Unloading/Reloading magazines for carry

[TMan]

Does anyone ever unload the magazines and then reload them for the guns that they carry. I was thinking the other day that the Kel-tec hasn't been shot in a couple of years and the magazines haven't been touched either. Somewhere in the back of my mind, what I haven't lost yet, I thought I read somewhere that periodically you should unload and then reload the magazines. I'm not sure why. Anyone know?

[TBT]

I’ve never heard of any real reason to do that to be honest though it makes sense and I do it every so often usually once a week when I clean the guns (right now I clean the guns every week even if they haven’t been shot).

I also carry without the +1 capacity. I’ve heard several times that it’s a good idea to fill the magazine and then rack the slide and chamber one of the rounds in the magazine lessening the strain on the spring. So my Kimber gets 6+1 in the pipe as opposed to the possible 7+1.

Also before I leave the house I usually pop out the magazine, rack the slide to free with chambered round and then reload. I’m not sure what this has to do with the topic at hand though other than to show how anal I can be.

[TA]

The spring experts say it is the repeated compression of springs that weaken them. It is supposedly better to keep tension on them than to cycle them. I just do whatever I need to do. Springs are a cheap fix.

The other thing I try to be careful of is to make sure I alternate rounds that I chamber and then later extract or I just fire them every once in a while and load some fresh ones. I am concerned about setback from repeatedly contacting the same bullet on the feed ramp. A set of calipers will tell you. I have never had an issue, but I don't want one either.

[TMan]

tbt said:

(Right now I clean the guns every week even if they haven’t been shot).

I also carry without the +1 capacity. I’ve heard several times that it’s a good idea to fill the magazine and then rack the slide and chamber one of the rounds in the magazine lessening the strain on the spring. So my Kimber gets 6+1 in the pipe as opposed to the possible 7+1.

Yikes, if I were to clean everything once a week, I wouldn't have time to do anything else. Why do you do that? Does it have something to do with the oil?

I never carry a full magazine. In fact when I'm shooting I only load 5 rounds (except in the revolvers like the Taurus 8 round). If the magazine is full, there is maximum force on that first round that needs to be chambered after the chambered round is shot. My 5 shot rule is because I can count to 5 - usually. There was that one time before I learned to remove my finger from the trigger before removing the sights from the target. I thought I shot 5, lowered the gun and it fired hitting the floor. I was done for the day.

Speaking of magazines: I was in my local gun store this week and a strange looking magazine caught my eye. It was a Seacamp. I made his day: $45 for that little sucker. Speaking of suckers: TMan = Sucker. ;D

[TBT]

Why do you do that? Does it have something to do with the oil?

It's very humid here in the summer and one time I noticed a small couple of specs of rust on my Kimber.

Freaked me out to be honest. The gun was in my holster for about 3 weeks between cleanings and it had the beginings of rust. My shotgun also showed signs of the same ...

After that the guns get regular strip downs every week, every other week at worst.

[TBT]

ta said:

The spring experts say it is the repeated compression of springs that weaken them. It is supposedly better to keep tension on them than to cycle them.

That's interesting information.

I had a Kimber mag with a spring in it that I left "loaded" for a good deal of time. It was my backup mag for carry. Once, at the range, I pulled the mag out and noticed something was funny about the way the bullets were sitting in the mag. The spring had broke. After that it was Wilson mags and regular cleanings and inspections.

["DoubleAction"]

I've found by fully loading a magazine to it's capacity and inserting it into a closed chamber ( Round in chamber) causes the top round to press on the center rail of the slide, creating more comprssion on the already fully compressed magazine. This is not the case with all magazines or pistols, but it is true with some. With the American style mag release catch, the risk of the magazine dislodging increase, or with a welded mag plate weakening also increases.
I always allow room for the magazine spring to decompress by one round. I read somewhere that the British military is trained to keep loaded magazines decompressed by something like one or two rounds.

[somery]

tbt said:

right now I clean the guns every week even if they haven’t been shot

i like the sound of that and if i had that nice list of guns, i would too. ;D . As it is i clean everytime i shoot (usually at least 150 rounds once or twice a week) and i get picked on, but i don't listen, unless one of y'all say im going to wear the barrel out quicker (i use the brass brush between patches with hoppes 9 or rustproofe)

[MLB]

Since I work with steel for a living (although not spring steel), I read with interest the various discussions on loading springs. It makes sense to me that it is the fatigue caused by loading and unloading that weakens a spring rather than a constant load. This assumes of course that the load applied is within the capacity of the spring.

I like the paper clip example: You can bend it too far a few times, but it doesn't break. Keep loading and unloading it though, and soon you have 2 pieces.

I keep one magazine loaded to capacity for my carry guns. I carry with a round chambered, so I'm -1 most of the time. Like TA mentioned though. Springs are cheap, get a spare.