Magazine Questions!!???

[jmildoc]

Do you store your magazines with ammo in them?

How do you make sure they last a long time?

What do you have to do besides oil them a little bit?

Do you keep your back up magazines full?

 

[ultraspec]

Yes

They do it on their own if they are quality mags and well made. change the springs every so often if you are worried about it that much.

I dont oil mine at all as oil will contaminate a primer if not careful; as well as collect lint and dirt in them.

Yes I do.

 

[shooter521]

Do you store your magazines with ammo in them?

Sometimes.

How do you make sure they last a long time?

Don't abuse them.

What do you have to do besides oil them a little bit?

I don't even do that.

Do you keep your back up magazines full?

"Back up" as in the extra mags I carry on my person or in my gear? Absolutely. "Back up" as in spare or extra magazines in my inventory that are outside of the regular shooting rotation? No.

 

[possum_128]

Fully loaded, never oil. Never had any problems as long as quality mags are used. If not quality mag, then it does not matter how you store them.....they will not work.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I do keep my self defense mags loaded at all times. That way if I have to bug out, or SHTF it's less to do. I store them with my ammo, and do not oil them. As long as they stay dry no problems. Also it will not affect the springs. It's loading, and unloading that wears your mag springs down.

 

[JohnP82]

My carry mags are always loaded. I have a few home use back up mags that are always loaded as well. All my extra mags are unloaded, but make frequent trips to the range. I take care of my mags and buy quality mags to make sue they last and work. I do not oil them.

 

[jmildoc]

where is a safe place to keep your ammo? I have some in my shop (heated cooled and has dehumidifier) and then I keep a few hundred rounds in the house..

 

[Robert Richardson]

Sometimes.



Don't abuse them.



I don't even do that.



"Back up" as in the extra mags I carry on my person or in my gear? Absolutely. "Back up" as in spare or extra magazines in my inventory that are outside of the regular shooting rotation? No.

 

[Drail]

If you must keep some magazines loaded for long periods download them by 1 round (2 or 3 for double stack mags). A properly tempered spring will withstand full compression for a very long time but most of the springs available today are not high quality. A fully loaded mag with the spring compressed beyond its design limits and a follower that is smashed flat at the bottom of the mag is going to have problems when pressed into service again. (especially if it is a double stack hi cap) This is not a theory I heard or an internet myth, it is basic metallurgical fact. Downloading your stored mags will prevent overcompressing the spring and having it lose its temper. Almost any mag that requires the use of a "loading device" to get all of the rounds in will fail if left fully loaded for a long time.

 

[UncleMike]

I'm shooting AR mags that I fully loaded in 1978.
I've gone through over a dozen so far.
No failures to feed, or function.
Mike

 

[ATM]

...A fully loaded mag with the spring compressed beyond its design limits and a follower that is smashed flat at the bottom of the mag is going to have problems when pressed into service again...

...This is not a theory I heard or an internet myth, it is basic metallurgical fact. Downloading your stored mags will prevent overcompressing the spring and having it lose its temper...

You're attempting to mix basic metallurgical fact with poor magazine and follower design issues here.

No properly designed magazine/follower will even allow for overcompressing the spring at full load.

A poor design that allowed for such occurrence would have already damaged the spring when it was first loaded.

Downloading would not fix that.

 

[Drail]

I never said that a "properly designed" mag would allow over compression of the spring AND/OR deformng the follower. But some designs will. There are plenty of poorly designed mags and poorly tempered springs on the market. But if either of the two conditions are present downloading will help. But, yes, if the spring is overcompressed enough to take the tempering out of it the first time it is loaded to full capacity then downloading is not going to help it. I also still believe that if a magazine is so hard to load fully that a "loading device" is necessary, it is a poor design. Perhaps my wording was poorly designed.

 

[Gungho_1989]

Couple of cans of fully loaded magazines. Used to rotate them and was told this was a bad idea years ago, no longer do that.
I used to think, and at times still wonder, that the springs after a time would lose some strength but apparently this is not the case with quality mags.

 

[UncleMike]

Couple of cans of fully loaded magazines. Used to rotate them and was told this was a bad idea years ago, no longer do that.
I used to think, and at times still wonder, that the springs after a time would lose some strength but apparently this is not the case with quality mags.

Springs wear out from repeated compression/decompression cycles. (Metal fatigue)
Not from constant compression or decompression.
Mike