Mag loading thoughts.
I have loaded a few extra mags recently. I have always thought that loading a mag totally full wasn't the best way to do things if you were going to just let the mags sit. I have been loading my 30 round AR mags with 20 rounds and my 17 round Beretta mags with 13 rounds thinking I would possibly make for better mag spring life. I also think that if I can't take care of any potential problem with 20 rounds from an AR or 13 rounds of 9 mm I'm almost certainly already screwed!! 
Your thoughts on loading your mags??
Your thoughts on loading your mags??
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If it makes you feel good I don't see any harm. IMHO proper modern spring steel from the 30's on is fine, new made crap isn't any better than old made crap. 0 -
I had some Magpul 30 rd mags fully loaded for about 3 years that I found in the bottom of a drawer. Decided to take them to the range to see if they failed. Emptied three of them without a hitch, so I won't worry about it again. Modern metallurgy has made springs almost indestructible. That said, some of the off brand plastic mags have lips that will stretch if left loaded. 0 -
Yep, what Charlie and grdad said. One keeps hearing reports of findind a pistol mag in a safe/gun cabinet that has been loaded for decades, and they work just fine. The "big boys" have decided that it is the cycling of a spring that fatigues it, not static loading. 0 -
Depends of quality. Here's a video addressing it. One member here says he leaves messes at the range sometimes but the video is still good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pch0J9-7i2k0 -
Considering the extra size of a 30 round magazine, it hardly seems worth loading it with just 20 rounds. Why not use the smaller 20 round magazine and load it to whatever capacity you choose (1-20) ? 0 -
Load 30 in a 30 rounder, I never had a problem as long as they were good mags and fairly clean. We usually loaded 5 tracers then 25 ball when you see tracers you know its time to change mags.In CQB/MOUT try to change your mags after every room cleared.
20 round mags are nice for shooting prone and for haveing a mag in your weapon when jumping with a M-1950 case, other than that we never used them much.0 -
That sounds like the voice of experience....Sam06 said:Load 30 in a 30 rounder, I never had a problem as long as they were good mags and fairly clean. We usually loaded 5 tracers then 25 ball when you see tracers you know its time to change mags.In CQB/MOUT try to change your mags after every room cleared.
20 round mags are nice for shooting prone and for haveing a mag in your weapon when jumping with a M-1950 case, other than that we never used them much.
I'd listen to that one.0 -
Keeping a mag fully loaded for years will not do a thing to it. It’s the compression and then emptying it many times that over time wears out a spring. The reason for loading a 30 round mag with 28 or 29 rounds is so if you have a closed bolt and are seating a mag that it will seat easier in an AR15. Try doing it with a full mag and then download by 1-2 and you’ll see. There’s no reason to download by 10 rounds.
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Back in the late 70's I acquired 20 used USAF, Colt made 20 round AR mags.
They showed a lot of use but when I function tested them they worked flawlessly .
I then fully loaded them with surplus military 5.56 ammo and sealed them
in a 50 cal. ammo box along with enough loose rounds to fill it up.
About 8 or so years ago I dug this ammo box out of my storage unit and went to
the range. Both the long ago stored ammo and loaded mags all worked
like they had those 35 odd years ago.
So in my unplanned long term test for storing loaded mags and ammo it
proved to me as long as fairly proper storage techniques are followed with decent quality
components you should not need to worry about them working when you need them to.3
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