Ammo in your mags...what do you do?

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the_shootist

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Here's a common scenario for most of us with CCW....

You get home, take off your weapon, remove the magazine and put them both in their safe. Do you remove all the ammo each time, some of the ammo (to relieve the tension on the mag spring) or simply leave the ammo in the mag because you'll be back tomorrow for your pistol?

Curious minds (including mine) want to know!
 
I have a few extra mags. I tend to rotate them every two days or so. So, I will fill a new mag, then empty the one I used that day. Only takes a minute or so and because I do it each time I am used to it. (I also keep one extra mag filled in my safe as well. so that gets "rotated at the same time)
 
+1
I have the same basic routine, empty my 2 mags at night, rotate to my "home" load mag.
Fill 2 mags before I leave the house. Rotating through the mags as I go.
 
Loaded all the time most of the year. Carry ammo gets used up once per year to put fresh stuff in each mag. Carry gun makes an occasional appearance for IDPA practice or a match and has been flawless (SSP class).

Never had a failure to feed due to the mags.

Regards,

Bob
 
I use the same 2 mags and never unload them, unless I'm at the range or I'm cleaning the magazines. I have more than 2 mags (usually 6+ for each handgun ) but they only get rotated out when the in-use ones get dirty. or if I have to refurb them.

As far as this silly notional about "saving" the spring- can we let it die already? [laugh] Some would even argue that by constantly loading and unloading, you're putting more wear on the spring than you would otherwise.

FWIW, I also rarely unload my carry gun unless I have to store it in a vehicle or something like that.... 98% of the time
it stays loaded.

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
As far as this silly notional about "saving" the spring- can we let it die already? [laugh] Some would even argue that by constantly loading and unloading, you're putting more wear on the spring than you would otherwise.
Click to expand...

I was going to say the same thing. This is like the gas/charcoal debate... LOL!

I once asked a metallurgist, and he said the same thing. That the constant compression and decompression of the spring will cause fatigue quicker than having it compressed all the time.

He actually asked me if I put my car on jacks every night to keep the leaf and coil springs fresh on my Jeep.

It made me think.

That's all I'm saying.
 
I do not cycle - when they have had their time they are fired off down the range.
I have not noticed any problems with the tension of the spring and have been doing so for years.
 
C-pher said:
... That the constant compression and decompression of the spring will cause fatigue quicker than having it compressed all the time.
Click to expand...

i will agree with that 100% from experiance. My 92FS mags were worn and ruined after 4 months of wear from taking the rounds out and putting them back in while i was off duty and bored. my 30 round m16 mags were full 95% of the time, and they didnt have one problem at all in 10 months total.

either keep them full or keep them empty, taking the rounds out for reasons other then the weapon firing is a huge wear on the mag spring.
 
When I get home the gun stays strapped on. That way I do not need to run to where the gun is when the bad guy crashes the front door.

At bedtime, a light is clipped to the gun and they go into a GunVault on the nightstand with the magazine still inserted. Trousers / shorts which were worn that day are set down at the base of the nightstand with holster, two spare mags, knife, and flashlight still on the belt.

The magazines are rotated every six months. Carry ammo is shot out once a year. It is shot from a cold start. No double-checking or cleaning beforehand. I might get home one day, decide it is time, and walk out to the range, draw, and fire (as fast as I can re-acquire the front sight) at a target until the gun is empty. Then I reload and do it again. Then again with the last magazine.

I have never had an issue with magazine springs wearing out. Like drgrant said, "...let it (the issue) die."

Excessive chambering of a round can cause the bullet to set back in the casing. This may result in dangerous chamber pressures when that round is fired. Be careful.

IME, many NDs happen when: #1 – reholstering and #2 when modifying the ready condition of the weapon. I.E., when transitioning from chamber empty, magazine inserted (commonly called condition three) and then to: round in chamber, magazine inserted (commonly called condition one) and vice versa.

IMO, leave your gun loaded – leave it alone (don’t fiddle with it)

+1 to CRSIII, "Any other way is not condusive to expeditious readiness."
 
What about the round that was in the chamber? I've heard (on the internet, so it has to be true) that constantly loading / unloading the same round can lead to the bullet being pushed back into the case. Any truth? Any trouble - if you're routine is: drop mag, empty chamber to unload, to load; insert mag, chamber round, top off mag - it seems that the first two rounds may be subject to this.

I'm a revolver guy, so I'm just curious - my chambered rounds go into an old ashtray, and then back into the gun.
 
tuna said:
What about the round that was in the chamber? I've heard (on the internet, so it has to be true) that constantly loading / unloading the same round can lead to the bullet being pushed back into the case. Any truth? Any trouble - if you're routine is: drop mag, empty chamber to unload, to load; insert mag, chamber round, top off mag - it seems that the first two rounds may be subject to this.

I'm a revolver guy, so I'm just curious - my chambered rounds go into an old ashtray, and then back into the gun.
Click to expand...
That's why I keep that same round in the chamber. Well that and it's ready to go.
 
