Your Range Magazine - Is it Full or Empty ?

[indyyy]

This is kind of a follow up to the thread I started a couple of weeks ago on magazines and their springs. The consensus seemed to be that it is the loading and unloading of mags that weakens the spring and that it's best to keep magazines dedicated to defense loaded, maybe cyclilng the ammo every 6 months or so.

So, now I'd like to discuss what you do with your range magazine that you use for target practice. Let's say you go to the range once a week to shoot. Do you think it's better to keep the magazine loaded during the week when you're home and maybe have it as a back up for your defense mag, or do you keep it empty during the week and only load it when you're at the range and ready to shoot?

I emailed S&W to ask which they think is best for the magazine's spring since i recently bought a pistol from them- their auto responder said it may take a week to get a response because they're very busy.

The gun manuals show the basics of cleaning the gun and the mag's but don't discuss whether it's best to keep them empty or full when the gun is not in use- it may be a personal preference. I'll post what S&W says once I get a response.

In the meantime, it would be interesting to learn whether you think it's best to keep your range mag empty or full when it's not in use.

I promise this will be the last thread I start on magazines : )

Thanks!

 

[BluesStringer]

Not sure what a "range magazine" is. Except for my black rifles, I take all my magazines for every gun I take to the range when I go, and they're all loaded all the time except for during cleaning after getting back from the range. If I buy other-than-OEM mags, I always go up in quality, not cheaper/lesser quality ones, so "range mags" doesn't really make sense to me.

In any case, my mags stay loaded except for during cleaning or the short period between emptying and reloading them at the range.

Blues

 

[indyyy]

To clarify: Some folks have magazines that they dedicate for defense that remain loaded all the time to be used only in a critical situation. These might remain full for years and never emptied.

By range magazines, I mean the one(s) you use for practice at the range or in your backyard - whether it be every day, once a week, or a couple times a month.

If you don't dedicate one or several mag's for SD and another or others for practice, the question may not apply. For me, the pistol I bought a couple weeks ago came with 2 magazines. I keep the one for defense loaded with hollow point ammo and it's loaded in the gun except for when I go to the range and switch to the magazine that I use for practice. When I go to the range on the weekend I use the other and load it with round point ammo for practice.

I'm trying to learn, as far as the mag that I use for practice, whether it will perform better if it's kept loaded during the week or empty - either way it will be unloaded and loaded several times for use each weekend at practice.

 

[bofh]

I do have "range magazines." I am too lazy to unload the handgun magazines that I have loaded with self defense ammo and I am too cheap to shoot self defense ammo every time I am going to the range. This leaves me with a bunch of handgun magazines always loaded with self defense ammo and a bigger pile of handgun magazines always loaded with target ammo. All my magazines are OEM.

 

[missoak]

When I leave the range, my mags are empty. Usually stay that way until the next range trip.
The exception to that would be my HD guns. They STAY loaded at all times.

 

[BluesStringer]

To clarify: Some have magazines that they dedicate for defense that remain loaded all the time to be used only in a critical situation.

What distinguishes a "critical situation" mag from a range mag? If you're saying the only difference is the ammo that's loaded into a given mag, I get that, but any mag should be capable of EDC defense use or range use.

These might remain full for years and never emptied.

A "critical situation" magazine needs to be used (read: tested for functionality) more than a mag only used at the range. That's why I don't distinguish between the two. If you haven't verified that a "critical situation" mag is in good working order, having defense or target ammo loaded into it is a meaningless little factoid. If you're storing loaded mags for years that never get emptied, you're doing it wrong. IMO, of course.

I do have "range magazines." I am too lazy to unload the handgun magazines that I have loaded with self defense ammo and I am too cheap to shoot self defense ammo every time I am going to the range. This leaves me with a bunch of handgun magazines always loaded with self defense ammo and a bigger pile of handgun magazines always loaded with target ammo. All my magazines are OEM.

This I *sort of* get, but one point is in both cases, they're always loaded, they're identical mags, and so the distinguishing factor is the ammo, not the mag itself.

