Re ammo left in clips over an extended period of time

[gharleydude]

Hi, I have a question I would like an answer to. I recently purchased a new Springfield XDM, 3.8 in .45 caliber. In my day to day conceal and carry routine, the magazine in my weapon is loaded with ammo as it should be in this role. My question is this; is there any danger that over time the springs in said magazine will begin to wear and lose their strength if kept loaded with bullets? I do not know if I addressed this correctly or not, but I hope you understand my question none the less. I have a Benelli SNT also, and was told that if I keep shells in the magazine for too long of a time, the springs will begin to lose their stiffness and will not allow the magazine to function properly because of this, so that information prompted my to wonder about the magazine in a pistol as well. Thank you

 

[JSDinTexas]

Don't have an official answer here, but most of what I have heard says it's not compression or extension of the spring, but the action of compressing and extending that eventually wears it out. I keep many magazines loaded all the time and don't worry about it.

 

[B2Tall]

Oh Lordy......you had the audacity to use the word "clip" interchangeably with "magazine". Here we go again........wait for it......it's coming......

 

[JSDinTexas]

Oh Lordy......you had the audacity to use the word "clip" interchangeably with "magazine". Here we go again........wait for it......it's coming......

Eeeeasy now B2, we don't want to scare him off before he gets going good. :biggrin:

 

[Warbirds]

Must be a slow day.

The gates of hell haven't flung open yet. But I can feel it coming.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk

 

[Knourek]

I just found 6 Browning Hi-Power mags that were in storage for at least ten years.
They were rusty and the brass a little cruddy but they all sprang out of the mags with plenty of life.
Two of the mags were a cheaper after-market hi cap and they still were good.

 

[The_Outlaw]

Hi, I have a question I would like an answer to. I recently purchased a new Springfield XDM, 3.8 in .45 caliber. In my day to day conceal and carry routine, the magazine in my weapon is loaded with ammo as it should be in this role. My question is this; is there any danger that over time the springs in said magazine will begin to wear and lose their strength if kept loaded with bullets? I do not know if I addressed this correctly or not, but I hope you understand my question none the less. I have a Benelli SNT also, and was told that if I keep shells in the magazine for too long of a time, the springs will begin to lose their stiffness and will not allow the magazine to function properly because of this, so that information prompted my to wonder about the magazine in a pistol as well. Thank you

I am not 100% sure on this...
But I did do an 'accidental experiment' with some of my older Glock 19 magazines.

I unintentionally left two of my older Glock 19 magazines fully loaded for about 8 years straight when I left them inside of a box in the garage. These magazines had been stored a few years 'prior' to our big move out of California and I completely forgot about them for a while.

I recently dug them up (about 6 mos. ago) and as I unloaded them, they definately felt much weaker (less stiffer/springier) than my newer normally rotated Glock magazines.

Needless to say, I'm leaving these two older magazines completely unloaded for quite a while longer before I even decide to reload them and try them out at the range. These older magazines did not want to crisply eject the rounds when I was manually unloading them. The tip of the rounds (bullet tip) was sort of getting stuck in the magazines as I was trying to eject them with my thumb as I normally do. My newer magazines don't have this problem and eject the rounds crisply & cleanly.

As far as the shotgun spring goes, that's actually a pretty good question. I don't have an answer for you on that one.

 

[kevnrm]

Shotgun i'm not sure about but I have heard it's not a big deal as long as it's not for years. As far as the magazine (clip, just to stir the pot) I had a 25 mag fully loaded that got tossed into a box for about 5 years, still feeds fine all though not as strong as I remember, but it has been a while.

 

[B2Tall]

Eeeeasy now B2, we don't want to scare him off before he gets going good. :biggrin:

Not trying to scare anybody off....just trying to prepare them for the inevitable onslaught directed at this unforgiveable "faux pas" in the eyes of some.

Must be a slow day.

The gates of hell haven't flung open yet. But I can feel it coming.

I laughed out loud at this one! :biggrin:

 

[NavyLCDR]

Fine, I'll do it!

Clip:

Link Removed


Magazines:

Mags:

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, DANG IT!

