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is it harmfull to keep a mag loaded full time?
loaded mag
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chevyforlife21
Member
A good practice is to keep it 10 percent less then full so 9 rounds in a 10 rounder or 27 in a 30
Iramo94
Member
If a spring is compressed to less than a certain critical point, it can stay there for a long time without deforming. I would imagine that mag springs are designed so stay within thT range under any load. So I'd say no. The bad thing is loading and unloading them a lot. That causes internal friction in the spring, which causes wear. That's why I use different mags for fun and business.
Redlg155
Member
I have never had a problem keeping mine loaded to full capacity. At one time it was conventional wisdom in the military to underload a 30rd mag by 1 round, but I look it at this way. Most designers intentionally leave some room to avoid full compression of the spring. Just check a loaded mag and I would bet that you can push the top round down a bit.
chevyforlife21
Member
I have a few ar 10 rounders that don't even like to accept 10 completely no spring travel left
The Lone Haranguer
Member
The magazine spring fatigues through use, i.e., firing the gun, not from simply being compressed, even over a long period of time. If you put your car in storage for several years, you don't come back to find it "pancaked" on the ground. 
brboyer
Member
Perfectly fine with a normal quality mag.
M2 Carbine
member
A good magazine, NO.
A poor quality magazine, YES.
The most extreme example I know of is a fully loaded military 1911 magazine that was given to me in 1961. The owner's Grandfather brought it home from WWI. The magazine had remained loaded all those years (don't know what became of the Grandfather's WWI 1911).
I just had to see if the old ammo would shoot, and it did but it was too weak to begin to work my 1911 slide.
The magazine spring seemed as strong as my other 1911 magazines. I lost track of which mag was the old one and now it is mixed up with my other 1911 magazines and still works fine.
I leave many different magazines loaded for years, even in my cars 24/7 in the Texas heat. Never had the first bit of trouble.
I did have a SKS rifle magazine spring go bad (weak) after several years being loaded.
Driftertank
Member
Springs in general will experience "sag" as they age and go through range of movement and heat cycles. In the "old days" it was common knowledge that loaded mags would "take a set" and springs would weaken over time. I never experienced this myself, and i'm pretty sure that modern, decent quality mags don't care one way or the other. Out of learned habit, however, I keep most of my mags unloaded, and rotate, on occasion, which ones ARE loaded...usually after shooting empty the ones that WERE loaded. I figure even if they do take a set, it will happen so slowly and consistently through my whole collection of mags that i won't see failures in my lifetime.
My experience has been, however, that bad mags start out bad.
My experience has been, however, that bad mags start out bad.
Creature
Member
I consider this an uninformed and bad practice.
Um ok. Care to explain why you feel that way?
It is bad advice because the benefit of maybe getting longer life out of a magazine is far outweighed by having 10% fewer rounds.
My materials science class I learned that the number of load cycles is what fatigues metal, and the number of allowable cycles increases as the compression decreases. If the mag & spring are designed properly it should be able to take a full load and be just fine.
My materials science class I learned that the number of load cycles is what fatigues metal, and the number of allowable cycles increases as the compression decreases. If the mag & spring are designed properly it should be able to take a full load and be just fine.
Creature
Member
Bad practice because the potential cost tactically of one less cartridge does not outweigh the benefit of possibly extending the life of the magazine spring.
Uninformed because modern spring steel, which has been explained ad nauseam for many years by fairly qualified experts here on this and other forums, is less susceptible to "spring set" or weakening.
BIGGBAY90
Member
no, i've shot a mag. Thats been loaded for over 8 years and no problem. Thats my experience but others may have a different story
xfyrfiter
Member
Some of the cheaper mags will not insert on a closed bolt and some will have feed lips spread. I have neve had a failure due to compression.
wally
Member
I had an old Jennings .380 that sat forgotten about in a tool box in the garage for 8+ years. It was loaded full mag + 1 in the chamber. Just for grins I took it out and all 7 rounds fired fine (two or three mags without a failure is about the best it could ever do) so if a Jennings mag has no problem sitting unloaded, I just wouldn't worry about it!
tryshoot
Member
I agree in reducing rounds, esp. in hi cap.Newer springs do better than older ones. 30 yr. and older have more chance of losing tension. Do not leave 1906 colt orig mag loaded full.
mdauben
Member
Not unless the spring is defective to begin with. Normally, the springs in magazines fatigue through cycling (compressing and expanding), not from just sitting in compression. I have kept factory mags loaded for extended periods of time with no obvious problems.
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