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Anyone else leave "slack" in their mags?

3K views 37 replies 36 participants last post by  NY27 
#1 ·
Been lurking on the forum and reading every weekday while at work for a few weeks, but finally broke down and decided to post today. Currently enduring the long wait for my Texas CHL. :frown:

While I haven't carried concealed in public, but have car carried for a good while both in Texas and in Florida, I've always left a little "slack" in my mags when toting an auto loader. What I mean by slack is that I won't load the magazines to full capacity.

For example:
Sig 239 9mm
8+1 = intended factory mag capacity
7+1 = what I used to load in the pistol

The rational behind is of course is to reduce magazine spring fatigue - I must've read something about that a long time ago that got me thinking this way, but cannot recall what it was (predated civilian use of the Internet I'm sure of though.

Of my autoloaders that I currently own - I load them as follows:
Glock 19 = 12+1 (3 less rounds)
Bersa Thunder = 6+1 (one less)
Ruger LCP = 5+1 (one less)

Was wondering if anyone out there takes these same measures in the autos they carry or if I'm just a little too paranoid? :22a:
 
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#2 ·
I use to do the same thing until a cop buddy told me to load to capacity, reason being is if you ever have to use it and the police show up they will be looking for the "missing rounds" another thought is what if... not having that one extra round cost you your life?? Magazines are cheap and you can't put a price on your life..
 
#3 ·
The biggest factor in spring fatigue is use - the loading and unloading of tension. Loading your mags to capacity is much easier on them then using them a lot, loading/unloading/reloading/etc.
 
#4 ·
There have been reports of some specific guns not liking to be loaded completely to capacity. IMO, if yours is one of those, you adjust or risk failure at an ugly time.

I'd suggest going with what your firearm likes best. Mine, a CZ P-01, loves 14rds full. I carry 14+1 at all times. I replace the springs every year or two (with heavy usage), depending on how they seem to be responding; somewhat longer intervals, otherwise. The moment they're feeling a bit softer, they're replaced.
 
#5 ·
My Glock 19 has 15 round mags. I load to 15 then chamber one round leaving 14 in the mag. Not because of spring tension but to ease in loading and unloading if the need arrises. When I have to pull my gun and un load for any reason I drop the mag., eject the round in the chamber then insert the loose round back into the magazine and secure it on my person. Makes loading and unloading easier during the day.
 
#6 ·
I always load 'em up to capacity ... and that's the revolvers!

Oh, the automatics? Yeah, I load 'em up to capacity too.
 
#10 ·
Full mag +1. Springs aren't that expensive if you need to replace one. Wolf makes springs for most common guns. If I feel one is getting weak I will change it out.
 
#12 ·
I've been "told" that spring fatigue is something of the past and with current technology it is no longer a problem. I've also been "told" it's a good idea to leave one out on my Glock 27 because it's easier to shove the mag in if the slide is closed. That is certianly true but I haven't made up my mind yet whether I believe it's a good idea or not.
 
#16 ·
I've been "told" that spring fatigue is something of the past and with current technology it is no longer a problem.
That's what I've heard. I've also heard that it is the spring being compressed and released is what weakens the spring. I've heard of WWII 1911's that have had fully loaded mags for decades and shoot just fine.

I wouldn't worry about it, and just load up all the way (full mag +1 in the pipe [and another mag]). You never know when you might need that extra bullet.
 
#13 ·
I keep all mine fully loaded. One in the chamber with the magazine topped off. Why sell yourself short? What if you need that extra round or two? Like others have said, springs are cheap and I don't think it's much of an issue with today's technology. Just my $0.02.

Wht :hand10:
 
#14 ·
I have always loaded to full capacity, and then chambered a round. This leaves a little less pressure on the mag when the slide comes forward. Just my personal preference, and I don't even know why. I just have always done it that way.
 
