A Question About Clips!!!..

springs are not worn down from being compressed for long periods of time, they wear from being compressed and uncompressed many many times, over use. and with the amount that you shoot it dosen't sound like you have used the mags, and shot the gun enough to wear out a mag yet.do not stretch the spring.

does the mag still feed reliably? if so i wouldn't worry about it, other wise changing a mag spring isn't hard to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsRFwy8ZL4I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPigvHWiX4Y

The springs wear out due to cycles, not from being compressed for long periods. The common example is bending a paper clip. One bend is no problem, but if you bend it back and forth several times it gets hot and then breaks. The same rules apply to your magazines except the springs are made of spring steel and it is designed to withstand several thousand cycles.

It seems that the spring in the magazine doesnt have the "Spring" that it used to.

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Is this based on function of the firearm or does it just seem easier to load? If it is based on how it feels to you I would be inclined to think either your hands have gotten stronger or you have found a less fatigueing way to load the magazine. If your concern is based on function of the firearm by all means replace the springs or the magazine as indicated.

1-magazine springs wear out by cycling, either compressions and expansions or thermal cycles setting a shape (heating and cooling a compressed spring may cause it to attain a new "at-rest" shape closer to whatever shape it is in for the cycling ... this is a minor concern, but would be a bit accelerated in a vehicle)
2-magazine springs aren't that expensive, really ... if in doubt replace and keep the old one as a spare
3-confrontations when a handgun is a better choice than a truck (as "blunt trauma weapon" or escape device) are rare, vehicle break-ins are common ... I hope you don't leave that 45 in the truck 24/7, even in a lock-box it is portable, valuable, and easy to remove once the cab is open
4-this thread is getting depressingly repetitive, along with "what gun for [random person]?", "what .22 should I buy?", and "is [random caliber] or [random firearm] good for everything I'll ever do with a gun?"

1. Clips, used to load internal or external, detachable or non-detachable box magazines.
Clips generally remain in, and act with, the magazine during function of the weapon.
Examples of weapons requiring clips for proper function would be the M1 Garand rifle and the Modelo 1891 Carcano rifle.

2. Chargers, used to facilitate loading of internal or external, detachable or non-detachable box magazines.
Once cartridges are introduced into the magazine a charger is generally removed from the magazine or the magazine loading facilitation device and discarded.
Examples of weapons utilizing chargers to facilitate loading of the weapon would be the Model 1898 Mauser rifle, the Model 1903 Springlield rifle and the Model 1912 Steyr Pistol.

3. Magazines, may be fixed or detachable, may be in box or drum form, used to facilitate loading of cartridges into the firing chamber of a weapon through manual or automatic manipulation of the weapons action.
Examples of non-detachable and detachable box magazine weapons are current and abundant on the market today.

May someone find this information helpful and relevant.

Correction: Properly-tempered magazine springs will not wear out by being compressed. However, cheap mags with cheap springs may lose their compression by staying loaded. I know this from experience. Stay with mags of a known high quality and you can keep them loaded indefinitely.

Can I stretch out the spring to make it stronger or do I need to have a new Magazine

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NO NO NO NO! You'll ruin the spring!

+1

Stretching implies the spring has been extended past the yield strength of the spring steel wire used to make it.

Once the yield strength of a spring has been exceeded, it will get continually weaker each time it is cycled afterward.

Ever bend a piece of wire back and forth to break it?

rc

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=348386
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=395513
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=173129
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=225856

This thread's been covered several times, all your questions have been answered there. Just use the search feature and type in something related to your question (in this case, I typed in "loaded magazine".

Since this gun lives in your truck, it is more exposed to the elements (namely humidity) then a gun kept in a house. Have you disassembled the magazine to make sure the spring isn't just getting corroded. Mag springs are just fairly small guage wire steel, so it may not take long for a bit of corrosion to destroy a spring.

Otherwise, have you shot with it lately. Did it feed reliable? If so, then it really doesn't matter how "springy" the spring feels to you.