Keeping Bullets in a Mag

[ackvil]

Three of us had a discussion last week about keeping bullets in a magazine. One individual, Sam, has a .45 cal Glock in his nightstand. The Glock has a magazine with bullets in it. My friend says he has not used this pistol in years because he prefers shooting with a 9 mm. He said he has not removed any of the bullets in the magazine and that the same bullets have been in the mag for 5 years. My comment was that he should keep in his nightstand a pistol he uses on a regular basis. Notwithstanding that comment, my other friend said the keeping bullets in the magazine would harm the springs and result in problems. Well, Sam went to a shooting range yesterday and reported today that he had no problems. My other friend insisted that Sam was "lucky."

I told my friends that I would raise the issues with the fine gentlemen on this forum. So, two questions:

1. Do you think it is harmful to the mag to keep bullets in it for an extended period of time without removing them?
2. Do you regularly remove and replace bullets in a magazine?

 

[OldGnome]

I do not think it is harmful to keep bullets in a magazine. However, when I go to the range, I always empty my defense ammunition from the magazines and set those aside while I practice with cheaper ammunition. I then practice with the defense ammo I took out of the magazines, then I reload the magazines with newer defense ammo.


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[Chevyguy]

Three of us had a discussion last week about keeping bullets in a magazine. One individual, Sam, has a .45 cal Glock in his nightstand. The Glock has a magazine with bullets in it. My friend says he has not used this pistol in years because he prefers shooting with a 9 mm. He said he has not removed any of the bullets in the magazine and that the same bullets have been in the mag for 5 years. My comment was that he should keep in his nightstand a pistol he uses on a regular basis. Notwithstanding that comment, my other friend said the keeping bullets in the magazine would harm the springs and result in problems. Well, Sam went to a shooting range yesterday and reported today that he had no problems. My other friend insisted that Sam was "lucky."

I told my friends that I would raise the issues with the fine gentlemen on this forum. So, two questions:

1. Do you think it is harmful to the mag to keep bullets in it for an extended period of time without removing them?
2. Do you regularly remove and replace bullets in a magazine?

I think that over time the spring will wear. I myself would put the handgun that I shot the most in the nightstand at night. 9mm. with hollow points placed properly will stop an intruder.

Clayton

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[FarmerTan]

I do not think it is harmful to keep bullets in a magazine. However, when I go to the range, I always empty my defense ammunition from the magazines and set those aside while I practice with cheaper ammunition. I then practice with the defense ammo I took out of the magazines, then I reload the magazines with newer defense ammo.


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Well said.

 

[jar_]

I do not think it is harmful to keep bullets in a magazine. However, when I go to the range, I always empty my defense ammunition from the magazines and set those aside while I practice with cheaper ammunition. I then practice with the defense ammo I took out of the magazines, then I reload the magazines with newer defense ammo.


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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yup. "Enough of this old ammo, bring me some new ammo" said Navin R. Johnson. Last rounds of the day are the ones you brought to the dance.

 

[Toothpick]

No and no. I have seen no proof or studies or scientific explanation but I read a post somewhere a long time ago that basically said that springs don’t weaken when they remain compressed. Such as in a mag. It’s the constant compression/no compression that weakens them. So the way I took it was if the mag is loaded and sits for a long period of time the spring will not be as weak as one that is loaded/unloaded over and over and over again.

 

[OkieStubble]

No and no. I have seen no proof or studies or scientific explanation but I read a post somewhere a long time ago that basically said that springs don’t weaken when they remain compressed. Such as in a mag. It’s the constant compression/no compression that weakens them. So the way I took it was if the mag is loaded and sits for a long period of time the spring will not be as weak as one that is loaded/unloaded over and over and over again.

We have a winner! Note: Training others for a decade, I have unloaded and loaded my magazines on a Glock 23 .40 way too many times to even possibly count. I am still using, those same magazines.

 

[Bhugo]

No and no. I have seen no proof or studies or scientific explanation but I read a post somewhere a long time ago that basically said that springs don’t weaken when they remain compressed. Such as in a mag. It’s the constant compression/no compression that weakens them. So the way I took it was if the mag is loaded and sits for a long period of time the spring will not be as weak as one that is loaded/unloaded over and over and over again.

Yes! Compression that is constant does not wear springs. Springs do get shorter after the first few compressions, but after that they keep the same constant unless they are flexed a lot. Using the gun wears them out the most.

Not rotating the ammo is probably fine, but you should not be rechambering the same round over and over again. I have only seen pictures, but it’s possible that the bullet can get pushed back into the brass continually being chambered. It seems rational to me...

I shoot my carry mags once a year and replace it just to re check reliability, not for rotation purposes.

