Leaving Mags Loaded VS Unloaded

[Cooolone]

Leaving your mags empty is akin to carrying an unloaded firearm! What's the purpose of a magazine? To hold ammunition as a feeding device for your firearm. Doesn't matter it's not on you, etc. It must be ready to go at all times in my opinion.

Every magazine I own is ready to do business. I carry as many as is comfortable, usually at least 2 addt'l mags, sometimes 3, but really is dependent upon where I'm going to be, activity and clothing, etc. The old "relax" the spring thing is nothing to consider, I have never had an issue with a magazine I can remember. Even then, when going to the range, I use and circulate all mags and ammo to ensure they're working, no issues. All ammo is used, cycled, including self defense rounds, not just range ammo, etc. And I do keep clean all firearms and magazines which I think is more important than relaxing by not having them loaded/filled and ready to go. I mean really... Bug out time, do you want to stop and have to load a few mags for the road? Or have a dozen or so ready to just grab and go?

Anyways...

Merry Xmas all!

 

[oc shooter]

meh my house gun is a revolver so I don't worry about mags. that being said the only times I've had trouble with mags is when they get dirty

 

[Jezman]

I have been leaving my mags loaded for years and years.

I have never had an issue.

Quoted for Truth. Never an issue till the spring gives up well over ten years on my mags no issues.

 

[Chevusa]

Leaving your mags empty is akin to carrying an unloaded firearm! What's the purpose of a magazine? To hold ammunition as a feeding device for your firearm. Doesn't matter it's not on you, etc. It must be ready to go at all times in my opinion.

I was asking about pistol mags when storing at home. I have much more effective firearms other than pistols for home defense, and they are "ready to go".

 

[Marine Cpl]

Let’s just look at real world data. Most cops leave their magazines loaded on their belts for a full year before they are used again for qualification. There are almost no malfunctions whatsoever due to spring decompression. If there were, we would hear about it.

 

[Acer-m14]

i'm having issues with my savage 270 mag .. last yr noticed some rust on the so called spring ( its not a coil spring , more like a leaf spring) ) .. cleaned it up and oil .. loaded it up ..
this yr for hunting .. its not feeding right .. had to poke it to get the next round to chamber ..

might be calling savage for a new mag ..

 

[Saltwater60]

The way a spring is made is to compress and expand within a certain range and your mag loaded or unloaded is within this range because that’s the way they are designed. Leave tour mag loaded or unloaded it doesn’t matter. If you somehow could ram 12-13 rounds in a 10 round mag and left it loaded it would damage the spring.

 

[Cooolone]

I was asking about pistol mags when storing at home.

Doesn't matter where as location is insignificant to the matter IMO. And that's exactly where I store all my loaded magazines as well, lol.

Empty magazines are useless as a rock! And for the matter, many people like predisposing exactly what will happen, and think they know what weapon may be within use, "in the home", for a given situation, when reality dictates that for 99% of the time this is not entirely predictable, or true. Unless someone calls you and announces "I'm on my way over to kill you" lol.

Will you start loading magazines then? Or hope after you call the police, and the threat arrives, that your shots will hit their target if (heaven forbid) that becomes necessary with your loaded firearm, whatever it will be. Do you think you'll shoot a predetermined amount of rounds to end the threat?

For example, I could just as easily create a hypothetical scenario whereas your so called "choice" weapon fails or runs out of ammo... Then what? That you'll need to find you handgun or other secondary weapon, and hope it's mags are ready? I would be more concerned about any firearm not being able to function (empty mag), than if it's springs were good. (As noted previously, magazines always cycled, used, cleaned, so I'm aware of all magazines functioning and then reloaded for storage).

In a fight/flight, body alarm, life death situation, when tunnel vision kicks in, hearing is muffled, fine motor skills evaporate... Even dropping an empty magazine and reloading, can become a problem. I certainly wouldn't want to have to "think" for a second about where my loaded magazines are, if they're loaded, or working... Just saying

It's all good, really. Potaytoes and Potaatoes...

Good luck with your magazines and enjoy just sharing my thoughts.

 

[Chevusa]

You should lay off the movies for a while. If I have to go through my CC pistol, a few shotguns equipped with sidesaddles plus an AR with additional speed loaders ready to go, then I am probably going up against the Navy Seals, or I just need to wake up from the dream. If you think EVERY mag for EVERY pistol should be ready to go at ALL times, regardless of other long guns available, then I would urge you to move out of the Middle East, or maybe to just lighten up a little. It is okay to collect guns and have them put away. Especially when other more effective guns are available. This is coming from someone that carries every day and has sense I got my license to do so. Every. Day.