JonJ said:
Carry mags always stay loaded and pistol is put away with one in the chamber.
Click to expand...
+1

drgrant said:
Some would even argue that by constantly loading and unloading, you're putting more wear on the spring than you would otherwise.
Click to expand...

I'm one of those that argue this. That's the way you wear out a spring - repeatedly use it.

tuna said:
What about the round that was in the chamber? I've heard (on the internet, so it has to be true) that constantly loading / unloading the same round can lead to the bullet being pushed back into the case. Any truth?
Click to expand...

Yup. This happens.

I tested this with my carry gun (G29) and the COAL did shorten up by a few thousandths after several chamberings/unchamberings of the same round. In my case, I'm not going to worry about it because it wasn't much, I don't do it that often, and my carry loads are not super hot.
 
tuna is correct about the round that keeps on getting pushed back into the chamber you will end up with bullet set-back. Don't keep chambering the same round and check for bullet set-back. As for keeping the mag. full it is OK in fact you want the spring to take a set. once the spring takes a set it is OK. Once or twice a year run through your carry ammo. Just a note if you have a mag that will not take the full number of rounds, load the mag to what ever it will take and let it sit for three weeks. This will force the mag spring to take a set and this is what you want to happen. Remove the rounds from the mag after three weeks and then fill the mag to capacity.
 
When I carried a 1911 the only time I would empty my magazines was when I shot them. Magazines can be left loaded for years with no ill effects on the springs. Plus, my carry gun is never unloaded for any other reason than to shoot it. I guess I'm just all C1 all the time.... [wink]
 
I always have my mag loaded in my Kahr with 1 in the chamber. From my pocket to my bedstand to my pocket again in the morning. I will shoot the existing CCW ammo once every 6 months or so just to rotate them and to practice with my carry ammo and gun.
 
JonJ said:
Carry mags always stay loaded and pistol is put away with one in the chamber.
Click to expand...

+1 mags are emptied at the range when rotating ammo.

More mag springs are ruined by loading and unloading than anything else. A spring under full load is just waiting to be released and will not be hurt.

I have rifle mags that have been loaded for two years and functioned fine when the ammo was used up.
 
tuna said:
What about the round that was in the chamber? I've heard (on the internet, so it has to be true) that constantly loading / unloading the same round can lead to the bullet being pushed back into the case. Any truth? Any trouble - if you're routine is: drop mag, empty chamber to unload, to load; insert mag, chamber round, top off mag - it seems that the first two rounds may be subject to this.

I'm a revolver guy, so I'm just curious - my chambered rounds go into an old ashtray, and then back into the gun.
Click to expand...

I have two loaded revolvers ready and close by at home. No need to unload/reload.
 
my two cents...

- Mags do not need to be unloaded...the process of unloading and loading is the only way the spring loses tension. You guys who cycle your mags are doing more to weaken your springs than if you just left them full. From what I understand this is just the way springs work.

- Watch out for bullet set back. Some of you guys may be chambering and unchambering the same rounds over enough that you will cause the bullet to set back in the case...and then...BOOM.
 
I number my mags. After I shoot that gun at an IDPA match or range visit, I clean the gun and mags and just load up different mags then previous.

Also, I found it useful to number or mark your mags. If I need to TAP-RACK for a bad feed or double, I look to see what mag is in there. If I see a pattern I will take a good look at that bad larry.

Edit*** I use nail polish I get from the GF for this task and it works out ok.

Yes I did say BAD LARRY!
 
Last edited:
Mike-Mike said:
I number my mags. After I shoot that gun at an IDPA match or range visit, I clean the gun and mags and just load up different mags then previous.

Also, I found it useful to number or mark your mags. If I need to TAP-RACK for a bad feed or double, I look to see what mag is in there. If I see a pattern I will take a good look at that bad larry.

Edit*** I use nail polish I get from the GF for this task and it works out ok.

Yes I did say BAD LARRY!
Click to expand...

My GF stopped letting me use her nail polish after a late night reinactment of Buffalo Bill's Drag scene in Silence of the Lambs[banana]

But yeah marking your mags is a good idea. Especially when you have sh*tloads of them.

My carry guns stays loaded 24-7, with periodic ammo refreshment.
If I had kids in the house it'd be different.
 
My mags are all loaded, 24/7 unless:

It's empty because I just put all the rounds downrange.

I have no ammo to load into the mag.

I'm doing dryfire with empty mag, or doing a demonstration/instruction with empty mag.
 
One problem I ran into before was that if I ejected a round too frequently (every night I put the gun away) then the casing would get marred by the ejector and I expierenced some FTE at the range because of this.

Currently I leave one chambered and I don't remove the magazine at night.Whats the point really. When I put my gun away it's in a holster in a safe. I carry the same gun every day. This way I know it's always loaded.
 
Cross-X said:
For starters, I never refer to my carry gun as my weapon.

Too many negative vibes.
Click to expand...

Is your weapon that sensitive?

It doesnt matter if you call it, in the minds of the flock, it is still the most evil device on earth. So why pander to them.

The 2 mags for my 1911 carry weapon stay loaded untill I cycle the the ammo every couple of months.
 

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