How do you store extra magazines?

[tenmilmag]

Don't forget to load up your stripper clips And keep your stripLULA handy

[cobb]

If I am using them, they are kept loaded, if they are spares, then unloaded.

As far as marking mags, I use a drill bit by hand to make a shallow hole and color them depending on gun or use.

[sawgrass]

If I am using them, they are kept loaded, if they are spares, then unloaded.

As far as marking mags, I use a drill bit by hand to make a shallow hole and color them depending on gun or use.

Did you grow up playing Dominoes? That's sure neat and clean looking!

My carry mags, a few .22 mags and anything else that gets shot often are generally loaded, other mags that don't get used very much are stored in a plastic bin with a rubber band around them to keep them together.

[exarkun]

Storing mags loaded or unloaded does not affect the springs. Using them a lot is what affects them.

[akodo]

A spring wears with every CHANGE that happens.

So a spring that is loose gets compressed...that's a change.

A spring that is compressed gets released...that's a change.

So leaving a magazine loaded will not do any harm.

I SUSPECT the tale about 'don't leave them loaded' came from when people would carry loaded magazines on their person, either in the gun or as spares. Once you fully load a magazine, you can normally still push the last cartridge down just a little...not enough to load another round, but just a little. As police run, jump, and do other activities the column of cartridges bounces up and down. That's a cycle for the spring, even though it's not a full expansion and compression. After many expansions and compressions, the magazine didn't work well, and people erroneously attributed this to 'being loaded'

So leaving the magazine loaded in your nightstand is not a problem. But those magazines you carry around, replace if you even think something might not be totally right.

[XDM45]

loaded.

[rtk]

If I am using them, they are kept loaded, if they are spares, then unloaded.

As far as marking mags, I use a drill bit by hand to make a shallow hole and color them depending on gun or use.

Where are the Glock mags?

[AFTERMATH]

Loaded of course...

Because sooner or later everyone is going to shoot all their magazines and no one will have any ammo left.

[LumberZach]

Currently I leave some unloaded and some loaded ready to go. Most issues you may have currently will not be spring related but possibly feed lip related, though most metal feed lips will not give an ounce of issue. I have some real chap 1911 mags that I tend to leave loaded that have had the feed lips bend and become completely unreliable. I have heard of several similar things with polymer mags. Load your mags, leave them. Run them through a gun in 1-2 years and if you have troubles throw them away and repeat until you have mags that never give issue.

[Rem700]

Tip for some of the noobies: Get a silver sharpie and number all your mags. That way you can troubleshoot a mag if you keep having failures.

Tried this on my SS mags makes it really hard to see the markings

[Scratch]

Tip for some of the noobies: Get a silver sharpie and number all your mags. That way you can troubleshoot a mag if you keep having failures.

Tried this on my SS mags makes it really hard to see the markings

You need to get a black sharpie, and draw a square on the SS mag on it then color it in so its a big black square. Then you can use the silver sharpie to write your number in the black square.

You're welcome.

[JustPlainT]

Carry/Home Defense mags are loaded. I have a full box of Federal HSTs loaded into my bedside gun/spare mags nearby.

That doesn't count my EDC and its spare magazine. I think I am covered.

Guns not in active HD or CCW use do not have loaded magazines.

When I come home from the range, if any happen to have rounds left in them they get stored that way. No big deal.

[FJ540]

Michael's has 40% off coupons frequently (once a month most of the time) - get a paint pen of contrasting color.

[SparkyJeff]

I was thinking of something like this.

Seriously, for me it depends... Anything I might carry has a few loaded mags ready to go.
A scattergun in the closet? Yes, they will be loaded, might even have extra shells attached.
A .22 rifle grandpa bought after the war? Hasn't been loaded in a long time- I should change that.

[20mm]

Store them half full, best of both worlds.