 

[dwa12479]

I usually liken this scenario to the pop top on an aluminum can. If you want to remove the pop top, do you....
1) Hold constant pressure on it until it fails?
2) Work it back and forth until it fails?

 

[spat]

Doesn't matter where as location is insignificant to the matter IMO. And that's exactly where I store all my loaded magazines as well, lol.

Empty magazines are useless as a rock! And for the matter, many people like predisposing exactly what will happen, and think they know what weapon may be within use, "in the home", for a given situation, when reality dictates that for 99% of the time this is not entirely predictable, or true. Unless someone calls you and announces "I'm on my way over to kill you" lol.

Will you start loading magazines then? Or hope after you call the police, and the threat arrives, that your shots will hit their target if (heaven forbid) that becomes necessary with your loaded firearm, whatever it will be. Do you think you'll shoot a predetermined amount of rounds to end the threat?

For example, I could just as easily create a hypothetical scenario whereas your so called "choice" weapon fails or runs out of ammo... Then what? That you'll need to find you handgun or other secondary weapon, and hope it's mags are ready? I would be more concerned about any firearm not being able to function (empty mag), than if it's springs were good. (As noted previously, magazines always cycled, used, cleaned, so I'm aware of all magazines functioning and then reloaded for storage).

In a fight/flight, body alarm, life death situation, when tunnel vision kicks in, hearing is muffled, fine motor skills evaporate... Even dropping an empty magazine and reloading, can become a problem. I certainly wouldn't want to have to "think" for a second about where my loaded magazines are, if they're loaded, or working... Just saying

It's all good, really. Potaytoes and Potaatoes...

Good luck with your magazines and enjoy just sharing my thoughts.

I have magazines that hold defensive ammo that largely sit around loaded all the time.

I have others that are just for range day and may or may not be loaded at any point, and may be "cheap" magazines. All the defensive magazines are OEM or at least a "quality" aftermarket brand.

I also have guns that are not going to end up in any defense scenario. My 10/22 sits in a safe next to several better choices, Same with my bolt action rifles (some of which have detachable magazines).

There is no point in keeping the magazines for the non defense weapons loaded, but I also don't think there is much point in not doing so either, so the occasionally sit around loaded, but generally don't get loaded until at least a trip to the range with one is imminent.

 

[Cooolone]

You should lay off the movies for a while. If I have to go through my CC pistol, a few shotguns equipped with sidesaddles plus an AR with additional speed loaders ready to go, then I am probably going up against the Navy Seals, or I just need to wake up from the dream. If you think EVERY mag for EVERY pistol should be ready to go at ALL times, regardless of other long guns available, then I would urge you to move out of the Middle East, or maybe to just lighten up a little. It is okay to collect guns and have them put away. Especially when other more effective guns are available. This is coming from someone that carries every day and has sense I got my license to do so. Every. Day.

I don't think anything. Unlike your movie references and hyperbole about Middle East. You ignore my reference to exactly what you posted. I'll make assumptions your shotties are not laying on the table in front of you, or your AR and that you don't shower with your CC, lol. And it's OK if that's what you do

I said to each his own, but you also proved my point that you note your weapons are ready to go.

I have weapons too, at each point of entry, in each room, each in its own way, ready to go, and each one gets me to an ever increasing lethality...

Yes, all my magazines, for all my pistols are ready to go, because I don't know what "go" is... Or how it will be delivered, or when. I don't guess to know, or predispose any scenario or outcome. I do know, when I reach for a weapon, I will not need to look for a magazine. I do know I won't have to count my shots. I do know I will focus on removing the threat in the most prejudicial manner, period.

We were not talking about collecting guns, the question was keeping magazines loaded or not. I've given my opinion on that subject without embellishment into silliness, thank you.

 

[1911guy]

I have fired several 45acp magazines loaded since WWII with no failures/malfunctions.

 

[Chevusa]

We were not talking about collecting guns, the question was keeping magazines loaded or not. I've given my opinion on that subject without embellishment into silliness, thank you.

Then you misunderstood the original question. It was about guns that are out of current carry rotation. My CC is on me from the time I get dressed until I go to bed.

 

[Phauxtoe]

do some fake science...
Test #1
take a paperclip and Bend it one time and put in the safe.
go back in a year and see if it is broken

Test #2
bend and straighten a paperclip over and over again
10 times a day for a year, see how it fairs

 

[BlackDragon]

Everything is loaded and stays loaded. Zero issues

 

[Calculon]

Here’s what an engineer says. If you don’t want to watch video, takeaway is load em up.