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Hi Folks! New to Conceal Carry...

1K views 32 replies 33 participants last post by  slugger6 
#1 ·
Well, I've completed the process here in Durham, NC for obtaining my Conceal Carry Permit.
Day 93 and still waiting. Don't understand why. Called multiple times and receive a recorded voice to leave a message to which I have left multiple messages.

For CC, I have purchased a S&W Shield 9MM and a Raven Concealment Holster. Bought some Gold Dot ammo yesterday.

I do have a question though. I'm trying to understand the reliability of magazines. More specifically, how long can ammo stay in the magazine before one has to begin worrying about spring malfunction? At times, I may not get to the range as often as I'd like so I'm curious.

Thanks for your thoughts. :scratchchin:

My apologies if this has been answered elsewhere.
 
#27 ·
Welcome from AZ!

The mag spring question comes up periodically. I'll spare you the engineering lecture (for now), and just state that keeping a mag loaded won't reduce the spring force (except over a very, very long time), but loading and unloading the mags will. Taken to a illogical extreme, compare a fully loaded mag lying in a drawer for 2 years versus a mag whose owner unloads it every night in an attempt to keep from "wearing out" the spring. The latter magazine (loaded/unloaded daily) is the one more likely to malfunction due to spring relaxation.

There are some exceptions; some smallish guns compromise spring design to load an extra round into the mag, and some high-caps do the same.

Here's a data point: Over the past 2 years, I've shot about 10,000 rounds in a weekly match. I have 8 mags set aside for that game, all high-quality Wilson or Tripp/Cobra 8-shot (single stack, for a 1911). Three of the mags are 10+ years old. Four stages per match, multiple reloads, so the mags get a workout. Over that time, I've had just one spring go soft enough that the gun didn't feed well, so that one got replaced along with 3 others that subjectively felt a little softer than the others.

If you're doing just a modest amount of shooting, I say don't worry about it for years, but in the meantime get a replacement spring for each of your mags, just to have on hand.
 
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