[Modest Novice]

Hi guys, I have a question regarding the Glock 36 which I have been carrying for about 2 years with 6 rounds total.

I have been loading the "in the gun mag" & backup mags with 5 rounds & I do carry with 1 in the chamber.

Recently I have been considering loading the mags to full capacity. So I would be carrying 6 rounds in the mag & 1 in the chamber, and the back up mag would also have 6 rounds.

My main area of concern is avoiding unnecessary spring wear. And since I have been only carrying 5 rounds in all the mags, I wonder if the springs have taken the set for 5 rounds & adding one more could weaken them.

I have carried for 14 years now, and I do not feel "under gunned" with 6 rounds of .45 & another 5 in the backup mag.

But do other Glock 36 owners "download" their own magazines by one round as well?

I have always downloaded by 1 round in all my magazine fed guns, but when you carry a mag that only accepts 6 rounds is that an unnecessary risk to lose that single round?

Thanks guys!

[Modest Novice]

Okay. Thanks to who voted. If anyone else had any thoughts on what to do, or what not to do please post your thoughts, as I have not added the last round to the mag just yet :)

[geronimo509]

I voted no because Constant Spring Compression is not what ruins your mags. Unloading them and loading them are what causes springs to go bad. If you load it to max capacity and leave it there then you shouldn't have a problem

[Special_K]

They were designed for 6 rounds, it shouldn't have any problems holding that many while functioning well.

[Dan Crocker]

I voted no because Constant Spring Compression is not what ruins your mags. Unloading them and loading them are what causes springs to go bad. If you load it to max capacity and leave it there then you shouldn't have a problem

I always thought that being unloaded and loaded (i.e. shooting) was exactly what a magazine was designed to do? I'm not saying that you are wrong, because I see people argue both sides of this constantly, and I'm really not convinced either way. If people load the single-stack 1911 mags to capacity all the time, they why would it hurt a single-stack Glock magazine? The only time I've ever downloaded magazines was with the M4 mags (28) and the M9 mags (14) while I was overseas, since both are not known for being high quality...

[wyocarp]

I don't understand why someone would even think about not loading the magazine to the capacity that it was intended for if one is going to load it at all.

[Modest Novice]

Well, the reason I heard "not" to load magazines to there full capacity, was to extend spring "life"... Supposedly extending them by 40 percent longer vs spring that were always compressed fully....

And I have read a few post about Glock mag springs, that after being loaded to full capacity, became so weak that they were unable to feed reliably. All in the course of a month...

And since my mags have always been downloaded by 1 round, I worry that adding 1 additional round now, could weaken the spring if my mag springs have already taken there "set" etc...

I think the person that started people downloading by 1 or more was some guy named "Chuck Hawks" or something like that. At least that is the name of the person who someone on a forum quoted...

Now whether it is true/fact or not remains to be seen in my book. But with the knowledge of the users on this particular forum, I would almost certainly side with their opinion vs just some gun "guru"...

Having a mag that takes 15 or more rounds, I dont really mind "not" topping them off. But when it's only 6 rounds, downloading by 1 round seems to be a much greater sacrifice. And if it does not extend spring life, I feel I could be making an unwise choice...

Anyway I look at it, some people will say to download by 1, even if that means I have only 5 in the mag, VS those who say to max it out & it wont affect the spring strength... Potato/Potaato :)

[The Lone Haranguer]

As a matter of policy and protocol, my guns are topped up.

[RyanM]

And I have read a few post about Glock mag springs, that after being loaded to full capacity, became so weak that they were unable to feed reliably. All in the course of a month...

Sounds like a bunch of malarky to me. There are also people who claim that Glock mags inherently "overcompress" their springs. If a compression spring can even be "overcompressed," it would be due to incredibly poor design bordering on intentional sabotage, as you would need to literally turn the spring inside-out.

Sometimes even the experts don't have a clue what they're talking about. People like to think that an expert in some topic will know everything there is about closely related ones, but that just isn't true at all.

Springs will weaken a little bit if they're kept compressed for a while, but after a relatively short time they're as weak as they're going to get (actually, a month is probably about right). Sorta like clothes shrinking the first time they're washed.

But the "weaker" weight is the strength the spring is supposed to be. If someone suddenly has jams after a month, it's due to either a defective gun or mags, or limp-wristing (which was temporarily compensated for by the "new" spring weight). And the solution to that is to either add weight to your frame (a tungsten guide rod is an easy way to add an ounce), strengthen your forearms, or just get an all-steel gun.

[Modest Novice]

Okay, thanks guys. I think I will be loading that 1 last round today. And Like I said, I would trust the opinions of this forum much more than some gun "guru" type. I want real world experience & knowledge & I got nothing less than that here on this thread. Thanks again THR members!

[RyanM]

I want real world experience & knowledge & I got nothing less than that here on this thread. Thanks again THR members!

I knew I forgot something! I've had the same springs (ISMII extra power ones) in all 3 of my Glock 23 mags for about 2 years. They've all been constantly loaded with 13 the whole time, except for brief periods at the range where they're waiting to be loaded up again. Still going strong, though I am considering replacing them just on general principles. Probably a waste of money.

Likewise, my Kahr magazines are kept loaded to full capacity, and I haven't noticed any weakening at all. I don't think I'll ever mess with them. Single stack magazines (and rifle double stacks) seem to be much less sensitive to weak springs, than pistol double stacks with a "constriction" at the top.

[Modest Novice]

Thanks Ryan, Agreed! Single stack pistol mags & double stack rifle mags seem to be very reliable.

And I have heard great things about ISMII springs, if my glock facotry springs ever give me hiccups I wil most likely go to those :)

[alistaire]

Keep it fully loaded. If a spring goes soft, buy a new spring. Wolff Springs: http://www.gunsprings.com/SemiAuto/GlockNF.html#Magazine

[alistaire]

Keep it fully loaded. If a spring goes soft, buy a new spring. Wolff Springs: http://www.gunsprings.com/SemiAuto/GlockNF.html#Magazine

Last year I had to replace several magazine springs that had gone bad after 20 years of use.