THE ACCURATERELOADING.COM MODERN MILITARY RIFLES FORUM

Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
AR magazines
 Login/Join
 
Pokerplayer
one of us
posted
does anyone have first hand knowlege about how long magazines loaded to an 80% fill can be kept in storage without reliability problems?
 
Posts: 261 | Location: SW MO | Registered: 26 May 2002Reply With Quote
Grenadier
One of Us
Picture of Grenadier
posted Hide Post
I have had no noticeable reliability problems with 30rnd magazines filled with 28rds for up to 90 days. Never tried it any longer.




.
 
Posts: 10900 | Location: North of the Columbia | Registered: 28 April 2008Reply With Quote
N E 450 No2
one of us
posted Hide Post
I recently shot some aluminium AR magazines that had been loaded for over 20 years.

No problems.


DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY
 
Posts: 16134 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002Reply With Quote
butchloc
One of Us
posted Hide Post
quote:
I recently shot some aluminium AR magazines that had been loaded for over 20 years.

+1
 
Posts: 13466 | Location: faribault mn | Registered: 16 November 2004Reply With Quote
Antelope Sniper
One of Us
posted Hide Post
I had some loaded 10 years, and they still functioned fine.
 
Posts: 3034 | Location: Colorado | Registered: 01 July 2010Reply With Quote
jetdrvr
One of Us
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by butchloc:
quote:
I recently shot some aluminium AR magazines that had been loaded for over 20 years.

+1


Yep.
 
Posts: 11729 | Location: Florida | Registered: 25 October 2006Reply With Quote
ChetNC
One of Us
Picture of ChetNC
posted Hide Post
Mag springs with the correct spring steel in them do not have problems at all when left loaded for long periods and stored under decent conditions.
Springs lose their strength as they are compressed and released, compressed or decompressed beyond their normal shape, or when heat is applied.
Your car wears springs when it is driven, not when it is sitting in the garage (even though they are still under load). Mags work the same way. It's the number of compression cycles, not a single compression, that wears them out.
There is no reason to store them at 80%, 90%, or 99%. Store 'em full if at all. My father-in-law gave me a loaded 20rnd Colt mag he found in his gear from '71 or so. I fired it off around '99 and had no issues with it or the ammo in it.
The caveat is that feed lips on most firearm magazines are not spring steel. They can be deformed or stretched over time although it is usually from use not storage.

Check out Magpul's Pmag if you want to store a loaded mag or two. They come with a cover that pushes the top round slightly below the feed lips so the are not under load while the cover is attached. The cover also serves as a gauge to check feed lip spread when you take it off and flip it over.
 
Posts: 348 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 03 April 2009Reply With Quote
45/70 Thumper
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Do not assume all AR magazines are created equal. Some ( Okay/NHTMG/Brownells ) meet USGI specs completely....while others still function quite well, but may use slightly cheaper componants...(springs/thinner metal/not tempered right....)

Anyway , with a good quality USGI mag, you should have no issues.
 
Posts: 56 | Registered: 16 January 2008Reply With Quote
homebrewer
One of Us
posted Hide Post
I have just recently discovered the Pmag from Magpul. Nice. The click you hear when it clicks into the magazine catch is so satisfying. The thing is constructed with internal guides that control the round all the way from bottom to feed lips. If we had had these in Vietnam, many more boys would have made it home. And many more Charlie and Cong would not have made it home.
 
Posts: 16534 | Location: Between my computer and the head... | Registered: 03 March 2008Reply With Quote
DaMan
One of Us
posted Hide Post
I agree with those who say mags can be left loaded for years and will still funtion perfectly.

If you are worried about it, buy some extra Wolff or Brownell springs and swap mag springs every once in a while.
 
Posts: 49226 | Registered: 21 January 2001Reply With Quote
perry
One of Us
posted Hide Post
If it is a real worry to someone just keep 3 stripper clips loaded next to your mag.

Perry
 
Posts: 2252 | Location: South Texas | Registered: 01 November 2005Reply With Quote
Antelope Sniper
One of Us
posted Hide Post
quote:
Posted Aug 30, 8:38 PM Hide Post
If it is a real worry to someone just keep 3 stripper clips loaded next to your mag.


Some folks probably don't want to be fumbling with stripper clips in the middle of the night!
 
