Do springs wear out from being kept loaded?

[Black Majik]

We've all heard of this this question at least once while we're here on Calguns and other firearms board. It ranks just as high as 9mm vs. 45, do Glocks kB, and why are 1911s still so popular for a 100 year old design.


I offer my story on the P2000. Last night I unloaded my defensive ammo from two magazines that have been kept loaded for 2 years. Round count on the gun is less than 300 rounds. As I unloaded those two magazines, I noticed both now won't slidelock with a magazine in the gun.

HK's magazines are notorious for weak magazine springs. The times I have fired the gun the magazines worked as intended, but this was good to catch.

so here's a flip side to whether a magazine spring wears out from keeping it loaded. In my case; yes, it did. It certainly didn't wear out from cycling and uncycling for 300 rounds. I'm going to test them out tomorrow to see whether or not they still function.

Oh well, time to pick up some 10%+ wolff springs.

[Beelzy]

May I offer another story.

I have a Llama .380 auto (Spanish make),and have kept the same mag
loaded in it for 20 (Twenty)yrs. and the mag still locks the slide back and
functions perfectly. I purchased an extra mag in case the spring went
bad in it, but have never needed it.

Same thing with my 1911 Colt, same mag loaded for years (10) without
a hitch.

I really think the newer mags are made to fail. IMO

[Quiet]

Magazine springs wear out faster from constant loading/unloading.

[HKROB]

I have the same problem with my USP's. I installed wolff mag springs now my 10rd mags only hold 9rds .

[sorensen440]

Nope springs wear from use

[Shane916]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BTT/is_163_27/ai_99130369

[Saigon1965]

Good reading Shane -

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...27/ai_99130369

[Bongos]

double stack mag springs wear out faster than single stock, replace with wolff every two to three years and you will be fine

[tonelar]

Okay, here's my story;
My Sig 226 mags still lock the slide back. They were loaded for at least 10 years (1988-98). I relegated them to range mags on my last hi-cap purchase in the late 90's, now I have two HD mags fully loaded that are approaching their 10th year. I'm not unloading these for another 10. Then again, they are Sig mags.

If you load and unload the same magazine over a period of time, the act of stressing and unstressing the springs will wear them out. Springs wear out from use. Loaded or unloaded, they will remain as new as the last time they were worked.

[savasyn]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...27/ai_99130369

Yeah, thanks for that! In addition to that useful info, I also got a new signature from one of the linked Ayoob stories.

[pottymouth310]

Magazine springs wear out faster from constant loading/unloading.

I have constantly unloaded and loaded my magazines my magazines for my STI for IPSC for 12yrs. That's once or twice a month 200~300rds a weekend. Still the original springs not a single jam.

[Greg-Dawg]

I'll let you know about my Glock 22 mag on 1/1/09.

It may depend on the brand?

[ontmark]

SIG Sauer’s recommended maintenance and parts replacement schedule (as of March 2008):

Barrel: If the pistol exhibits keyholing or unacceptable accuracy.
Decocking lever spring: 10,000
Extractor: 20,000
Extractor spring: 20,000
Firing pin: 20,000
Firing pin spring: 20,000
Magazine spring: When magazine fails to lock the slide open. *
Recoil spring: 5,000 †
Safety lock spring: 20,000
Slide catch lever spring: 10,000
Takedown lever: 20,000
Trigger bar spring: 10,000

Mainspring (hammer spring): 5000 or when misfires due to light hammer strikes occur and other causes have been eliminated. Note that this is my own recommendation; SIG Sauer makes no recommendation about the mainspring in the armorer manual. I was told by a fellow armorer, however, that when he asked about it SIG’s informal guidance was that a mainspring should last 40,000 rounds.

* I also recommend replacing the magazine spring when ammunition is not held securely. This can occur before slide lock failures.

† I had seen an early recommendation here that the recoil spring be replaced after 3000 rounds, and that's what I follow.

SIG considers the extractor used in P220 stainless steel slides to be a “sacrificial” part, and that it should be replaced after it’s removed from the slide.

------------

This is the service schedule that was provided along with the above parts schedule:

Operator - Clean and Lubricate: After every firing or exposure to water chemicals, dirt, or other contaminants.
Operator - Clean and Lubricate: Annually during storage.
Operator - Clean and Lubricate: Monthly when carried as duty weapon.
Operator - Function Check: Whenever disassembled and reassembled.
Armorer - Field strip and inspect for proper maintenance: Annually.
Armorer - Detailed disassembly and inspection: Every three years or 5000 rounds fired.

The detailed disassembly does not necessarily include spring replacements.

This info is from a Sig Armorer. This is not my work.

[ontmark]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...27/ai_99130369

Good Info
Thanks

[Muddyboots]

From the post ... "Do springs wear out from being kept loaded?"

The quality of design, material, and manufacturing will have a direct impact on the life cycle of hardware. See the following link to ...
Metal Fatigue - Why Metal Parts Fail From Repeatedly-Applied Loads .

http://www.epi-ng.com/mechanical_engineering_basics/fatigue_in_metals.htm

This link was the first text that I found quickly. Everything wears out, period. If a spring was manufactured correctly, it will last a long time. If the original quality was poor, it will need replacement in a short time.