Loaded Magazines

[adam12]

How long can one have a loaded magazine before it becomes detrimental to the life of the spring?

 

[bnewberry]

A long time. They say that it is the cycling of the spring that hurts it more than leaving it compressed.

I've heard of magazines left loaded for 20 years that still functioned.

 

[m657]

I've got some that are in the 20+ realm. Every now & then I'll use one.

Seem to work fine.

 

[eveled]

I have around 20 1911 magazines that are always loaded. I keep them in a sealed Tupperware container. I take them to the range, then load them when I get home for the next time. Doesn't seem to bother them a bit. One of the great thing about 1911's is the relative cheapness of the magazines.

 

[Precision32]

Look up "elastic solids" on the internet. That's what a spring is. The failure mode for springs is breaking.

Springs will take an initial set when first pressed (or pulled) to their working limits. Many see springs get shorter after installation. What is happening is the spring is wound long (or short) and when installed and used for the first time the spring is pushed beyond the elastic limits of the spring and it deforms to a new, shorter length.

When was the last tie you changed the springs under your car? I'm sure I will hear "well I had to replace the springs under my 1910 XYZ." It was likely overloaded during it's life.

 

[CurlyQ]

Yep, holding a spring compressed does not affect its power over time. At least not to any readily measurable degree. It's the flexing of the spring that causes metal fatigue over time and will eventually compromise the spring. But in most modern springs, we're talking about many thousands of cycles. All depends on the quality of the spring.

There is one exception to this. Every spring has an elastic limit. This is how far the spring can be flexed before it actually bends rather than flexing. This will permanently weaken a spring. Some people have a habit of loading high capacity magazines short by a round or two. This isn't to increase the life of the spring, it's to reduce the likelihood of pushing the spring past its elastic limit and damaging it.

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

Grandpa's 1911 still had ammunition in its magazine from way back when. It functioned and fired fine.