 

[NavyLCDR]

To the OP's original question:

Take two wire coat hangers. Flex one and hold it flexed. Now take the other one and flex it, release it, flex it, release it, keep going. Which wire is going to break first? The one bent and held, or the wire cycled back and forth?

Same thing with magazine springs, compressing and relaxing (loading and unloading) wears them much, much faster than leaving them loaded.

 

[SGB]

Quality Springs fatigue from compression & release, they will not fatigue from long term compression alone.

 

[longslide10]

I got a 1911 chambered in 10mm and the 3 mags stay loaded at all times. 2 are newer, probably 5 years old and of course the original and honestly I can tell if the original magazine spring (24 years) is any weaker than the newer ones. The absolute one thing that will quickly fatigue springs is high heat and next would be the constant compression and extension. Leave them loaded and don't worry about it and if they do start to weaken springs are cheap and easy to replace

 

[JSDinTexas]

Not trying to scare anybody off....just trying to prepare them for the inevitable onslaught directed at this unforgiveable "faux pas" in the eyes of some.

Yeah, I know, it was just my feeble attempt at trying to be humorous.

 

[cmhbob]

I am not 100% sure on this...
But I did do an 'accidental experiment' with some of my older Glock 19 magazines.

I kinda wish you had taken them to the range like that, and fired them to see how well they worked. Would have been especially interesting if you had some other magazines from the same time that were cycled regularly.

 

[Glock Fan]

I am not 100% sure on this...
But I did do an 'accidental experiment' with some of my older Glock 19 magazines.

I unintentionally left two of my older Glock 19 magazines fully loaded for about 8 years straight when I left them inside of a box in the garage. These magazines had been stored a few years 'prior' to our big move out of California and I completely forgot about them for a while.

I recently dug them up (about 6 mos. ago) and as I unloaded them, they definately felt much weaker (less stiffer/springier) than my newer normally rotated Glock magazines.

Needless to say, I'm leaving these two older magazines completely unloaded for quite a while longer before I even decide to reload them and try them out at the range. These older magazines did not want to crisply eject the rounds when I was manually unloading them. The tip of the rounds (bullet tip) was sort of getting stuck in the magazines as I was trying to eject them with my thumb as I normally do. My newer magazines don't have this problem and eject the rounds crisply & cleanly.

As far as the shotgun spring goes, that's actually a pretty good question. I don't have an answer for you on that one.

Those magazines should function without a problem. I have had Glock magazines that were loaded for over 10 years that functioned properly. If you are worried about the magazine functioning properly, you can replace the magazine spring. While you're at it, also check the follower to ensure that it is in good shape and of current design. There are times when the follower is changed slightly to improve reliability and function.

 

[gharleydude]

To all of you who responded, thank you for the great information. As for my unfortunate usage of the word, "Clip"... Lol, I thought I had edited that word out of my posting, but, oops, apparently not... I understand the difference between magazine and clip, however, because the word "Clip" gets so much traction these days by unsuspecting, unknowing souls, it can be easy to make the obvious slip one's own self as I just did. In as the magazines are new, (the Springfield XDM kit comes with two magazines, one that is your normal 9 round, and one that is a high capacity holding 13 I believe it is, that also is designed to accompany someone with large hands as well) having came with the pistol, and I do not intend to store or not use the weapon for any long length of time, so judging by what I read from all of you, it sounds as though in the short term, (consistently using the pistol, loading and reloading the magazine with bullets) within a year or two's time should not present any issues for me. Again, thank you all for answering my question.

 

[NavyLCDR]

so judging by what I read from all of you, it sounds as though in the short term, (consistently using the pistol, loading and reloading the magazine with bullets) within a year or two's time should not present any issues for me. Again, thank you all for answering my question.

Now that that is settled, I might mention that you load bullets into the mouths of cases, hopefully with a primer and powder in the case first. Then you load rounds of ammunition into the magazines.....bullets, by themselves, would tend to rattle around and fall out of the magazine.

 

[B2Tall]

Yeah, I know, it was just my feeble attempt at trying to be humorous.

Oh....well in that case......HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! :biggrin:

 

[JSDinTexas]

Oh....well in that case......HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! :biggrin:

Thanks, Stirrer of the Pot :biggrin: