Advice wanted: Magazine rotation, use, labeling

[cammo]

I just got a new gun and have four "new" mags. Two were used for about 250 rounds of live fire practice and dropped on the floor. Two are fresh out of the packaging, only fired at range to confirm that they work.

I thought I would keep using the previously dropped two for practice and then mark the virginal range confirmed only mags and use these only as my carry equipment.

Does anybody have other ideas for magazine rotation, use, labels, etc. I want to start out right with this and before I start labeling with white marker I thought I would solicit ideas.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Majorlk]

Labels come off.

Use an engraver to mark the magazines, either on the base plates or the side of the magazine. Mine are simply numbered.

I tend to rotate magazines on an infrequent basis in my carry pistol.

[OldVet]

"Virginal" or not, as long as they feed well, use them. They either work or they don't.
Doesn't have (need) to rotate, but it won't hurt. Marking is as simple as numbering them with fingernail polish. (You do have fingernail polish, don't you?)

I don't get too much into spreading out the use or keeping track on number of loads thru a mag. Clean them out on occasion and replace spring if a feeding problem comes up with one (the only useful reason to mark them).

[tokerblue]

Silly, but I used some "star" stickers that were at the local target. If they ever start to come off, then I just put new ones on.

[retsupt99]

My mags (multi...for many guns) are just lined up in the safe and I rotate them as I use them. If I go to the range, I take all of that particular gun's mags with me. I don't worry about number of rounds used by each...they all get used.

[jfl]

I have a bunch of mags for my G-19 and G-26; shooting IDPA, you need at least 4 mags per gun.
I don't keep records.
I might decide to change them every 20 years or so unless one shows a problem.
Like another poster said either they work or they don't.
In 60 + years of shooting, I never had a good mag go bad; I had some bad mags from the beginning, I damaged some by dropping on a hard surface, but that's it.
I have the original mag in a Luger P-08 manufactured in 1914; this mag is 96 years old, works like a new one.
Let's not over-elaborate on a very simple piece of equipment, it is not rocket science.
The most failure-prone thing in a SD situation is between the shooter ears.
Stop worrying about the mags and get more training, you never have too much.

[automatic slim]

You didn't mention the type of gun, but if it's a 1911 I would recommend buying Wilson or McCormick replacements. The factory mags tend to be cheapo
surplus stuff that may or may not be reliable. My Wilsons are over 20 years old and still perform flawlessly. I only have 3 and keep them constantly loaded. The only time I empty them is at the range. Then after cleaning them along with my gun, I reload them and they stay that way until the next practice. Never had a problem.

[Tarowah]

I just number mine with a Sharpie, the G23 has 4 mags and the G19 has 5, I normally leave 2 mags fully loaded all times, one in the gun and one spare (for each gun) , I normally rotate the carry mags every three months or so, I use the ones not loaded with SD ammo for range trips.

[Guantes]

Six carry mags (15rd) plus two (30rd) that get shot out/tested once a year.
Six practice mags (15rd cheapys) that work fine until the feed lips start to spread, then they are good for spontaneous malfunction drills until I bend the feed lips back to spec.
Six new carry mags (15rd), tested, then put back in original packaging.
The different types have different factory markings so are easy to tell apart.

[SpringerXD]

On my Taurus PT145 (soon to be GONE), I marked all five of my mags on the bottom with a permanent marker. The two original ones that came with it were problematic, so I put an "X" on them. Of the two new ones I got at Gander Mountain, I put a "G" for "good" on one and a slash mark on the other one, indicating "good," also. I put a mark for "okay" on the one I got at the gun show.

For all it's worth, among these five factory mags there are two completely different followers and two completely different mag catches, so marking them was a necessity to get this gun to run at all.