Hi 2aOhana.

This might be a question for each respective magazine manufacturer, but I thought I'd toss it out for feedback.

SCENARIO: Fully loaded magazines at the ready.

ISSUE: Keeping magazines fully loaded at the ready could/would reduce the required spring tension to properly feed the rounds when fired.

QUESTION: How long is "too long" to keep a magazine fully loaded, ready and patiently waiting (but hopefully never needed) to be inserted and used?

Aloha, Sgt C-USMC

Most magazines can stay loaded for years without adverse affect on spring tension.

The general consensus is that the constant loading and unloading of magazines wears down the spring considerably faster than just having it loaded.

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+1

The only people who see spring fatigue as a problem are those who sell replacement "upgrade" springs.

.

Even the idea that using them deteriorates the spring is overblown.  Admittedly, eventually, the repetitive use will cause the spring to weaken and fail, but "eventually" is pretty fraking eventual!  A decent steel spring should last tens of thousands of cycles of use; a really good one, millions.

Taking a 10-round magazine as an example:
If it fails after only 1,000 cycles, that's 10,000 rounds you fired. And a shitty spring.
If it fails at 10,000 cycles, that's 100,000 rounds fired.  And a fair spring.
If it fails at 100,000 cycles, that's a million rounds.  And a good spring.
If it fails at a million cycles, that's 10 million rounds!  And a pretty impressive spring.

So if you haven't shot out a barrel or two, don't worry! 

Keep them loaded, it won't hurt them. Also, your gun would wear out before you would be able to wear out the spring by loading and unloading them. I happen to have a lot of experiences using springs when I was a Design Engineer and I assure you, the amount of loading or unloading you would have to do would be staggering.

I have talked to many people over the years and the ones who seem to be the most intelligent and experienced say the same thing as what all the guys have been saying here.

It is the loading and unloading that wears the springs down but even that, an engineer told me, is nothing to worry about if you have good quality springs in the mags.

Marketing 101:  Loudly and publicly identify a "problem," then market and sell your product as a solution to that "problem."

Playing upon the target audience's fears yields greater success.

Also works for politics and restrictions. But we are off topic.... :-D

I bumped into a friend at the range a few years ago. He was shooting a revolver. He told me that the magazine spring on his home defense gun broke when he brought the gun to the range to practice. Hence the change to a revolver.

Personally, I rotate mags and ammo about once per year or something like that. You have to practice with your self defense firearm once in a while anyway.

Great info team, I knew I could count on everyone.

A quality magazine with a properly engineered spring, with correct materials used, correct load and the springs working deflection limits and a magazine design that keeps the spring within its correct torsional elastic limits will last longer than 99% of shooters.  Even loading and unloading is a bit overstated.  While it does cause fatigue, the amounts are so small that you could correctly and continually load and unload a magazine 24/7 and it would take you years to wear it out.  Now springs tend to fail (helical or coil types) when you over stress the spring.  In other words taking the spring outside of its working deflection limits  or material design by compressing it too far or by stretching the spring.

A quality magazine with a properly engineered spring, with correct materials used, correct load and the springs working deflection limits and a magazine design that keeps the spring within its correct torsional elastic limits will last longer than 99% of shooters.  Even loading and unloading is a bit overstated.  While it does cause fatigue, the amounts are so small that you could correctly and continually load and unload a magazine 24/7 and it would take you years to wear it out.  Now springs tend to fail (helical or coil types) when you over stress the spring.  In other words taking the spring outside of its working deflection limits  or material design by compressing it too far or by stretching the spring.

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I completely agree with you.
But how do you know if you have a properly engineered spring? How do you know if the correct materials and manufacturing processes were used for every magazine that you own? Unfortunately, I have personally seen (and bought) some pretty crappy magazines. In fact, last Wednesday I was at the range and I helped out a nice fella and his son. He had a 9mm pistol that was having problems. Part of the problem were the horrible factory magazines that came with the pistol.

I suppose the bottom line is to use common sense. It tells me that if you are going to rely on a mechanical device to save your butt, you better check out your devices once in while.

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I completely agree with you.
But how do you know if you have a properly engineered spring? How do you know if the correct materials and manufacturing processes were used for every magazine that you own? Unfortunately, I have personally seen (and bought) some pretty crappy magazines. In fact, last Wednesday I was at the range and I helped out a nice fella and his son. He had a 9mm pistol that was having problems. Part of the problem were the horrible factory magazines that came with the pistol.

I suppose the bottom line is to use common sense. It tells me that if you are going to rely on a mechanical device to save your butt, you better check out your devices once in while.

I am not denying anything about sub quality mags and / or springs, just that if you have a good magazine with good springs this topic is not really an issue.  Magazines are almost the #1 reason for failures so if you rely on your weapon to save your butt, buy quality and obviously we should vet any piece of equipment or gear before placing into a critical use role. 

====================================
I completely agree with you.
But how do you know if you have a properly engineered spring? How do you know if the correct materials and manufacturing processes were used for every magazine that you own? Unfortunately, I have personally seen (and bought) some pretty crappy magazines. In fact, last Wednesday I was at the range and I helped out a nice fella and his son. He had a 9mm pistol that was having problems. Part of the problem were the horrible factory magazines that came with the pistol.

I suppose the bottom line is to use common sense. It tells me that if you are going to rely on a mechanical device to save your butt, you better check out your devices once in while.

For the most part, most "factory" items are designed to a certain spec.  Following that, many items must be "mil-spec".  Now, you have to be careful when items actually mil-spec (meaning they pass a series of tests designed by the military to vet the equipment) and then ones that just say they are - but have no proof.  Pretty much, staying from most off brands would keep you safe.  For rifle magazines, you can bet that your magpul magazines are going to run well in the firearms they are designed for.  We know this because magpul has proven over time that they are reliable and quality products.   For handguns, stick with factory magazines when possible -- unless you can vet the vendor, at which point you may look for their equipment over the manufacturers.

A friend of mine, found his grandfather's WWII 1911 GI magazine loaded, a bit rusty here and there, however he said the magazine still functioned without hicups...