Cleaning New Magazines

[Hangingrock]

Wrap:

I bet if you did a poll you would find most people don't disassemble every new mag. Just look at how many responders here do not, and then realize that the people active on boards like this are more likely to do so than most.

Not to be demeaning but those that I as a younger individual associated with were more reality based going into harms way. So let us simply agree to disagree thus maintain civility. You have your view point and I have mine.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Just to add, many people will not shoot as much in their life as many do in a month or a year. Some that don't shoot as much either cant for what ever reason or they may not feel the need to shoot as much.

But for those that do they run into problems that many that don't will or as often. They quickly learn what to do to prevent those problems.

I actually had to clean a mag last week. Tough factory mecgar mag with springs so strong i don't even bother to try to load the last round. But the follower was sticking about 5 rounds into loading and the bullets were loose and falling out loose.

Since i keep a cleaning kit with tools and a squib rod in my bag i stopped and cleaned the mag. Sure enough it was a mess. I have over sized patches cut from t shirts and it took 4 or 5 of them to get it clean enough to finish the day.


Again it might have been weather added to the powder i used but that was the first time since i started regularly cleaning mags that it has happened to me. One never knows.







Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

 

[Warp]

Wrap:


Not to be demeaning but those that I as a younger individual associated with were more reality based going into harms way. So let us simply agree to disagree thus maintain civility. You have your view point and I have mine.

The guy I know with a CIB doesn't disassemble all of his new mags, either. FWIW. It's not like this is a "oh you and the people you know are just civilians you wouldn't know" kind of thing.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

To clean or not to clean...that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind...


Certainly there are any number of anecdotal stories that can be brought up on this subject, and certainly there can be made a case that not cleaning a new magazine shouldn't constitute a major risk.

However, there are some things that just fall into the category of "good engineering practice".

Cleaning and preserving a new magazine, at the very least, puts it in a KNOWN condition of cleanliness and preservation.

People may do as they wish, but I follow the practice of cleaning and preserving new magazines simply because it's good engineering practice.

 

[Hangingrock]

RetiredUSNChief:

However, there are some things that just fall into the category of "good engineering practice".

Cleaning and preserving a new magazine, at the very least, puts it in a KNOWN condition of cleanliness and preservation.

People may do as they wish, but I follow the practice of cleaning and preserving new magazines simply because it's good engineering practice.

Yes to that. Some people just don't get the message.

 

[tonyjr]

While most of the time my magazines are in the range bag , in hide spot in kitchen , bathroom or bedroom , they all get rotated at least once a month . [ I keep no more than 4 rounds in house guns . ]
In range bag they can get " bumped " . If there is a ding / crease / whatever , I will find , hopefully before next shoot .
I check them at least once a month for dirt , rust , ease of movement , foreign stuff .

 

[Warp]

I put a nice K.I.S.S. poll up in general firearms BTW

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=801937

[ I keep no more than 4 rounds in house guns . ]

That's a new one.

 

[tonyjr]

The only time I filled to max was in ' Nam ' .
I don't even max out at range .

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

If a magazine is not capable of being loaded to the design limit without some kind of damage in the process, either long or short term, then there's something wrong with the magazine.

 

[BSA1]

[ I keep no more than 4 rounds in house guns . ]

I agree with Warp. What is heck???

 

[tonyjr]

Maybe me . But things have memories . I don't cock my guns and leave them that way . There is generally a round in chamber - but safety on

 

[Warp]

Maybe me . But things have memories . I don't cock my guns and leave them that way . There is generally a round in chamber - but safety on

You will not harm your magazines in any way by loading more than 4 rounds in them.

Unless of course you are talking about a magazine that is designed to hold a maximum of 4 rounds and you find a way to cram more into it.

And of course who doesn't know about all of the WWII magazines that functioned when tested following 60 years of being loaded.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Let's be realistic here...

Magazine springs are designed specifically for the magazines they are intended to fit. To wit, a 7 round 1911 magazine is fitted with a 7 round 1911 magazine spring, as opposed to a 25 round magazine spring.

The springs are designed to provide adequate and proper spring tension essentially for the life of the magazine. Notice that I didn't say a steady or constant spring tension over its life...because the spring tension WILL change over use. Which is OK, so long as it retains adequate tension to meet the needs of the gun it is designed to work with.

A spring that is too strong or too weak will cause problems. But within these two extremes is a band of tension we call the "tolerance". Springs are designed to function within that tolerance for their design life for the magazines in which they fit.

