Is it OK to keep magazines loaded all the time?

[6.8mmARHunter]

Is it OK to keep magazines loaded all the time? If I buy standard capacity pistol or rifle magazines (pistol ~ 15 rounds, rifle ~ 30 rounds) and load them up and then toss them in the safe, will they still function (have the same elasticity) in 5, 10, 15, or 20 years?

[chester]

Tag been wondering the same thing


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[Dan-o]

Tag.

I load my spare high capacity mag to about 50% because I have the same concern,

[ghosthunter]

I have read that you should relax your magazines once in a while. I have 4 16 round mags for my sigma. I load two and relax two every couple months.

For my rifles I unload the mags at the end of each hunting season.

[CAMPMEAT]

Mine work after 2-3 years. They should I would suspect. Nothing is stretching since it's compressed.

[JimmyHoffa]

same, probably not.  The stress in the springs will relieve over time.  Happens in the short time you load to shoot, but that is on a minute scale.  Whether or not the difference in function will be noticeable will be more about the design/metal used.

[PlateauNDN]

I was instructed to let you mags relax unloaded few times a year. I had extras so every month I'd swap out the mags so the springs wouldn't lose the pressure, rust and possibly malfunction.

[ghosthunter]

http://preppingtosurvive.com/2012/02/03/spring-fatigue-should-i-store-magazines-fully-loaded/

[JimmyHoffa]

And not just magazine springs, but other springs in a gun and even screws.

[HardCorpsHuntr]

I would keep them unloaded when in storage. 

I do 28 in M4 30 round mags and capacity in my pistol mags when in use or probability of use.

I have replaced springs in pistol mags for scheduled maintenance, but have never had a tension problem with a magazine.  No problems with 30 round M4 mags either (since 1991).

[BULLBLASTER]

Imo. Leaving a mag loaded will not adversely affect a spring. All mine stay loaded. The cycling of a spring is what causes it to wear out or stretching or compressing beyond normal dimensions. Sitting loaded will not affect it any more than and probably actually less than loading and unloading frequently.
I learned about springs in engineering school.

[eastcoastguy]

I leave mine loaded except one. I rotate them every month or so.never had one fail on me.

[HawkCreek]

Working a spring will wear it out a lot faster than leaving it in compression (magazine loaded). We had "security rounds" in a sealed ammo can at one old duty station. 28 rounds in a magazine and they'd been kept that way for years. The magazines worked fine when we finally took them out to use up the ammo.
I've had the same three loaded magazines for my Glock since I got it. They've been unloaded a few times during range time but that's been three years now and they all work fine.

[Stein]

Imo. Leaving a mag loaded will not adversely affect a spring. All mine stay loaded. The cycling of a spring is what causes it to wear out or stretching or compressing beyond normal dimensions. Sitting loaded will not affect it any more than and probably actually less than loading and unloading frequently.
I learned about springs in engineering school.

The above are the facts. Where is that a spring is loading in unloading not keeping under constant tension. Keep your magazines either loaded or unloaded, it doesn't matter. How often you load and then unload them is what will wear the spring out.

[mountainman]

Imo. Leaving a mag loaded will not adversely affect a spring. All mine stay loaded. The cycling of a spring is what causes it to wear out or stretching or compressing beyond normal dimensions. Sitting loaded will not affect it any more than and probably actually less than loading and unloading frequently.
I learned about springs in engineering school.

The above are the facts. Where is that a spring is loading in unloading not keeping under constant tension. Keep your magazines either loaded or unloaded, it doesn't matter. How often you load and then unload them is what will wear the spring out.