What I *sort of* don't get is never (or rarely?) shooting any SD rounds through your weapon(s). Assuming that most SD ammo is hollow-point and most target ammo is ball, they feed very differently in most weapons. Obviously I fire more ball ammo at the range than SD ammo, but I always fire at least a couple of mag's worth of the SD ammo to make sure each weapon itself is in good working order to feed the JHP's, to rotate older ammo with fresh ammo, to make sure all mags remain in good working order etc. When I say "rotate ammo with fresh" etc., some of the ammo may be a couple of years old (I have a lot of mags), but still, it needs to get rotated by some process other than waiting for a bad guy to show up so you can expend a round or five under emergency circumstances.

Having spent the better part of my working life relying on man-made machinery and tools, I never allow myself to take for granted that something that's sat idle for months or years is still working as it should. It seems to me even more important with ammo, mags and weapons that might be used to save my own life than just checking out a grinder in a tool room before I take the elevator to the 30th floor to dress up the welds I just laid down.

Blues

 

[indyyy]

What distinguishes a "critical situation" mag from a range mag? If you're saying the only difference is the ammo that's loaded into a given mag, I get that, but any mag should be capable of EDC defense use or range use.

For my meaning in this thread, they are the exact same magazine - the difference being only what you use them for. I may be one of the few that think about this, but it's because I bought a cheap semi automatic from a not so good manufacturer 7 or 8 years ago. I loaded and unloaded the magazine maybe 10 times and the spring was worn out so that I had to get a new magazine. The same happened with that one.

I realize that better quality pistols with better made magazines and springs won't wear out this fast - but I"m sure they do wear, even it it takes being loaded and unloaded thousands of times before they need to be replaced. There may be no right or wrong answer on this, I'm just trying to get a feel for how to keep the magazines in optimal working condition for as long as possible.

I also get cycling HD ammo every 6 months or so, whereas range ammo will be cycled more on a weekly basis.

 

[Eidolon]

Not sure what a "range magazine" is. Except for my black rifles, I take all my magazines for every gun I take to the range when I go, and they're all loaded all the time except for during cleaning after getting back from the range. If I buy other-than-OEM mags, I always go up in quality, not cheaper/lesser quality ones, so "range mags" doesn't really make sense to me.

In any case, my mags stay loaded except for during cleaning or the short period between emptying and reloading them at the range.

Blues

I was trained to have magazines that I use at the range and magazines that I carry. The rationale is that at the range part of my practice is "tactical" reloads IOW I hit the mag relase and let the empty (or malfuntioning) magazine fall to the ground. I've never have damaged a range magazine doing that but I don't want to risk a malfunction on my carry magazine by doing so.

@ the OP I leave my range mags unloaded until I get to the range. Magazines are expendable items if they wear out buy new ones. Buy spares now and buy extra springs

 

[NavyLCDR]

All my magazines stay loaded all the time. I don't want to waste time upon arrival at the range for loading magazines. Of course that is assuming I have ammo left at the end to load the magazines before heading home.

 

[JCliff]

I keep a set of “duty” magazines for any pistol that I carry separate from my “training” magazines for that pistol. Pistols and magazines are mechanical devices that can (and do) fail. I do this to increase, however slightly, the probability of my stuff working flawlessly at the moment of crisis when I absolutely need it to. Starting out with a malfunction is not something I want to do in extremis. In my experience, one of the most frequent causes of malfunctions in a semi-auto pistol is a faulty magazine. My training mags get used hard. They get bounced (empty and full) on concrete, gravel, inadvertently kicked, stepped on, etc., etc. On average I render 1 or 2 magazines unserviceable every year. It is not always easy to detect the damage that causes a magazine to go from being utterly reliable to unreliable.
.
This does not mean that I don’t shoot my duty mags regularly. I do (and I recommend that everyone should). I just don’t expose them to the abuse my training mags get. Also, at least every 6 months, I shoot out my carry ammo. I’m not worried about its shelf-life. I do this to make sure my mechanical devices (magazines and pistols) are still feeding, chambering, and extracting those hollow points (or whatever I’m carrying) as flawlessly as they do the usual FMJ range training rounds.
.
As far as the springs in magazines go, storing them compressed (magazine loaded) or extended (empty) will not change the life of the spring. Springs are worn out over time by being compressed and then extending (cycles). After x number of cycles, similar to the idea of how many times you can slightly bend a paper clip before it fails, the spring will no longer perform properly and needs to be replaced.