You can compress them to the magazine limit and leave them compressed, or you can cycle them thousands of time within the magazine limits, it doesn't matter. Both will result in some reduction in spring tension over time (which will level out) and their final spring tensions will still be within tolerance.


THAT SAID:

This doesn't take into account poor design, poor materials, or poor quality assurance controls. Or even poor upkeep, leading to rust, for example. And yes, there will be the odd failure over time. But failures by cycling far out weigh failures by leaving magazines fully loaded, and over-compressing springs beyond their design limits will out weight leaving magazines fully loaded.

Like anything else about firearms, or anything mechanical for that matter, there is some amount of care and maintenance involved. Just like your car, for example, you pay attention to your gun and affect repairs when needed.

A wheel bearing is designed to last the life of your car under normal use. Sometimes, however, they go bad and you replace them, preferably with a quality part. But you don't summarily decide you're not going to load your car up with your wife and kids any more in order to prevent this from happening again because the car was designed for that.

The same applies for magazines...load them only to their limits.


NOW...

I mentioned "good engineering practice" earlier. You can cover a lot with that phrase, including this. However, the question when you do is "Is this a practical and realistic use, or is it just a 'feel good' measure?"

Given that the design life of magazine springs is extremely long, likely such a use would fall under the "feel good" category.


Personally, I think that if anybody seriously believes storing magazines fully loaded is harmful, even though cyclic stresses are of far more concern, they ought to just periodically change out ALL their magazine springs on whatever schedule makes them happy. A magazine spring costs less than a lot of combo meals at McDonalds.

 

[Hangingrock]

RetiredUSNChief #38 was indeed realistic.

 

[tonyjr]

O K , I'm stupid , too cautious - whatever .
By others reasoning - my Vet speedometer goes to 160 mph , therefore it should be safe at 150 ?
I have changed the springs in my / our 22 lr , 25 ACP , 360 ACP , 45 ACP , 9 mm , 38 special , 44 , M1 carbine and 50 AE .
The 32 ACP and 357 " don't feel like they need to be changed . " The rest of rifles are bolts .
My way of checking is to 5 in a 6 bullet magazine , then another . If # 6 is a lot harder , it is time to change softer spring .
Anyone who max's out their magazines and has not pinched their thumb is either really good or very lucky . [ yes , I have had an M-1 thumb ]
For target shooting - I we do groups of 5 , change mag . The 380 , 9 mm and the 45 all have at least 4 magazines . The 50 AE - 2 people have so - 4 magazines but most of time only one at range .
Anyone posting here has probably already decided - but those that are only reading need the Y's they should or should not do something .
I had had a spring break , in the 22 lr , 380 and 45 . Years ago before the desert eagle was sold , it's magazine split open - I paid postage one way - they replaced it - said a few bad and would I like a free cleaning kit ?

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

O K , I'm stupid , too cautious - whatever .
By others reasoning - my Vet speedometer goes to 160 mph , therefore it should be safe at 150 ?

That's a personal performance question...your car was designed to reach whatever top end it can acheive. Whether you are capable of safely driving it under those conditions is another matter.

And please...nobody here is calling anybody else "stupid" or "too cautious", certainly not me.

As part of our interactions here on THR, we're all supposed to learn things from each other. I know I learn a lot from the rest of the members.

Magazines are designed to function properly throughout a lifetime of use at their design capacities. It's that simple. Underloading them for storage or use has virtually no effect on spring wear.

If anyone wishes to underload them anyway, it certainly will not hurt them...it's simply not necessary.

 

[BSA1]

The worse thing about changing springs is having magazines that need new ones but they are no longer made or available.

 

[yar]

Wow what a great discussion. If I can put my opinion in as a competition shooter.

I clean my magazines religiously every time the hit the dirt. It's just good practice if you want your firearms running correctly. It is such a simple thing to do that can avoid a major problem. In my opinion certain magazines like the Surefire 60 and 100 round mags must be cleaned out of factory packaging before use or they never work right. I'm talking a full rinse with break cleaner.

I typically down load my magazines a round or two unless I need the extra round to avoid a standing reload (reload made with feet planted, "I typically make my reloads while running down the next array of targets). The reason for downloading is not to save on spring life. I change all the springs in my primary competition guns and my defensive guns once a year for pure preventive maintenance. I download a round or two to make it easier to seat in the gun when doing a speed reload.