Magazine Spring Compressed??? - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

Lefthanded Shooter · 05-12-2008, 11:47 AM

After loading the mag fully and not using it for a while (for example, two or three mos.), is there a possibility that the spring might become compressed and lose it's being able to fully extend or expand to it's original length?

LS

tomfoolery · 05-12-2008, 11:48 AM

I wouldnt be as concerned with leaving it loaded (although id load to capacity -1) as i would with loading and unloading all the time.

**agalindo** · 05-12-2008, 11:49 AM

No. I have mags that have stayed loaded for years with no ill effect.

dsonyay · 05-12-2008, 12:15 PM

No. If the spring is properly made, keeping it loaded is not the cause of wear. What wears the spring down is the actual usage (compression, decompression).

I keep my carry mags loaded 24/7, and when I eventually do shoot them, they work fine. The spring is still stiff when I reload.

I found a genuine Colt mag (7 rounder) after being loaded for 8 years, and it worked fine. I had put it in a storage bin on my workbench, completely forgot about it until I was cleaning out the garage. I was curious if it would have had a set spring, but it worked fine when I tried it out. When I reloaded it, the spring was definitely still strong.

1BigPea · 05-12-2008, 03:35 PM

Yeah, I've heard keep it loaded -1 but I have not seen any negative effects from leaving my carry mags loaded all the time yet. I have 4 mags for each and will rotate every once in awhile.

**magnumize** · 05-12-2008, 04:18 PM

+1,I have found some of my mags that I loaded YEARS ago,forgot about them...then found them...they worked perfect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by agalindo

No. I have mags that have stayed loaded for years with no ill effect.

LTC-USA · 05-12-2008, 05:33 PM

I found a paper once by an engineer. Compression is no problem on the spring. It is compression/decompression that wears it. I leave the mags loaded now.

**Rustynuts** · 05-12-2008, 05:45 PM

It's not quite that simple. The spring has to be properly designed/manufactured for that to be true. There are lots of issues involved in a stress/fatigue analysis of springs. That said, if the spring IS designed right and the material selected properly, proper heat treatment, etc., there shouldn't be a problem.

Also, strength of materials is really an exercise in statistics. Even if something is properly designed, tested, there still could be some natural fluctuations in material properties or an unseen flaw that could make a part fail. Hence the need to break things in right. If you have a faulty part, chances are it will fail fairly quickly.

Yes, I am a professional engineer, but I don't design springs/guns for a living, just remembering a few machine design issues!

Lefthanded Shooter · 05-12-2008, 10:07 PM

Hey, thanks to each of you for taking time to answer my question. I appreciate your very fine and informative responses. Best wishes.LS

bountyhunter · 05-12-2008, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustynuts

It's not quite that simple. The spring has to be properly designed/manufactured for that to be true. There are lots of issues involved in a stress/fatigue analysis of springs. That said, if the spring IS designed right and the material selected properly, proper heat treatment, etc., there shouldn't be a problem.

+1, sounds like another engineer on the forum.

Good springs deflect the steel in what is called an ELASTIC deformation ideally.... but no spring is ideal, so it is not 100% elastic. The "inelastic" part of the deformation means it changes the steel very slightly, taking some of it's 'spring". If it is well designed, that effect is so small it won't impair service.

In cheapo mags, sometimes they really compress the spring to get full capacity and can seriously affect the spring. I don't thnk factory mags do, probably not an issue if left loaded.

05-12-2008, 11:47 AM	#1
Lefthanded Shooter XDTalk Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: VA Posts: 46	Magazine Spring Compressed??? After loading the mag fully and not using it for a while (for example, two or three mos.), is there a possibility that the spring might become compressed and lose it's being able to fully extend or expand to it's original length? LS __________________ " True nobility comes from being better than one's former self." Motorcycles = 08 Honda GL1800w/ABS & 06 Honda VTX 1300C

05-12-2008, 11:48 AM	#2
tomfoolery XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 2,857	I wouldnt be as concerned with leaving it loaded (although id load to capacity -1) as i would with loading and unloading all the time. __________________ "It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees." "One is none, two is one, and three is just a good time." Clint Smith, referring to the number of guns you carry daily.

05-12-2008, 05:33 PM	#7
LTC-USA XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UT Posts: 928	I found a paper once by an engineer. Compression is no problem on the spring. It is compression/decompression that wears it. I leave the mags loaded now. __________________ Springfield XD 9mm subcompact-Tripp chrome (2005) Browning Hi-Power (1966) Browning .25 (1966) 1903 A3 .30-06 Jack Russell Terrier

05-12-2008, 10:07 PM	#9
Lefthanded Shooter XDTalk Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: VA Posts: 46	Hey, thanks to each of you for taking time to answer my question. I appreciate your very fine and informative responses. Best wishes.LS __________________ " True nobility comes from being better than one's former self." Motorcycles = 08 Honda GL1800w/ABS & 06 Honda VTX 1300C

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05-12-2008, 12:15 PM	#4
dsonyay XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Slidell LA Posts: 105	No. If the spring is properly made, keeping it loaded is not the cause of wear. What wears the spring down is the actual usage (compression, decompression). I keep my carry mags loaded 24/7, and when I eventually do shoot them, they work fine. The spring is still stiff when I reload. I found a genuine Colt mag (7 rounder) after being loaded for 8 years, and it worked fine. I had put it in a storage bin on my workbench, completely forgot about it until I was cleaning out the garage. I was curious if it would have had a set spring, but it worked fine when I tried it out. When I reloaded it, the spring was definitely still strong.

05-12-2008, 03:35 PM	#5
1BigPea XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Orange County, Ca Posts: 138	Yeah, I've heard keep it loaded -1 but I have not seen any negative effects from leaving my carry mags loaded all the time yet. I have 4 mags for each and will rotate every once in awhile.

05-12-2008, 05:45 PM	#8
Rustynuts XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,038	It's not quite that simple. The spring has to be properly designed/manufactured for that to be true. There are lots of issues involved in a stress/fatigue analysis of springs. That said, if the spring IS designed right and the material selected properly, proper heat treatment, etc., there shouldn't be a problem. Also, strength of materials is really an exercise in statistics. Even if something is properly designed, tested, there still could be some natural fluctuations in material properties or an unseen flaw that could make a part fail. Hence the need to break things in right. If you have a faulty part, chances are it will fail fairly quickly. Yes, I am a professional engineer, but I don't design springs/guns for a living, just remembering a few machine design issues!