Mini-14 Mags stored for over a year

[Vapor]

Long story short, I loaded up some mags around March of 2020. Approximately 12 factory, 10 round, ruger mini-14 mags.

I decided to got out and sight in a rifle. The mags still feed ok, but about 8-9 lacked the spring power to actuate the bolt hold open.

I opened them up, and yes, the spring were shorter than new mags i had also taken with me.


I was able to take them apart and stretch them out, but I will probably never leave mini mags loaded for a long time again.


I guess next up its time to test the glock and ar mags....

 

[Deplorable Me]

Extra power mags? I know for some magazines they make aftermarket extra power mags. They end up taking extra effort to load but for long term storage that might be an option.

 

[Blimey]

Very interesting because I have seen some argue mags can stay loaded for years with no issue. I remember one guy with a safe loaded of 30 rounders.

 

[Vapor]

Very interesting because I have seen some argue mags can stay loaded for years with no issue. I remember one guy with a safe loaded of 30 rounders.

I have 30+ 10 round ar mags loaded for the same length of time. I'll let you know how a sample of those work out.

My gut feeling is the ar and glock mags will take being loaded for a long time better.

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

Very interesting because I have seen some argue mags can stay loaded for years with no issue. I remember one guy with a safe loaded of 30 rounders.

Maybe maybe not. The OPs springs could have been stored in an environment that degraded the springs or the springs could have been made of inferior metals. Or both.

 

[Deplorable Me]

I'm looking for replacement 10 round +P springs but only see 20 and 30. Maybe buy a 20 round spring and trim it a coil or two extra? Sounds like a Wile E Coyote bush fix but I'm full of dumb ideas this week.

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

I'm looking for replacement 10 round +P springs but only see 20 and 30. Maybe buy a 20 round spring and trim it a coil or two extra? Sounds like a Wile E Coyote bush fix but I'm full of dumb ideas this week.

That would work and is most of the time all that's done to make springs stronger or weaker. The materials they're made of is a different story.

ETA: just clip half a coil at a time until you get it where you want

 

[Deplorable Me]

That would work and is most of the time all that's done to make springs stronger or weaker. The materials they're made of is a different story.

ETA: just clip half a coil at a time until you get it where you want

PS: And screw Cuomo for banning 20 and 30 round optimum capacity ammunition feeding devices.

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

Call up Ruger. Sounds like Ruger cut some corners on quality springs. I have a bunch of 1911 mags of all different brands loaded for years and used them with no issues.

 

[kev74]

Are the mags clean inside, or is there some dried up shipping lube making them bind?

If they're clean, call Ruger, as suggested above. I bet they'll hook you up.

 

[HEX]

That is very odd. Are they stock Ruger mags ? I might expect something like that from (the un-aptly named) Pro-Mags or somesuch.
I've used milsurp mags that were stored loaded for 20+ years and had them cycle just fine. If you're getting that from just over a single year, there's something either metallurgical or environmentally very wrong there.

 

[Acer-m14]

Call up Ruger. Sounds like Ruger cut some corners on quality springs. I have a bunch of 1911 mags of all different brands loaded for years and used them with no issues.

Are the mags clean inside, or is there some dried up shipping lube making them bind?

If they're clean, call Ruger, as suggested above. I bet they'll hook you up.

i agree .. if factory mags .. call them .. but you did mess with them and played with the spring .. bad bad bad ..

 

[1075tech]

A story about long term mag storage.

A guy I used to work with, his father died. His father was a retired Colonel and WWII vet. I guess this was maybe 1995 or so. He was cleaning out the attic and found a box. Among other things, there was a pre-war Walther in a holster with two mags. Both mags were loaded with 1943 head stamped ammo. I didn't shoot it but manually cycled both mags through without any issues

 

[togmaster]

The ONLY mags worth using in a Mini-14 are OEM Ruger mags. All others are just toys and you shouldn't expect much from them.

 

[Vapor]

The ONLY mags worth using in a Mini-14 are OEM Ruger mags. All others are just toys and you shouldn't expect much from them.

These were ruger mags.

Actually my experience is that the 5 or so pro mags and 3 cdn mags I have work just fine.


These ruger oems were stored in a water tight and air tight container from March 2020 until now.

 

[Robin]

I would say it is a manufacturing problem. Springs do not loose strength through compression and or non use. It is the flexing of the spring in the use that it was intended for that will wear it down, but even so, proper materials, configuration and temper, those springs should last for years and years of constant use.
Robin

 

[Acer-m14]

I would say it is a manufacturing problem. Springs do not loose strength through compression and or non use. It is the flexing of the spring in the use that it was intended for that will wear it down, but even so, proper materials, configuration and temper, those springs should last for years and years of constant use.
Robin

auto leaf springs and struts on NY pothole roads .. LOL ..

 

[Vapor]

I personally am inclined to think that mini-14 mags just aren't up to the same standards that glock, ak, and ar mags are. Testing will see.

 

[Shadow rider]

When they were legal, I had 4 after market "preban" 35 rnd mags (clear plastic bodies) for a Mini-14. I don't recall the brand...possibly "Eagle something or other"...anyway they never failed to cycle all rounds even after a few years in storage. They went to Texas along with the Mini-14 right after UNSAFE passed.