Monthly Pistol Routine: change out Mags

[Widder, SASS #59054]

I keep a couple Pistols loaded up around the house, truck and person.

Every month around the 1st, I change out all my mags and allow the previous months magazines to 'reset' and relieve the compression tension on the springs.

 

I'm sure they don't really need it, but I can attest that my Mags seem to last forever and work great.   I don't know if relieving the spring tension every 30 days helps or not, but I don't figure it can hurt any.

 

Another Magazine observation:  I only use Mags that have proven reliable while shooting.   Every now and then, I get a Mag that just doesn't seem to work as well/smooth as others.   Those Mags are never used in 'defense' pistols.

 

Do any of you have similar routines?

 

..........Widder

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

I would just load one less than capacity. 

In theory a good spring will last almost forever unless over-compressed or over-stretched.

 

 

[Pat Riot]

Theories are wonderful until reality steps in...along with that son of gun Murphy.

 

My house guns are revolvers. Me and Murphy go way back...

[ShadowCatcher]

Springs do take a set, and it does affect their ability to function reliably.

 

Springs like the mainspring on a Colt 1911 that is cocked, are probably only compressed about 5% of their total length,

and can stay like that forever and still work reliably.

 

Springs in the slide for recoil are treated to a lot of rough use, and might only be good for 3000 to 5000 rounds,

although, for example, the Kimber Solo recommended that they be replaced every few hundred.

 

Magazine springs are another beast, they take a set fairly quickly, but can remain reliable for a good year or more,

there are anecdotal tales of magazines loaded for 70 years or more and working fine - I wouldn't chose to rely on

that given a choice.

 

My personal ritual is - carry ammo is cycled through the gun every two months or so - I buy several hundred at a

time, so it's a yearly replenishment of my total stock.  Always fresh, and I'm always current with my carry ammo!

 

Magazine springs are replaced annually - they cost me roughly $25 a year - cheap insurance for peace of mind.

 

The guns get a total take down and spring replacement every 2-3 years - cost per gun is usually around $15....

 

These things are all cheap and easy to do, and give great peace of mind once done.

 

SC

 

 

 

[Hardcase Hardin]

I change out my Bersa mags once or twice a year. 

 

Except for one that got a bunch of dirt in it (even after a good DCA it's now unreliable for SD) they all work flawlessly and I load em full capacity of 17 rds.

[Major Crimes]

3 hours ago, Widowmaker Hill SASS #59054 said:

 Every now and then, I get a Mag that just doesn't seem to work as well/smooth as others.   Those Mags are never used in 'defense' pistols.

 

 

..........Widder

 

Are those ones just kept for mirror defence?

[Pat Riot]

I did not mention that I did experiments on some magazines for my 1911 years ago and a few years ago on my 2 Glocks. I was too lazy to write it last night...and I couldn’t remember if the one Mag was a Pro-Mag or a Mag-Tec. It was a Pro-Mag.

 

I took 3, 1911 mags. 1 Colt, 1 mil-spec (had the military numbers and came out of the brown paper envelope) and 1 Pro-Mag magazine. Loaded them up with military hard ball, threw them in a drawer and left them for just over a year. Took them to the range. Fired with them reloaded and fired several times each over. The Pro-Mag Spring was weak. The others didn’t seem as strong as compared to others that weren’t stressed but they worked fine.

Loaded them all tossed them in a drawer. About 14 months later I took them to the range. The Pro-Mag fed 5 rounds and then live round stove pipe. The other 2 fed fine but had very noticicable spring deterioration. 

Pro-Mag tossed in garbage the other 2 got new springs.

 

Now, I have had other issues with 1911 magazines in mags that were not stressed from mostly mil-spec mags. If I were to ever use a 1911 for a house gun again I would buy a few high quality mags for that purpose.

 

The Glock tests I did were with Glock mags in a Glock 34 (17 mags) 2 mags for 5 years. Loaded full and left for 12-13 months, fired, reloaded, stored. At Year 4 I could tell the springs had a little deterioration. They worked fine. At Year 5 a little more, but way less than you’d think, but they worked great. I pulled the springs and replaced them.

 

I bought a Glock 19 in 2012. Hated the grip and didn’t like shooting it. It danced like a punk rocker when fired. Loaded 2 mags and left them loaded until 2016. 4 years. I fired the gun with them and they worked fine but had weakened springs. Marked the mags. I had a dozen and sold the gun. Lost $100 bucks in the gun and was happy to do so. I do believe that anyone that thinks a Glock 19 is the ultimate handgun should be looked upon as perhaps having spent too much time in the sun...

 

I fully trust Glock magazine technology.

 

I no longer own a 1911 or the Glocks.

 

Anyway, that was my test. The reason I keep revolvers handy as house guns is I have had other problems with magazines and autoloaders over the years that lead me to feel better about having revolvers handy. Not solely because of Mag spring worry.

 

 

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

Just don't miss with the first round and the question is moot.

