Thread: how many rounds per mag for home defense

Depends on the quality of the mag. Other factors like say a M-11 mag that is plastic. Feed lips go in a hurry so you don't keep em loaded. Ar mags are mostly aluminum. While the springs in the AR mags may stay good the spring pressure against aluminum lips may cause them to deform and cause stopage. Steel Ar mags rust but they don't bend as easy as Aluminum.

A gun is just a machine. Feeding the machine and keeping it running takes a good knowlegable operator. Understanding what causes stopages in each machine is the goal.

jj

The dust covers on PMags keep pressure off the feed lips.

But, Travis Haley put something up somewhere, saying that after 1 year of being fully loaded, they didn't see any feed lip distortion.

I have four magazines that were fully loaded and forgotten about since 1978. They all functioned fine when using them in 2009. I fired the ammo stored, which fired without a hitch.
I have been using them since. I agree with the post that keeping them under compression isn't a problem. These were all standard 1911 magazines.

I also have had 20 and 30 round magazines fully loaded with my stainless mini 14 since 1984. They all functioned fine when used and reloaded this year. I basicly used another 20 round and the 5 round magazine for occasional shooting in the interum.

Originally Posted by eddieb

Mag springs weaken from the spring being compressed and expanded. Either leave it compressed or leave it expanded and you'll be fine. Think about what happens when you take a piece of wire and start bending it back and forth. It will weaken and break. But if you leave it bent, it will stay bent and strong forever. So you can leave your mags loaded all the time and not weaken the springs.

This!

Exactly!!!

I have two for my HK and they are both fully loaded. Currently they are both empty since my HK is at the gunsmith.

In essence.. keep it loaded and don't worry about it.

Originally Posted by huntpotter

I usually keep 1 mag loaded all the time, but rotate it out every couple weeks. Unload it, and load up a new one. That way it won't wear out as fast. HK mags are as good as any other brand. Springs by nature will wear out eventually. That's just my thing I do.

same here 1 loaded and rotate monthly

I agree that a spring would have to be defective for it to fail through normal use or storage (loaded or unload). That being said, the magazine in my firearm is loaded to full capacity. Spare magazines are loaded to one round less than full capacity. This is because I personally have a hard time fully seating a completely full magazine on a closed bolt/slide (such as when doing a tactical reload). I would much rather have one fewer round in the magazine than have the magazine fall out because I didn't/couldn't seat the magazine.

30, pmags with feed lips protectors. No need to worry about them bending out! As others have said, it is not staying compressed that wears out springs, it is constant compressing and uncompressing. With my CZ-75, usually I only keep only one magazine loaded all the time and it is in the gun so the pressure of the slide pushing down on the top round will protect the feed lips. Full 19+1 there.

Q. how many rounds per mag for home defense?
A. As many as it will hold.

As already stated by many, springs wear out from constant use, as in compressing and decompressing them over and over. So leave them fully loaded and don’t worry about it.

Here’s some techno-jargon:
DANotes: Springs: Introduction

Honestly, it’s silly to have full boxes of ammo and empty magazines. JMO

Originally Posted by Ryo

In essence.. keep it loaded and don't worry about it.

Yep!

Oops.. Keep them loaded only at home, on the way to go target practicing or on the way to go hunting.

If you might actually go out in public you must unload your ammo from your clip/magazine.

We have to give them bad guys a chance to harm a good citizen here in Portland by making the citizen take the bullets and clip/magazine out of his pockets, load them up, put it into your gun, load one into the chamber and then you can point and shoot at the bad guy/s who are trying to harm you or your family. My Rights to firearms? Yeah right...

Yep that is how I can protect myself and my family in Portland. That is unless I want to ask permission to carry it concealed. Then I can keep the clip/mags loaded. Heck even have one chambered I bet.

I know a guy that was given a1911 by his grandmother; it was his grandfather’s who had been dead for 30+ years. When he got it had been fully loaded, cocked and lock for at least three decades with no issues.

I keep them all loaded unless I have a specific reason not to. (Cleaning, etc.)

An empty magazine is worth what, exactly?