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.

[Disciple]

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

[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.

[kerplode]

Don't worry about it...Like others have said, you can leave them loaded basically forever.

IMO, having 10 loaded mags on hand at all times is never a bad idea. I also think your plan to only shoot what you can mostly replace and to not deplete your supply too much is prudent.

Probably should have stocked up more during the last few years, but I don't know how long you've been at this or what your situation is like, so I'm not gonna harp on that too much...Something to think about if we ever get cheap, plentiful ammo again, though.

[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.

[markm]

I remember the "rebuild kits" for mags back around the ban era. So dumb... A mag's spring will out last the mag body by a long shot.