 

[mappow]

I always keep a loaded SD mag while at the range, just in case. As for range mags v SD mags, there are no differences. I do state that cheaper mags for my 1911's are only for the range due to training. I've found inferior mags when I drop to the ground and reload that after awhile the feed retention tends to bend and give me miss feeds. Other then that ALL my mags stay full up. As does my M1 Garand Enbloc mags. Although no spring is stressed, I keep a plethora loaded. Never know when dem bears might be close by.

 

[Kennydale]

As a newbie i have just one gun. I have purchased a few extra magazines. As my EDC goes it's a Ruger SR40C and I carry it 9+1 (with a loaded spare magazine of 15). at indoor ranges by me i can't shoot my Hornady critical Duty. When i can get to my buddies outdoor range i will run off one of my 9+1 magazines, just to be sure that everything is in sync with my SD ammo and gun. I was thinking with the spare magazines to maybe start rotating them.

 

[Pir8fan]

All mags for all guns are loaded all the time. That answer the question?

 

[lefty60]

First off Defense ammo. 1 mag for the gun, 2 for reloads. If this is your only "carry gun" you need more mags for "training". I prefer to reload and retain the empty mag. So I don't need to worry about "range damage".

Mags used for defense carry need to be tested/proven, then not abused in training. I shoot up my carry ammo once or twice a year to rotate it. (I only shoot the ammo that was carried in the mags)

Please remember that damaged/cheap/poorly maintained mags will make your pistola a SINGLE SHOT DEFENSE GUN. Yes, good/oem mags are expensive. How much are the lives of you/your family worth? The same question can be asked of "expensive defense ammo".

As always, these are My opinions based on training and experience.

 

[CapGun]

Ammo or magazines. SD ammo or FMJ. Some or all of your magazines always loaded or only some mags loaded.
Can you spell R-O-T-A-T-I-O-N?

 

[S&W645]

...... As does my M1 Garand Enbloc mags. Although no spring is stressed, I keep a plethora loaded. Never know when dem bears might be close by.

SD mags are loaded all the time except when emptied at the range. No range mags per se. Enblocs are kept loaded with various ammo. M2 Ball, AP, API, and mostly they are surplus clips and surplus ammo going into ex-military guns. Blam, Blam, Blam, Blam, Blam, Blam, Blam, Blam, PING! Every so often the CMP offers GI used Enblocs at $20/25 which is a good deal.

 

[Eidolon]

I prefer to reload and retain the empty mag. So I don't need to worry about "range damage".

This the ideal but it's not always possible in the real world. So, unless I'm specifically practicing a reload and retention I don't do a reload and retention

 

[squibX]

When I go to the range I run my guns hard. If I go to slide lock that mag hits the ground as it is useless to me empty. Tac reloads is the only time I retain the mag. Magazine springs of more recent manufacture do not tend to have the memory that so many talk about IMO so keeping mags fully loaded for an extended time is not an issue, at least with my department numerous magazine are kept fully loaded for response teams etc. So what ever is your own personal preference is fine. Personally I have a fully loaded mag for all my weapons and they all have there turn at the range on a regular basis and defective gear if not repairable hits the trash.

 

[lefty60]

This the ideal but it's not always possible in the real world. So, unless I'm specifically practicing a reload and retention I don't do a reload and retention

Just to clarify a little about my version of "Reload with Retention"

Reload with retention is my default reload. If circumstance dictates, I can easily just let the mag fall. When I retain the mag it is not a slow complicated process, it is stowed while my hand is on it's way to the fresh mag. No muss No fuss, or it hits the deck.

Just my choice yours may vary. :biggrin:

 

[Eidolon]

Reload with retention is my default reload. If circumstance dictates, I can easily just let the mag fall.

I am a firm believer that when circumstances dictate that you (editorial you not you) let your magazine fall what going to happen is that your muscle memory is going to take over and you're going to do exactly what you do in training. Therefore my default is to let the magazine drop, Magazines are replaceable, I'm not.