[XDnoob2008]

With my rifle I was always taught not to leave my magazine loaded because it could cause the springs to wear and make it inneffective...

I was wondering if it was ok on my XDM-9MM to have a magazine with a couple of rounds in the magazine or half full or full... ????

 

[redtree]

Full is fine the cycling of rounds through the mags is what wears out the springs. Did I read your sig and post correctly????????? XDM 9 ???????????

 

[SoLasVegas]

I rotate my handgun mags each month. One is always full, and one or more is always empty. That way I have a full mag and they all get the same amount of use. All of my AR mags are always full, though.

 

[Wired]

It's fine, if you plan on using the weapon as a self defense gun. If you are ok with the fact that at any moment you will have to use it to save your life. Usually, rifles don't fall into this category so there's no benefit to leaving the mags loaded. I leave all of my mags unloaded except for the two in my carry gun. I'll probably have more loaded though in the beginning of November.

 

[ThumperMX113]

It doesn't matter.

 

[AZXD]

You've already ruined them ... Send them to me

Springs do not wear out when at rest.

Do the springs on your car/truck suspension wear out if you never drive the thing .... There's your answer.

Properly designed, and not abused ... A spring will last for hundreds of thousands of cycles ... Possibly millions ... Do you shoot that much

 

[LezChap]

Loading and unloading your magazines will cause more wear on the spring then leaving it fully loaded.

I keep all my magazines loaded with ammo...that way I can store more ammo, as my magazines take the same amount of space full as they do empty, but ammo takes up more space out of a magazine then in it...and then there's the "readiness factor" which improves with loaded magazines, if you care about that.

Magazines, which have remained fully loaded for 40 years, have been used and function (and continued to function) as reliably as new magazines...I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[TimXD9]

I've read keeping mags loaded actually helps 'break in' the springs a bit more, making them easier to load. Don't know if that's really true tho.

I finally completely loaded one of my XD-9 Service's 16-round mags at the range the other day. Usually I just put 10 rounds in each and swap out mags more often. Getting that 16th round in there was very tough without using a loader.

 

[TexasXD40]

Mine are always full, all the time...won't do any harm to the mag...

What use is an empty mag? Even if it did do harm is $20 replacing a mag worth more than having it ready to use when needed?

Chris

 

[FleeToTheCleve]

You know sometimes I would load one less than capacity into mine (i.e. 11 into the 12 round mag) because I figure maybe not collapsing the spring 100% is much better for it than to go that final click when you have stuffed it to it's max. Maybe it doesn't matter but that's how I am.

 

[FleeToTheCleve]

Also here's a thread about this from a while ago. The first post has a great link to a lengthy article about it.

I guess the link would help... http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/xdtalk-chatter-box/62596-dont-keep-magazines-loaded.html

 

[hilefai]

I have keep my magazines for all of my semi's loaded full all the time. Even if the pistol is unloaded in my safe.

 

[AZXD]

From the link provided about .... Can we sticky this ???

A properly designed spring shouldn't have a problem. But I think that article is still pretty oversimplified. Bad design, bad material, bad manufacturing, you still could have a problem. Creep and fatigue is not the only failure mode of steel. You can also have stress corrosion cracking (esp. a problem in some stainless steels) plus others.

Without knowing the exact designer stress amounts, material limits, etc., we'll never know for sure. Even then material science is all about averages and statistics. No two steel batches are ever EXACTLY alike. Add the variances in manufacturing the part, heat treatments, treatment after manufacturing, etc. there are lots of variables for any individual piece of metal.

There are cases where mags are stored full for decades and still function fine. If you are at all worried, I'd just load the mag full and then take one out just to be safe if you like. If the spring even does weaken a little while fully loaded, it most likely will fail on the last round or two. Time for a new mag anyway!

To simplify (or complicate) things even more, it's all about modulus of elasticity.

Do not compromise this via poor design, or unintended abuse and a spring's design life can be measured in millions of cycles. Storing it in a compressed state that does not exceed the modulus of elasticity will have no perceptable effect upon a well thoughtout design.

Disclaimer: Environmental abuse, such as corrosion, heat, vibration, etcetera will obviously compromise any material, and thus affect the modulus of elasticity of said material.

I always keep my mags fully loaded and never had a issue except when I went cheap on some M1A mags

Yep!
In saving money, you most likely bought a design that was compromised.
IMO, there are only 2 types of design. Good and Bad!

A design is considered good if it is completed,
On time, within budget, and according to specifications.
The specifications were most likely compromised to meet a budgetary constraint.

I agree that loading/unloading is a cycling of the spring and does impart some stress against the design life of a spring. But if you are not exceeding the compression/extension limits of the design the stress equates to an almost unmeasurable level.

How many times do you think a cars suspension cycles within it's design limits during 100,000 miles of driving?
As long as you do not overload the springs (exceed the design limits), the suspension will be good for another 100,000 miles if the shocks are up to the task of controlling the springs tendency to vibrate.

Leaving a magazine loaded, is no different than parking your car.

I just unload it every night leaving only 6 in the mag so if someone breaks in i have 6 shots 45.acp JHP 230gr ready to go, Then i reload the mag in the morning when i go out...

Technically that is worse than just leaving it loaded to capacity. But if it seems right to you, I won't argue

 

[slugger6]

Getting that 16th round in there was very tough without using a loader.

That's why I bought the UpLULA.

 

[TimXD9]

That's why I bought the UpLULA.

That's on my list of things to buy. Or maybe on my Christmas list.

 

[mousegun380]

I bought one. Awesome device. +10 on the uplula

 

[griz]

Search feature: Leaving Mags Loaded

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/xd-m-discussion-room-xd-m/86199-loaded-mag.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/84725-keep-magazine-full.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/non-xd-other-gun-discussion-area/82127-carry-full-magazines.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/83098-loading-question.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/80574-any-long-term-effects.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/78540-leave-your-xd-loaded.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/76230-should-i-rotate-magazines.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/74719-does-hurt-not.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/71235-safe-leave-gun-cocked-all-time.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/70828-magazine-spring-compressed.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/xd-45acp-discussion-room/65684-will-ruin-mags.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/xdtalk-chatter-box/62596-dont-keep-magazines-loaded.html

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/general-hs2k-sa-xd-talk/60719-should-i-unload-my-gun-everynight.html


The answer is out there... somewhere!

 

[MarineDoc]

I've been wondering about this for some time so I've been thinking that I would leave one mag loaded for home protection and every month I would swap the rounds out with my other mag that I keep empty unless I'm at the range.

 

[714XD]

I keep my XD9 with 3 full mags at all times.

 

[Mikeyis009]

I keep my XD9 with 3 full mags at all times.

+1