Magazine question...? - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

Tony Mig · 03-13-2005, 06:28 PM

I was originally "not" going to use my new XD-9 as a home defense weapon, but have since changed my mind, and it now resides in the lock-box near my bed.

I have three 15 round magazines, and loaded all three with 10 rounds each. My concern is.....will leaving these magazines loaded 24/7 have any adverse effect on the magazine springs....?
Can they be loaded and left with the full 15 rounds, or would this be pushing my luck......?

Captain Ray · 03-13-2005, 06:39 PM

Fill the magazines full.. they like that. You will find that for a while the full magazines will not want to eject from the pistol easily until the springs break in.. but leaving them full will soften them up...

The magazines are pretty tough.. you don't need to baby them at all.

Raymond

Corey G · 03-13-2005, 08:42 PM

Plus you can get a new spring cheap if/when it does fail, better to have the extra rounds if you need them.

Captain Ray · 03-13-2005, 09:06 PM

Hey Corey.. I don't think I have had a chance to say hello.. so hello..

You may be missing my point.. the mag springs will not fail, and you really do need to fill them to the max. The springs take a little bit of time to wear, and if you don't fill them to capacity, they will remain so tight that they become a problem.

Fill the mags up, let the springs break in.. you will see what I mean...

If you don't beleive me, ask any of the old guys around here.. I think they will tell you the same.

Raymond

Eric_Oh · 03-13-2005, 09:10 PM

i'm a newb too, and i'm gettin my first gun the xd 40 in a couple days. Reading your replies, i take it i should do the same and break in my mags by keeping them loaded full. HOw long should i be doing this? FOr a week? month?

Captain Ray · 03-13-2005, 09:24 PM

always....

The springs in your magazines, whether they are 10's, 12's, 15's, are designed to be depressed. They will function as they are designed. In 10 or 15 years, you may have to buy a new magazine.. I don't know.. I have never heard of anyone yet who has had a magazine spring fail due to fatigue.. I suppose it could happen.. but I doubt it.

Raymond

Eric_Oh · 03-13-2005, 09:37 PM

haha... i recieve that news with mixed feelings....

First reaction... "aw ****... that means it won't ever get any easier to squeeze in the last round into the mag"

delayed reaction... "the magazines will last me a long time!"

Captain Ray · 03-13-2005, 09:43 PM

LOL..

I forgot to say Hello to you Eric... Hello..

They get easier to load. The springs get a little softer.. some of the old farts around here use those little machines to help them load thier mags.. I just push them in with my thumb... I am relatively young yet.. and it has never been a problem.

Raymond

Eric_Oh · 03-13-2005, 10:00 PM

hey raymond...

Hearing that the springs will get a little softer is definitely good news. hehe... thanks.

ReloaderFred · 03-13-2005, 11:38 PM

People who worry about the springs in the magazines going bad because they leave them loaded for a week or two have never worked a job where they carried a gun everyday. Working guns have the magazines loaded continually, and the only time they are unloaded is when they unload them for qualification with practice ammunition. In all the years my department carried the S&W Model 59, 9mm, from 1974 to 1995, I never saw a magazine spring go bad. The only thing that ever happened to a magazine was the feed lips would get bent from dropping them on concrete. Some of those magazines were loaded, and kept loaded, for the full 19 years, and I'm still using some of them today, because when I retired, they allowed me to buy one of the guns and they gave me four magazines with it. That makes those magazines over 30 years old and they are still loaded and work perfectly.

The bottom line is, with modern high carbon steel springs, you will wear out before most of the magazine springs will. That's not to say it can't happen, and that some magazine springs don't need to be replaced, but the average shooter isn't going to ruin one by leaving the magazine loaded. To my mind, an empty magazine is about as much use as an empty canteen in the desert.

Hope this helps.