 

[Lightcs1776]

I can't really add to what's been stated already. I have magazines loaded with self defense rounds but typically practice with cheaper ammo. Once in a while I might fire the self defense rounds at the range, but not often. I have never had a problem with the springs in the magazines and they can have rounds in them for months. Hopefully it will stay that way.

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[OkieStubble]

I can't really add to what's been stated already. I have magazines loaded with self defense rounds but typically practice with cheaper ammo. Once in a while I might fire the self defense rounds at the range, but not often. I have never had a problem with the springs in the magazines and they can have rounds in them for months. Hopefully it will stay that way.

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30 years ago, we might have read about more stories where shooters experienced spring fatigue. Especially on older models of 1911's where the springs were really thin and smaller unrecognized companies where using metals that didn't have good tension properties.

But modern engineering and metallurgy, have pretty much done away with this particular issue. In fact, they have created the opposite issue if anything.

Try loading the last round in a new magazine on a Sig P365 and see for yourself.

 

[nortac]

I believe that modern magazine springs do not suffer from constant compression. That may not be true with older magazine springs. Don't know if it was an old wives tale, misinformation or previously true with a different metallurgy used in very old magazine springs, it once was a thing discussed that seems to have been put to rest with modern springs. I try to shoot up my defensive loads in carry guns at least yearly. If I'm unloading, reloading defensive ammo, I try to rotate which bullet in the mag gets chambered first, but that is still somewhat of a gamble. @OkieStubble beat me to the punch!

 

[OkieStubble]

I believe that modern magazine springs do not suffer from constant compression. That may not be true with older magazine springs. Don't know if it was an old wives tale, misinformation or previously true with a different metallurgy used in very old magazine springs, it once was a thing discussed that seems to have been put to rest with modern springs. I try to shoot up my defensive loads in carry guns at least yearly. If I'm unloading, reloading defensive ammo, I try to rotate which bullet in the mag gets chambered first, but that is still somewhat of a gamble. @OkieStubble beat me to the punch!

A few years ago, one of my patrol officers, brought me a fully loaded Glock Magazine he found under the front seat of one of our patrol units. Initially, I couldn't find who it belonged to because it was a 9mm and at the time everyone was issued .40's. I finally traced the magazine from a Glock 17 to an officer, who had left our department 11 years previously.

The bullets were oxidized green, there was lint, hair, dust bunnies, dirt, crumbs and human boogers in that magazine with those bullets. Every round shot.

 

[Scaramouche]

No and no. I have seen no proof or studies or scientific explanation but I read a post somewhere a long time ago that basically said that springs don’t weaken when they remain compressed. Such as in a mag. It’s the constant compression/no compression that weakens them. So the way I took it was if the mag is loaded and sits for a long period of time the spring will not be as weak as one that is loaded/unloaded over and over and over again.

This. Cautionary note about storing ammo in the gun long term is to be conservative about oiling so oil doesn't seep into the primer, so I do swap out my defensive rounds periodically. Sometimes the most alarming noise from a carry gun isn't "bang" but "click"....

 

[OkieStubble]

This. Cautionary note about storing ammo in the gun long term is to be conservative about oiling so oil doesn't seep into the primer, so I do swap out my defensive rounds periodically. Sometimes the most alarming noise from a carry gun isn't "bang" but "click"....

Especially for the guys who oil their guns soaking wet. You always know who they are, by looking around the range and spotting the guys with the thousands of speckled oil dots all over their eye protection.

 

[novitiate]

The bullets were oxidized green, there was lint, hair, dust bunnies, dirt, crumbs and human boogers in that magazine with those bullets. Every round shot.

On one of the AR15 forums there was a thread about long forgotten loaded mags. IIRC, 30 years was the oldest and it fired without issue too. This same debate pops up on switchblade forums and ends up the same way, no difference.

 

[Ad Astra]

Especially for the guys who oil their guns soaking wet. You always know who they are, by looking around the range and spotting the guys with the thousands of speckled oil dots all over their eye protection.

Hey, the P08 HAS to be run wet!

The mag thing: can you do it? Yes. Don't.


AA

 

[jar_]

My one main rule is to try to never chamber any round more than once in a semi. I understand that with most designs the set back issue is negligible so it's a somewhat flexible rule. But I do closely inspect any round before it gets re-chambered in a semi and at the first sign of any setback it gets tossed.

 

[Badgerstate36]

I wouldnt be that worried about it. What do you think people who are in the military or police do with their mags? Do you really think they keep the mags empty until they are ready to use their firearms?

 

[bigjeffb]

The springs will be fine. Cycling them is what (over time) wears them out.
It's rather simplistic a comparison, but does a bed wear out buy not being used? Or the springs on a car's suspension? Think of it that way.

 

[ackvil]

You guys have made one of my friends very happy. He bet a bottle of Scotch that a majority would say there is no problem with keeping bullets in a mag!