Best

CR

 

[Dubious Don #56333]

Widder,

Once a month is commendable but overkill my friend. Once a year is more than sufficient. Youre right though, better safe than sorry, it won't hurt a bit if you do it every month. Here in the sunny State of AZ I seldom have to worry about my guns rusting. There where you are, not so much, LOL. Once a month isn't a bad idea for that.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

1 hour ago, Dubious Don #56333 said:

Widder,

Once a month is commendable but overkill my friend. Once a year is more than sufficient. Youre right though, better safe than sorry, it won't hurt a bit if you do it every month. Here in the sunny State of AZ I seldom have to worry about my guns rusting. There where you are, not so much, LOL. Once a month isn't a bad idea for that.

 

YEA, I thought it might be overkill.    But if I use the 1st of every month as my 'mark', I won't have to worry about which month I did or didn't change em out.

 

I might add that these pistols are frequently shot.   They aren't shot in the hundreds but a couple mags are shot thru them most every month, especially during the spring, summer and fall months.    

 

Thanks for all the input.  Its good to know that I'm not the only one who has some sort of routine maintenance in our guns and parts.

 

..........Widder

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Number your mags, to track'em.

OLG

[Widder, SASS #59054]

1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Number your mags, to track'em.

OLG

 

Kinda like my shotguns?   

 

They are all named 'Enchantress' but each has a different number.

Enchantress 7 and 11 are my main match SG's for BIG matches.

 

Enchantress 3 and 4 are my local main match SG's and often are used in side match speed events.

Enchantress 5 and 6 are used for dry fire practice only.  They have been 'decommissioned'.

 

..........Widder

 

[Ramblin Gambler]

I don't go to all the trouble you guys do, but I do have 2 customs.  First, anytime I shoot, I shoot my EDC (if possible) even if it's just a few rounds, and the first mag will be SD ammo.  Second, (and this goes for any gun, not just the EDC) if a magazine fails, and I'm sure it's the magazine, it goes in the trash.  I used to try to keep track of the bad ones with a mind to fix them.  But I found I never fix them and they just wind up back in my shooting bag making my range trips more annoying. 

 

Now that I think about it though, maybe I should keep some bad magazines for training purposes.  Nothing teaches you to clear jams like actually getting a jam. 

[Dubious Don #56333]

21 hours ago, Widowmaker Hill SASS #59054 said:

 

YEA, I thought it might be overkill.    But if I use the 1st of every month as my 'mark', I won't have to worry about which month I did or didn't change em out.

 

I might add that these pistols are frequently shot.   They aren't shot in the hundreds but a couple mags are shot thru them most every month, especially during the spring, summer and fall months.    

 

Thanks for all the input.  Its good to know that I'm not the only one who has some sort of routine maintenance in our guns and parts.

 

..........Widder

 

Guns is like aeroplanes & helicopters....if you don't give'em enough loving caresses, they'll do something to scare crap outta ya! LOL

[Tascosa, SASS# 24838]

I don't really think its necessary but I change my two mags out every month also. I also load one less that the mags capacity in my extra carry mag. I mainly do it cause I like messing with my stuff. My house guns are SA's and I clean them every 2 months. My carry gun is a Colt commander and its cleaned monthly whether I shoot it or not. my other guns are all cleaned when I get bored.

[The Reverend Malachi Gosse]

I’ve had 30 round M4 mags fully loaded for an entire year that at the end of the year still worked flawlessly. When ever we got issues brand new mags many of us would “help” the new guys out by trading then our new ones for their old ones. Many times the new mags had too much tension and would cause jams. The old broken in mags functioned better. But as always, YMMV. 

[Red Cent]

Way too much emphasis on springs. First, the 1911 needs just enough spring to shuck a round and go into battery. If you have an 18# factory reaction spring, unless it breaks, you will never "unspring it".  True in almost any semi-auto handgun recoil operated. The thought of changing any reaction spring is a retailer's dream. Remember the shock buffer?

 

Around 1973, I bought a light weight Colt Commander. Came with six AMT magazines. It has been my EDC since then. And I still use the magazines and the springs are still in place. Every once in a while, I will do war on the square range and it functions perfectly. It dos not like most hollow points. It wears a 12# reaction spring. It stays cocked and locked most all of the time. 

 

I bought a Colt National Match around 1980. Competed in IPSC every chance I got. Lots of range work. I did change the reaction spring. Went down to a 12#. Still use the same magazines. It stays loaded and cocked and locked and positioned in the house. 

 

The heavier your reaction (recoil spring) spring, the magazine spring must be maintained or changed. That slide works a lot faster with an 18# spring than my 12#er. That means the window is shorter for the mag spring to have a round ready to go. Spell s-t-o-v-e-p-I-p-e.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

Supposedly a magazine spring weakens faster with use than with a magazine left loaded for a long time. I have seen some that have a square wire spring instead of the standard round wire spring. They are supposed to last a lot longer. Standard procedure for a 1911 is to use 16# or so recoil spring for heavier  loads and lighter 12#- 14# springs for lighter target loads.