of autos is probably 1000 to 1. But the failure rate Ive seen has been about even. Im not talking malfunctions, Im talking gun down and out events. Something you couldnt clear or rectify in say half a minute and you had to come off the line because of. The failures I have seen first hand:

 

Colt Python, hammer pierced primer and stuck locking up revolver. (MINE!)

S&W 686(I believe) Same exact issue

Ruger GP100, firing pin blocking bar jammed tying up the action.

Colt Cobra, broken v spring.

 

Sig220, broken extractor

S&W 4006, Broken extractor

Glock, Broken locking Bar

 

For the purpose of this discussion, I think its important to clarify on reliability.

 

A mechanical failure.

A shooter induced malfuction.

A general malfunction for whatever reason.

 

I see NO advantage to a revolver in the catagory of mechanical failure.

I can see a significant advantage for the revolver in the hands of a novice shooter as it is less likely to have a shooter induced malfunction. But if you do have one, it could be far harder to clear than an auto. Ever watch someone try and get a piece of brass that got stuck under the star out, or try and close the cylinder when crud is holding the star out enough to stop it from closing?

I can see an advantage to a revolver for a general failure like a bad primer for example. If it goes click, pull again! Instead of the TRB drill of an auto.

 

However, when you look at the complete shooting system, the advantages of the auto, in my opinion, far outwiegh the few places the revolver may have a reliability advantage.

 

One other thing, I think an auto can take more physical abuse than a revolver and continue to function. Think about reloading on the run and falling on the revolver with the cylinder out bending the crane. Its done! If that sounds funny or unlikely, Ill introduce you to a few Marines that have broken (_________)<----insert anything you like here!

 

But hey this is just the opinion of a window licker that cant type or spell. :?