#17 ·
Welcome to the forum! I too always load to full capcity, but I cycle my magazines every few months. I give the one just removed a "rest" and rotate it with another.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I also carry a full mag on my carry weapons, "if" I ever had a failure to feed I would drop the mag and move to a new one ... that's why they make "tap ... rack ... bang". But I do cycle mags every two months.
 
#21 ·
My autos are loaded to capacity (so are my precious revolvers, but I digress).

But in the Marine Corps (more than two decades ago) they told us to load our 30-round magazines with only 28 rounds.

Never figured out why and loaded 30 anyway (anything to be a rebel! :) )
 
#29 · (Edited)
But in the Marine Corps (more than two decades ago) they told us to load our 30-round magazines with only 28 rounds.
I remember that also (Army, though). I think it had something to do w/ the M16 being kind of FTF-friendly. I also have to fight the urge to tap the back of the mag on my head to seat everything . . . :nono:

Never figured out why and loaded 30 anyway (anything to be a rebel! :) )
That's why we love you guys . . .
 
#22 ·
Wolff Gunsprings suggests that double stack magazines be unloaded by one or two rounds for long term storage.

Single stack mags can be kept and stored loaded to full capacity.

For the minimal cost of high quality magazine springs...if the firearm functions perfectly with fully stoked magazines I would just keep the firearm fully loaded and not worry about it.

Just order a few extra springs from Wolff and have them handy.

You should have a few extra ones on hand anyway. :yup:
 
#23 ·
I remember hearing something about that too 'way back when' as well. I never did. The only time I ever brought the question up someone showed me a chapter in one of Col. Jeff Cooper's books.....he was discussing magizines and how he found one, loaded to full capicty (7) in the back of an old desk drawer, had to have been there at least 20 years Cooper thought. He wrote he went outside , loaded the old mag into he 1911 and shot all of them and then continued to use the magizine for his range purposes. The springs won't fail if kept fully loaded, it's use that weakens them. I imagine it takes a lot of use too.

I keep mine loaded to full capicity.
 
#25 ·
Thanks for all the replies - looks like I have been a little more paranoid than I should be. Butch69's story about LEOs looking for "missing rounds" was a little unsettling, but it's good to hear something like that now and not at a shooting scene or at the PD.

Think I'm going to start loading to full cap and keep an eye out for any loading failures on the last rounds. I rotate my mags regularly as well, so there probably shouldn't be any problems. Will be nice to have the full 6+1 in the LCP - even though the magazines for that pistol worry me the most because of the springs in it are much lighter than any other mag I've owned. Only way to be sure is testing I guess - not much difference than anything else that's important.
 
#27 ·
I had issues loading my Glock 27 to capacity. On occasion, I was able to squeeze in the 9th round with "excessive force", but it wouldn't cycle.

Overall: put as many in as you can fit :-/ (but not more then the manufacturer suggests... even though I yet have to come across a magazine that would accept more then that)
 
#30 ·
Most modern springs are designed from the word go to not lose their tensile strength for many years with no problems, even with full mags. The notion that the magazine springs weaken and cause failures is mostly myth. I used to laugh at my fellow competitors in IPSC who spent piles of money on magazine springs, convinced that their springs were failing and causing jams on their expensive STI's.

I can say this about magazines: I used the same magazines and springs in my STI open gun for 10 years, never changing either. Every failure I incurred with the gun over that time period was either attributed to component failure or a bad reload. The only magazine failure I had was when I backed over one that had fallen out of my range bag on the way back to the hotel. I have used the same springs in all of my single stack mags, my glock mags, XD mags. Just keep 'em clean and they will function for many years to come.
 
#31 ·
I won't say any more about spring fatigue since it's pretty much been covered here. Myself, I load minus 1 round in all my mags for carry or storage. Main reason for that is that the mags can be a bear to lock home on a closed slide. I always carry at least one reload so capacity is not an issue for me. The bigger issue would be to fumble a reload in a SHTF scenario because the mag was loaded full up.
 
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