Fred

03-13-2005, 06:28 PM	#1
Tony Mig XDTalk Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Democratic People's Republic of New Jersey Posts: 42	Magazine question...? I was originally "not" going to use my new XD-9 as a home defense weapon, but have since changed my mind, and it now resides in the lock-box near my bed. I have three 15 round magazines, and loaded all three with 10 rounds each. My concern is.....will leaving these magazines loaded 24/7 have any adverse effect on the magazine springs....? Can they be loaded and left with the full 15 rounds, or would this be pushing my luck......? __________________ The Second Admendment \"IS\" Homeland Security

03-13-2005, 06:39 PM	#2
Captain Ray XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,693	Fill the magazines full.. they like that. You will find that for a while the full magazines will not want to eject from the pistol easily until the springs break in.. but leaving them full will soften them up... The magazines are pretty tough.. you don't need to baby them at all. Raymond __________________ \"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.\" ~Abraham Lincoln~

03-13-2005, 08:42 PM	#3
Corey G XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Baltimore MD Posts: 837	Plus you can get a new spring cheap if/when it does fail, better to have the extra rounds if you need them. __________________ Corey SA XD40 Service Bi-Tone SA XD9 Sub Compact SA Black Stainless Loaded 1911 Sig Pro 2009 Custom S&W 686 Mossberg 590 Mariner Coat Benelli M1 Stag Arms AR15 M4gery Stag Arms AR15 24" SS Bull Barrel Upper AK47 Underfolder Norinco SKS Just a few of my Favorites "Guns- ain't nothing wrong with that"

03-13-2005, 09:06 PM	#4
Captain Ray XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,693	Hey Corey.. I don't think I have had a chance to say hello.. so hello.. You may be missing my point.. the mag springs will not fail, and you really do need to fill them to the max. The springs take a little bit of time to wear, and if you don't fill them to capacity, they will remain so tight that they become a problem. Fill the mags up, let the springs break in.. you will see what I mean... If you don't beleive me, ask any of the old guys around here.. I think they will tell you the same. Raymond __________________ \"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.\" ~Abraham Lincoln~

03-13-2005, 09:24 PM	#6
Captain Ray XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,693	always.... The springs in your magazines, whether they are 10's, 12's, 15's, are designed to be depressed. They will function as they are designed. In 10 or 15 years, you may have to buy a new magazine.. I don't know.. I have never heard of anyone yet who has had a magazine spring fail due to fatigue.. I suppose it could happen.. but I doubt it. Raymond __________________ \"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.\" ~Abraham Lincoln~

03-13-2005, 09:10 PM	#5
Eric_Oh XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 538	i'm a newb too, and i'm gettin my first gun the xd 40 in a couple days. Reading your replies, i take it i should do the same and break in my mags by keeping them loaded full. HOw long should i be doing this? FOr a week? month?

03-13-2005, 09:37 PM	#7
Eric_Oh XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 538	haha... i recieve that news with mixed feelings.... First reaction... "aw ****... that means it won't ever get any easier to squeeze in the last round into the mag" delayed reaction... "the magazines will last me a long time!"

03-13-2005, 09:43 PM	#8
Captain Ray XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,693	LOL.. I forgot to say Hello to you Eric... Hello.. They get easier to load. The springs get a little softer.. some of the old farts around here use those little machines to help them load thier mags.. I just push them in with my thumb... I am relatively young yet.. and it has never been a problem. Raymond __________________ \"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.\" ~Abraham Lincoln~

03-13-2005, 10:00 PM	#9
Eric_Oh XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 538	hey raymond... Hearing that the springs will get a little softer is definitely good news. hehe... thanks.

03-13-2005, 11:38 PM	#10
ReloaderFred XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Oregon Coast Posts: 102	People who worry about the springs in the magazines going bad because they leave them loaded for a week or two have never worked a job where they carried a gun everyday. Working guns have the magazines loaded continually, and the only time they are unloaded is when they unload them for qualification with practice ammunition. In all the years my department carried the S&W Model 59, 9mm, from 1974 to 1995, I never saw a magazine spring go bad. The only thing that ever happened to a magazine was the feed lips would get bent from dropping them on concrete. Some of those magazines were loaded, and kept loaded, for the full 19 years, and I'm still using some of them today, because when I retired, they allowed me to buy one of the guns and they gave me four magazines with it. That makes those magazines over 30 years old and they are still loaded and work perfectly. The bottom line is, with modern high carbon steel springs, you will wear out before most of the magazine springs will. That's not to say it can't happen, and that some magazine springs don't need to be replaced, but the average shooter isn't going to ruin one by leaving the magazine loaded. To my mind, an empty magazine is about as much use as an empty canteen in the desert. Hope this helps. Fred __________________ Shoot Safe, Shoot Smart, Shoot Well.

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