Posts: 3034 | Location: Colorado | Registered: 01 July 2010Reply With Quote
BISCUT
One of Us
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by ChetNC:
Mag springs with the correct spring steel in them do not have problems at all when left loaded for long periods and stored under decent conditions.
Springs lose their strength as they are compressed and released, compressed or decompressed beyond their normal shape, or when heat is applied.
Your car wears springs when it is driven, not when it is sitting in the garage (even though they are still under load). Mags work the same way. It's the number of compression cycles, not a single compression, that wears them out.
There is no reason to store them at 80%, 90%, or 99%. Store 'em full if at all. My father-in-law gave me a loaded 20rnd Colt mag he found in his gear from '71 or so. I fired it off around '99 and had no issues with it or the ammo in it.
The caveat is that feed lips on most firearm magazines are not spring steel. They can be deformed or stretched over time although it is usually from use not storage.

Check out Magpul's Pmag if you want to store a loaded mag or two. They come with a cover that pushes the top round slightly below the feed lips so the are not under load while the cover is attached. The cover also serves as a gauge to check feed lip spread when you take it off and flip it over.


Give that man a cigar!!!!!! WOODS????????

Either load em and keep em loaded....for good! or keep em unloaded. Compressing for a while and then lettign them sit for a while uncompressed is what causes spring fatigue.

Few years ago my dept. switched from Glock 17 to Glock 22. We had original magazines, 15+ years of service compressed the whole time. They still functioned just fine.
 
Posts: 969 | Registered: 13 October 2009Reply With Quote
Tembo
One of Us
Picture of Tembo
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by homebrewer:
I have just recently discovered the Pmag from Magpul. Nice. The click you hear when it clicks into the magazine catch is so satisfying. The thing is constructed with internal guides that control the round all the way from bottom to feed lips. If we had had these in Vietnam, many more boys would have made it home. And many more Charlie and Cong would not have made it home.


+1 on the PMag. Definately a good product.


______________________
Age and Treachery Will Always Overcome Youth and Skill
 
Posts: 2596 | Location: Missouri | Registered: 04 January 2005Reply With Quote
Collins
One of Us
Picture of Collins
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by DaMan:
I agree with those who say mags can be left loaded for years and will still funtion perfectly.

If you are worried about it, buy some extra Wolff or Brownell springs and swap mag springs every once in a while.


Agreed, Like every 20 years Wink

I have C mags and P mags loaded and have no issue with keeping them that way forever


Collins
Airgunner / 458 SOCOMer/ 45-70er / 458 Lotter

www.actionairgun.com LIVE NOW

 
Posts: 2327 | Location: The Sunny South! St. Augustine, FL | Registered: 29 May 2004Reply With Quote
RyanB
One of Us
posted Hide Post
USE PMAGS. Also, download by two so that you don't have issues locking them in under a closed bolt. And push/pull to make sure they stay in.
 
Posts: 956 | Location: PNW | Registered: 27 April 2009Reply With Quote
jetdrvr
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Great advice. I keep buying them, replacing my older steel mags. They work.
 
Posts: 11729 | Location: Florida | Registered: 25 October 2006Reply With Quote
Collins
One of Us
Picture of Collins
posted Hide Post
just as an FYI, I'd download by an uneven number. A full mag always feeds from the Right. seeing a bullet on the left might be a good reminder of a mag not quite full...
My $0.02


Collins
Airgunner / 458 SOCOMer/ 45-70er / 458 Lotter

www.actionairgun.com LIVE NOW

 
Posts: 2327 | Location: The Sunny South! St. Augustine, FL | Registered: 29 May 2004Reply With Quote
RyanB
One of Us
posted Hide Post
ARC mags feed from the left. When press checking, drop the mag and confirm the round is now on the other side.
 
Posts: 956 | Location: PNW | Registered: 27 April 2009Reply With Quote
doubledown
One of Us
posted Hide Post
IMHO, David Tubbs CS springs are "the best" magazine springs. check them out.

http://www.davidtubb.com/tcom_...ges/cs_magazine.html
 
Posts: 406 | Registered: 17 January 2009Reply With Quote
sam308
One of Us
Picture of sam308
posted Hide Post
I have several Magpul P-Mags that stay loaded for months at a time and then get reloaded and put back into storage for the next time they will be used. Have never had a malfunction with one. I do use the clip-on dust cover and load them with 30 rounds. The P-Mags are the best out there IMO. The ones with the round indicator window are even better!
 
Posts: 344 | Location: Kansas | Registered: 27 July 2008Reply With Quote
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


Copyright December 1997-2023 Accuratereloading.com


Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia