Leaving AK Mags Loaded?

Would you leave your semi auto magazines loaded for an extended period of time?

  • Yes, all or most of my magazines remain loaded for long periods of time.

    Votes: 55 73.3%

  • I leave a few magazines loaded but I alternate to avoid "spring set".

    Votes: 6 8.0%

  • I leave the majority of my magazines unloaded and load them on an "as needed" basis.

    Votes: 8 10.7%

  • I don't own any guns and thought this was a site about actual roads.

    Votes: 6 8.0%
  • Total voters
    75
  • Poll closed .
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K

Kiln

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Mar 3, 2011
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2,464
Alright so I'm keeping my AK mags of various manufacture fully loaded in the gun safe. I've got quite a few of them now and I'm basically wondering if it'll cause any harm in the long run to keep them loaded.

My granddad says that I shouldn't keep them loaded for long periods because the spring will eventually "set" and basically get weaker. I personally don't think it matters because I've left semi auto magazines loaded for literally years at a time and then used them without a hitch.

I've read both sides of the debate, some say that springs being constantly depressed will lead to weak magazine springs and in turn hinder reliability and others say that it is the compression/decompression of unloading/reloading or normal use that wears them out.

I know for a fact that constantly using the same magazine will wear it out and I treat high mileage magazines as somewhat disposable. My question to you guys is, would you leave all/most of your magazines loaded for lengthy periods of time (years) or do you alternate on which mags you keep loaded to prevent spring set?
 
I have M-16 mags that have been left loaded since 1970 when I liberated them from the Army.

So far, so good.

I imagine there are AK-47 mags that have been fully loaded since Russia gave them to some 3rd. world country in 1955.

And you don't want to get in front of one of them!

If there is a concern, down load them by 5 rounds.

25 rounds in a mag in storage is just about as good as 30.

rc
 
That's not how springs work. If it's not overloaded a spring will return to its original free length.

Repeated loading and unloading (cycles of compression) is what kills springs.

BSW
 
The only other concern that I've heard was feed lip separation on some of the non reinforced polymer magazines. I have quite a few Tapco's that stay loaded though and I haven't experienced this issue yet.
 
The only other concern that I've heard was feed lip separation on some of the non reinforced polymer magazines.
Click to expand...

Better to weed out the garbage mags during storage instead of finding out when you need to use them!
 
My granddad says that I shouldn't keep them loaded for long periods because the spring will eventually "set" and basically get weaker.
Click to expand...

Sorry. Granddad is wrong.

Wear on modern magazine springs is caused by the cycle of compression/decompression, and not by keeping them in a compressed state.

Now the issue of feed lip spread is an entirely different subject, but considering how overbuilt AK mags are, it should never be an issue. frankly, I've never found it to be a significant issue with AR mags, either.
 
This is a recurring argument that really does have a definitive answer. Spring steel will not be worn out or reshaped by constant pressure. What DOES wear them out is loading and unloading them. I have magazines that have been loaded up for 20 years... they still go bang every time.
 
I have several AKs. All have loaded mags and ready to go. Never know the time or day when it s needed to do its job.
 
I found that after about 6 months fully loaded and lightly used, Tapco 5.45 and 7.62 AK mags had feed lip cracks. But with Bulgarian reinforced polymer '74 mags and steel '47 mags, never had a problem.

Every single AK mag of every type I have ever owned was/is loaded with 30 rounds 24/7, 365, and I have never had an issue with reliability. And I have no way to prove or disprove that the feed lip cracks in the Tapcos were from spring pressure or use.



But with any military grade AK mag, I'll agree with most everyone that you could leave them fully loaded forever and ever and it would still feed 100%.
 
I found that after about 6 months fully loaded and lightly used, Tapco 5.45 and 7.62 AK mags had feed lip cracks. But with Bulgarian reinforced polymer '74 mags and steel '47 mags, never had a problem.
Click to expand...

And we have the magic word, Tapco.

I wouldn't trust Tapco to make a sandwich correctly.

