[ByrdC130]

A question for you all that keep your PT 1911 loaded for home defense. Do you rotate your loaded mags with your other mags to keep spring tension problems from occuring? I've heard that if you leave a mag loaded for a long period of time the spring will loose it's tension and fail to operate properly. What do you all think?

 

[sbb]

I shoot my mags empty each month. I don't keep defense ammunition longer than one month. As far as spring tension goes I don't believe that keeping the springs under tension will weaken them to any appreciable degree. I have 8 mags that I use on a regular basis with my two PT1911's. The other .45's don't see the outside of the safe on a regular basis.

 

[Smokewagon]

Loaded mags won't harm the spring. It's the normal compression and decompression of the springs that wear them out. I have a .22 pistol semi-auto out in the barn that has had a consistently loaded mag for about 30 years. No problems yet.

 

[rickyb3]

my father carried a 1911 while in the marines they were told not to fill their mags full and leave them sit since it would eventually wear out the springs. Neither of us have a 1911 at this time but i will be getting on this month to go with my new pt145 my father would also like to get one since he still has his old marine corp mags but he is happy with his new 24/7 me and my mom bought for him.

 

[rickyb3]

right now my pt145 has five rounds in it and my fathers 24/7 is holding ten

 

[bigfelipe]

I have a couple of old 10rd glock mags I left loaded in a box for a few yeasrs. When I discovered them and put them in rotation, I noticed they have feed issues on the last round now. I´m guessing it´s due to the spring, but I´m no expert...

 

[rickyb3]

my friend had the same problem with his glock i kept telling him not to fill it but he let them sit like that for about six months now he has feeding problems all the time

 

[texastaurusguy]

Smoke is right - it's the compress/uncompress that wears on them, eventually. Normally, a mag should last many years.

 

[bigfelipe]

maybe my mags were already worn or defective. who knows, but it seems too coincidental to me that they worked fine when stored and the minute I tried to bring them back they failed...

 

[rickyb3]

Not sure what theory i believe but i figure 5 rounds of .45 hollow points in my 145 is more than enough to make anyone think twice about getting back up.

 

[Jake3501]

Loaded mags won't harm the spring. It's the normal compression and decompression of the springs that wear them out. I have a .22 pistol semi-auto out in the barn that has had a consistently loaded mag for about 30 years. No problems yet.

Smoke is preaching the gospel here folks, listen to the handsome young man!

 

[mp3mogul]

my father carried a 1911 while in the marines they were told not to fill their mags full and leave them sit since it would eventually wear out the springs. Neither of us have a 1911 at this time but i will be getting on this month to go with my new pt145 my father would also like to get one since he still has his old marine corp mags but he is happy with his new 24/7 me and my mom bought for him.

Strange I'm a retired Marine (1911 era Marine) and I have never heard this while I was in the Marines.

Anyhow, as stated above, it does not hurt, you can leave them loaded forever. What causes a magazine spring to wear is the cycling when you fire it. This takes time as well, it won't just happen overnight... Leave them full.

 

[tman]

I carry 3 full 17 round mags at work. I don't rotate them or do anything specific to save the springs. It's been years and ZERO failures.

 

[MOONDAWG]

Loaded mags won't harm the spring. It's the normal compression and decompression of the springs that wear them out.

While cleaning out a gear locker at home I found a box containing several "G.I." surplus 1911 magazines that had been fully loaded with 7 rounds each for 4 years. I know this because the box contained a tag with date and reloadijng data "230 gr. LRN & 5.1 grs AA#2, Winchester primers". They all fired without a single malfunctioning magazine.

Nowadays "rotating mags" has more to do with putting fresh ammo in them than the springs "taking a set".

Ammo that's been continually handled, loaded into chambers via slaming slides, and subjected to 200 degree summer temps inside locked cars/trucks should be rotated to ensure reliablility WTSHTF. :thumb: