how long do u leave mags loaded?

[CS49er]

I tend not to shoot as much as I want to due to a busy schedule. Specifically for glocks, how long do you keep the ammo loaded in the magazine. Second, when do you know when to change the spring kit.

[jdg30]

I always leave my magazines loaded in Glocks and other guns. When I'm done target shooting I load them up with rounds for next time. I haven't ever had a problem with it and haven't replaced the magazine springs. I've done this for over 10 years.

[Oldnoob]

Keep your mag loaded will not hurt or shorten the life of your spring.

[Lucky Scott]

I always leave them loaded. I have mags that have been loaded for over 20 years. They work just fine.

[CS49er]

I figured that, but always good to hear from calgunners. Thanks again.

[sholling]

I have mags that have been loaded for years. Keeping them loaded doesn't hurt them or weaken the springs. It's loading and unloading them (cycling between uncompressed and compressed) that weakens the springs but with most quality magazines you can load them up hundreds of times before weakening the spring.

[Q619]

The act of cycling the spring through loading and unloading the magazines through use is what wears the springs out. I've read about loaded 1911 mags from WWII still functioning when people have dusted them off....the metallurgy of today assures the springs we use are much better these days on top of that. No worries.

[huckberry668]

Mag springs will lose tension given time. I 'had' to replace my Glock 19 mag springs after keeping them loaded since 1989. I noticed they were a little loose about 5 or 7 years ago but they all worked fine till earlier this year. All 3 mags misfed on the last few rounds.

I always loaded them 2 less than full capacity all this time and they still went weak. Now I rotate the mags every couple of months.

[drifter001]

i ususally keep mine loaded after a day at the range

[drunktank]

Just as an FYI, as stated it's the compression and rebound that wear out the spring - not the fact that it stays loaded/compressed. HOWEVER springs have a threshold that when you compress to a certain degree, it does cause the spring to wear. No manufacturer has ever responded to my inquiries of when a mag is completely loaded does it go beyond that threshold.

[InGrAM]

I always have more than one pistol loaded for HD. Plus, my CC firearms are always loaded. I would have range magazines and then magazines that are rarely unloaded. The compressing and un-compressing of the spring is what wears it out.

[IntoForever]

I leave the HD, higher quality mags loaded in case I need them, some have been for 20+ years. The really cheap ones ($10/ea. for training) I leave unloaded as I don't want the top spreading out.

[Press Check]

Indefinitely.

[tvfreakarms]

How about rifle or AR mag? Same rule applies

[Cali-Shooter]

Start out with the best magazines you can afford (factory or otherwise), and you can keep them loaded and store them like that indefinitely.

Like others above have posted, don't rapidly and frequently load and unload magazines, because then you'll wear the springs out by the constantly fluctuating spring tension.