Pistol magazine springs.

[jon lynn]

Okay, I believe an unloaded weapon is worthless.

But will it wear, or reduce the tension of the coil spring in the magazine if I keep it full? I only have 3 rounds in my .380 mags (I keep it in the kitchen, between a stack of clean dish towels).

I want to fill them up, but am afraid they will get to weak to feed the rounds if they sit too long. And I am having a rough time finding more mags for my Bersa Thunder, the two I have may be it for a while.

Any merit to this, or am I just a weenie?

[Jack]

It's long been conventional wisdom that springs will weaken or 'take a set' if kept compressed in a full magazine for long periods of time.
Finding an actual example where that has happened with a modern magazine is a bit more difficult- usually someone's cousin's barber's next door neighbor's best friend told them about it.
There are examples of loaded 1911 magazines from WW2 or even WW1 still functioning fine.
If you're worried about it, rotate your full magazines every few months. Or, just don't worry about it.

[Gil Martin]

I have had magazines that were loaded for years that still functioned perfectly. All the best...
Gil

[Adam Helmer]

jon,

Load them mags! Even if the springs go weak, the top 3 or 4 rounds will "go up the spout." I have magazines loaded for two DECADES that fed and functioned just fine. Good nuff for me. LOAD EM UP!

Adam

[skeet]

I got a WWII P-38 that was a bringback that had the mags loaded for 40 yrs. It functioned fine with the WWII ammo in the mags. Accuracy sucked but the mags worked fine. The springs that actually will take a set are usually flat springs but most all mags use coil spring wire mag springs. Don't worry about it. Load 'em and shoot 'em ocassionally

[PJgunner]

A friend of mine inherited a Colt 1911 with a serial number that dates it to 1913. It's magazine was loaded with ammo headstamped 1915. It not only shot just fine, there was no problem with feeding from a magazine that had been left loaded for only God knows how long.
I remember reading somewhere that loading and unloading magazines affected the springs more than just leaving them loaded. I found a couple of magazines for my 1911 that I'd misplaced years ago a while back that were filled with some of my handloads from the mid 1960's. I know they were that old because the bullets I used then, Lyman #452460 IIRC never shot worth spit in my gun. Now those were loaded before I left California for good and that was in 1970 and I'd quit that bullet some time before the move. I shot them up just to get the brass back and those two magazines functioned just fine.
Paul B.

[popplecop]

The primers used back then were corrosive, I hope the barrel was well cleaned after useing those rounds from 1915. Best to remove barrel and clean with hot soapy water first, followed with a light coat of gun oil.

[PJgunner]

Oh I know all about corrosive priming. That's the sad part about him shooting that early 1911. I wasn't there when he shot it. I asked about the magazine's feeding and he said no problems. I did what I could for him to try and save that gun but it was a mess. he also got what was probably the worst ass-chewing of his entire life. I still get mad when I think about it and what he did.
Paul B.