Loaded Mags. How Long?

[feraldog]

owner of wolff gun springs once told me that if built with modern high quality springs, they can be left loaded forever

[RUTGERS95]

you load one down and leave them and they will be as good as new. Have used mags loaded for over a decade that ran like brand new

[Captains1911]

you load one down and leave them and they will be as good as new. Have used mags loaded for over a decade that ran like brand new

Or don’t load one down and get the same result.

[Ryno12]

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.

Yep. I’ve worn out base plates & followers but never a spring.

Believe it or not, this mag was still feeding when I discovered this.

...and yes, Magpul replaced the mag free of charge.

[okie]

The only thing I've noticed with polymer mags is that if you leave them loaded for a long time, like months to a year, they will bulge, and the stack can kind of spread and jam up. The only problem this has caused me is trying to load a mag on a closed bolt. If the mag has bulged and you try to slam it on home, it gets jammed up and won't seat because the stack shifts and binds up in there somehow. If that happens, all you have to do is slam the mag down on its butt and the rounds will right themselves.

Because of discovering that issue, I have switched to metal mags. I only use Okay Industries GI mags with the tan follower. They are hard to find, but they do come up from time to time as Colt branded mags (which are actually just rebranded Okay mags). The bulging issue combined with the possible feedlip issue has just really turned me off of polymer AR mags.

[Robisten8]

I'm in year 20 of carrying a handgun on my belt and have never changed the springs in my duty mags.

[The_War_Wagon]

The only thing I've noticed with polymer mags is that if you leave them loaded for a long time, like months to a year, they will bulge, and the stack can kind of spread and jam up.

Brand, please.

[RUTGERS95]

Or don’t load one down and get the same result.

you can do that but you run the risk of lip issues which is what people should worry about and not the spring. Loading 1 down completely removes this concern

[dwhitehorne]

I have 6 gen1 pmags that have been left fully loaded since about 2008, with the dust covers on, and all still function fine. I have several other non dust covered pmags and lancer mags that have been loaded for at least 5 or 6 years, that also function.

Some may remember when Magpul mags first came out and they had us exchange all the mag bodies with new ones. I have a few of those still loaded all this time. I used one last year and it worked fine. David

[Red the Monkey]

I have mags that been loaded constantly with ammo since 2007 with no issues. I think you’ll be fine