Magazine wear and tear question

[Turbinesaint]

This seems like a basic question, but I'm curious. Does keeping a magazine loaded hurt / lessen the life of the magazine in any way? I have 2 15 round magazines for my pistol that I keep loaded completely (all 15) and I was curious as to what everyone else does. In the Marines, they always had us load 28 rounds to save the springs (they said) on our 30 round magazines. I feel that a magazine should be manufactured to hold the full capacity, but again I'm not completely sure.

[Kenshin]

Eventually the magazine springs will wear out. How long that takes i do not know. I would suppose it would be dependent on how often you use them.

[JustinM]

Mag springs (like any other spring) wear out form being compressed and decmopressed. Letting them sit will not hurt them.

[God's Country]

A spring only looses it's elasticity if it has been extended or compressed beyond it's designed limit. Obviously if a mag has been designed properly this is not an issue. The only other way has already been stated. Repeated cycling. If you wear your mag out from that good for you.

Keep them loaded.

[TonyF]

Not a problem keeping them loaded.

The 28 rounds in a 30 round M16 magazine is recommended because in the event of a tactical reload, inserting a fully loaded (30) magazine with the bolt forward is difficult to seat.

Since the mag is fullly loaded, there is no spring compression left and the top round in the mag will impinge on the underside of the BCG. With the mag loaded to 28, there is enough spring compression to force the top round "down" into the mag as it impinges against the BCG.

Pat Rogers says it best, "don't get married to your magazines". They are a disposable commodity. They WILL wear out. Springs and followers can be replaced but there WILL come a time when the mag body will have seen its better days.

[PA Rifleman]

Originally Posted by TonyF

...
Pat Rogers says it best, "don't get married to your magazines". They are a disposable commodity. They WILL wear out. Springs and followers can be replaced but there WILL come a time when the mag body will have seen its better days.

Excellent point. If this is a carry weapon or other "service gun", it needs to remain loaded the majority of the time irrespective of the effect this state has on the mag. If the mag needs service every 2-5 years versus every 10 because it's loaded all the time, so be it.