Magazine Use

jkbsab

While hiking or travelling I carry my Sig. 229 40 cal. for protection. I fully load the 12 round clip with 140 grain Federal JHP's. I would like to get any guidance on how long a magazine should be kept fully loaded before the spring deforms or there is any degradation in feeding? Thanks.

Jim

txlawdog

Your gun is ruined, I will buy it off your hands cheap!

I think mostly magazines these days don't have the same problems of failing due to their strength. That being said, to be safe, I change my mags out once or twice a year. I let them rest and use another mag. Someone else might have more credible information, but I think that is a safe bet.

William81

I have fired magazines that were loaded for over 25 years and they functioned perfectly. There are different schools of thought on this one.

I keep three magazines for my house gun loaded at all times. Every 6 months or so I take them to the range, empty them and reload again when I get home. I have used the same house gun (Glock 19) and three magazines for over 10 years and have never had a problem with them.

Txs

A modern magazine spring's life is actually shortened more by repeated compression/decompression cycles, not how long it remains compressed.

When it comes to simply long term full-loading, as long as the spring wasn't compressed beyond design capacity it's life is pretty much indefinite.

agman1999

I'd worry more about the ammo spoiling. [:D]

nunn

At least 30 years. BTDT.