Loaded Mags. How Long?

[Whalstib]

Howdy,

Pre-2020 I'd shoot at least once a month if not weekly so mags got rotated and used frequently.

With ammo shortage I'm not shooting my AR as much.

Most of my mags are PMags and assume they can be fine for months like this...or am I wrong?

I'm not in a position, at the moment, where I need 10 mags loaded; but there they sit waiting for another ammo score! I figure I best not shoot more than I can replace at least 50% of and it's been hard to find more than 40 rounds at a time it seems...No where within 100 miles had any last loop through the gun shops...

Thanks!

[RHINOWSO]

Most of my mags are PMags and assume they can be fine for months like this...or am I wrong?

You are wrong, they can be left for YEARS and be fine.

[kirkland]

I still have Pmags that I loaded back in 2013 that shoot fine.

[The_War_Wagon]

[tanksoldier]

Modern springs can sit under load forever with no notable degradation.

What wears them out is use: loading and unloading.

[OrbitalE]

Modern springs can sit under load forever with no notable degradation.

What wears them out is use: loading and unloading.

Yarp. Cycles cause wear. Pretty universal.

[B Cart]

Modern springs can sit under load forever with no notable degradation.

What wears them out is use: loading and unloading.

This ^^. It's not sitting loaded that affects their life, it's constant loading and unloading. I've had mags loaded for years that work perfect after sitting that long, so you should be good to go storing them loaded long term.

[titsonritz]

Modern springs can sit under load forever with no notable degradation.

What wears them out is use: loading and unloading.

Yep. It crack me up when people unload their mags to "save their springs" when in fact they are doing the opposite.

[Disciple]

A couple of first generation FDE PMAG's loaded in 2009 and left that way until this year worked fine.

[ammodotcom]

Amen to that, those things' springs don't care one iota about being left loaded.