loaded magazine
Can anyone tell me if it hurts to keep pistol or rifle magazines loaded? I have a 75 round drum for my ak and I have a 45 pistol I wanted to keep loaded for home protection and just wanted to know will it weaken the spring in the mag. if kept loaded.
0
-
Can you leave a magazine loaded in storage/home protection without damaging it. 0 -
Used to be it was a no no but current thinking is that it's not an issue. I've had mags loaded for years and they worked fine on use, others have said the same thing. If I remember correctly, even Col Cooper said there is no issue with the mag springs.
Obviously, dirt, lint, dust and hardened grease/oil would play into this but a spring under compression is not likely to fail over time anymore than a prestressed bridge beam is going to fail from being in position.
Your high capacity drums may be more subject thickened lube then failure from being kept loaded depending on the storage conditions and, if any, the lube in them.
Your mileage may vary but that's my take on the subject.
Dan R0 -
Jesus, who are you expecting to be paying you a visit? Seal Team Six? The Hell's Angels?
Relying on just one 75 round magazine may be problematic should it fail. Putting one's eggs in one basket is never a wise move. Reliability is most important if you are to the point you have to pull a trigger to protect you and your family.
If you have to use an AK, get two or three standard military issue magazines, instead. If you have to exhaust one 30 round magazine, you will be in a fire fight any way, so reloading should not be a big issue at that point.
However, I would suggest a good 12 gauge shotgun, either a coach type or a reliable pump with 20 inch barrels. In a home defense scenario, a shotgun is more effective in close quarters and less likely to cause any second guessing by your local sheriff or a jury if the "bad guy" happens to survive with bullet holes from an AK versus a load of #4 that rips him in half. You have to remember, everyone is a "CSI" expert now days.0 -
Modern steel springs used in mags are treated to not fail if made correctly... 0 -
My 100 rnd AK drum has the key round spring, it's possible to leave loaded with no tension if up choose or with just enough tension to keep the ammo from moving around, don't take long to wind it up.
I agree that spring tension will not be affected, but the untended mags do collect dust, dirt and lint, only good place to leave a loaded mag away from such things is in the gun. Yes, every gun in my home stored above toddler reach is most likely loaded. If they can walk then they should know not to touch.0 -
To answer the question, no, properly manufactured magazines should not fail merely from being stored loaded for extended periods of time. I've heard anecdotally about a WWI era 1911 being found loaded in storage then shot with the still-in-place ammo and magazines flawlessly 60+ years later
That said, 1911 and AK magazines are so cheap and readily available, how much would it really hurt you to keep a few extra and rotate them every few years? I'd like to think you're taking out your "self defense" guns at least often enough to retain some proficiency in shooting them. When you do that, which is hopefully more often than once every few years, you will be testing the magazines in question.
As a side issue, and as mentioned above by Manoa Fisherman, 75 round drum magazines are great for laying down suppressive fire from fully automatic weapons in a gunfight. They're really not suitable for conventional civilian home defense.
The reason is these drums are not only less reliable than a conventional magazine, they're also far heavier and bulky, reducing the handling of the weapon. In fact, if I remember right, the weight/round ratio of the drums is actually poorer than conventional magazines (ie 5 loaded thirty round mags weigh less than two loaded 75 rounders).
On top of that, if you ever did get into a shooting incident with such a magazine, you're providing extra "ammo" (so to speak) for a prosecutor or plaintiffs attorney to paint you as a lunatic "gun nut" looking for trouble. Having a "clean" shooting does NOT necessarily make you immune to such charges (ie see George Zimmerman/Trevon Martin). So try to keep things as clean as possible.0 -
I left 5 Ruger Mk II mags loaded for 15 years, no issues. There was a WW2 1911 found with mags loaded during WW2 relatively recently (maybe past 5 years or so?). Fired w/o a problem. 0 -
In the late 1980's while going through my grandmother's chest helpping her, I found a 1903 Colt with a loaded magazine. I asked my grandmother about it and she said my grandfather gave it to her when he was shipped off in WWII to protect her and the kids. She put it in the chest and never took it out.
The gun was pristine and after cleaning and oiling the gun, I took it to the range and the magazine functioned perfectly. This was after 40 years.0 -
Both your rifle and pistol mags should be fine left loaded with a bit of care as the others pointed out. Your choice of home defense guns and mags is also fine, especially if you're in a rural area where 911 is a half-hour away. Please make sure you're confident and proficient with them... and (most importantly) they're 100% reliable. It's you and your family's lives on the line in a bad situation, anything less than 100% reliability isn't acceptable.
I rotate my mags every 2-3 years or so for the home defense guns. I also use several mags for each in case one has a hiccup, then I can change to a new one and be ready to go. As Manoa said, it's a good idea to have another one or two on hand in case the big boy craps out when it really matters. Good luck and stay safe!0 -
Just out of old habit I load my rifle mags 10% light for storage. 27 rds in a 30, 18 in a 20 etc. I am sure it is a meaningless exercise, but it makes me a bit more confident. I also still change out my carry pistol springs every 3-4 years. FWIW 0 -
quote:Originally posted by chiefmoose
Can anyone tell me if it hurts to keep pistol or rifle magazines loaded? I have a 75 round drum for my ak and I have a 45 pistol I wanted to keep loaded for home protection and just wanted to know will it weaken the spring in the mag. if kept loaded.
Didn't search did ya0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
11 comments