BSW
 
briansmithwins said:
And we have the magic word, Tapco.

I wouldn't trust Tapco to make a sandwich correctly.

BSW
Click to expand...
It's a good thing they don't make sandwiches then. Instead they make very affordable upgrades for weapons systems. Quality is decent enough for the most part IMO on Tapco products.
 
Question: Do you jack up your car so the suspension hangs free when not in use?
Click to expand...


If mags and car suspensions were remotely similar that might be a relevant question.


What DOES wear them out is loading and unloading them.
Click to expand...


And if that were true, we'd all be replacing recoil springs at a rate of at least 10:1 to mag springs.



Whats more relevant is 'How far into the springs' elastic range is it compressed?' Elasticity range data effects has been posted here.

Time compressed does play a part. Proof of time being a factor has been posted here.

Its not a simple question.

But the simple answer is quality mags for duty weapons are probably safe to store loaded for several years.
 
I don't see reason for not keeping old communist block military AK magazines loaded. One can actually insert magazine into rifle and do series of pushups with both hands supported on rifle ends.
 
Your granddad's advice was sound for his era. A properly tempered spring will not lose strength by staying compressed, only through repeated cycling. The operating word here is "properly", though. It's only been in the last 40 years or so that manufacturing processes have reached the point where we can produce perfectly tempered springs, almost 100% of the time. Before that it was hit and miss. My father's Ruger Mark I was an example of a "miss"; I had to totally respring it a few years ago, and I know it hadn't been shot enough to cause the degradation it experienced in my lifetime. With bottom-barrel mags you still see it some nowadays, but not often.

AK mags, though, were built to last. Leaving them loaded won't hurt them, and there's US-made replacement springs available from Wolff if you're concerned.
 
In 2001 my father gave me eleven pistols which had been stored since around 1950. Empty chambers, loaded magazines.

They all functioned without flaw. Luger, P-38, Lilliput, 1911, Radom, Mauser, Walther...
 
I have had mags fully loaded for years and years and never had a problem.
 
Art Eatman said:
In 2001 my father gave me eleven pistols which had been stored since around 1950. Empty chambers, loaded magazines.
Click to expand...
rcmodel said:
I have M-16 mags that have been left loaded since 1970 when I liberated them from the Army.
Click to expand...

That could be a whole other debate which is “They Don't Make Em Like They Use To”. As far as the topic, I see both sides but I do have a few mags loaded
 
I would agree with your granddad; not sure about the spring set, but I personally wouldn't load and compress the springs of every mag I have for that gun. I would keep 1 or 2 mags loaded and rotate mags every couple of months, and leave the rest of your mags unloaded.
 
I keep my AR-15 mags at 28 round each. I'll never know if it matters should they stay that way for 10 years, but it does make me feel better. Once or twice in my life I've had a feeding problem on the first cartridge of a fully compressed mag. Never on the second.
 
I found that after about 6 months fully loaded and lightly used, Tapco 5.45 and 7.62 AK mags had feed lip cracks.
Click to expand...

I've kept them loaded for nearly as long. No cracks, no feed malfunctions. The lips on them are pretty stout so unless you dropped them on the lips with a full mag I can't see much issue.

An unloaded magazine makes a lousy club. If you have to download your magazine to keep it reliable you have a junk magazine already and your system is in malfunction stage. 30 round mag means load 30 rounds and it should shoot flawless. If not, it's defective. 50% of the beauty of the AK design is in that stout magazine construction. Everything else detachable magfed I've seen is pretty weak in comparison.
 
AK magazines use carbon steel springs.
Longevity of the ability to function of a fully loaded magazine is dependent on the conditions under which the magazine is stored.
In high humidity magazine springs can and will rust in place.
When this happens you might get the first round to chamber and after that, nothing.
Pop the magazine out of the weapon and five or seven rounds tumble out of the magazine, you know the spring is rusted in place.

Best to check loaded magazines at least once a month.
Remove one to three rounds and make sure the spring is cycling correctly.
 
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