One in the chamber!

[John S.]

Here's my question. I try and swap out my magazines on a weekly basis to give the spring a break. However I always have one in the chamber and just leave it there. I've heard about magazine springs becoming weak after being loaded to the max, is there any problem leaving my GLOCK 19 locked and loaded all the time?

[Stradawhovious]

It's my understanding that springs wear out through use rather than compression. Leaving a spring compressed is not as bad as constantly laoding and reloading mags, or cycling.

FWIW, and I have no training in the finer points of the properties of spring wear, this is simply what I have read on thread after thread, and mfgr site after mfgr site. I'm sure that if I am wrong many of the "in-the-know" folks here will be happy to correct me.

[nyffman]

My info agrees with Strad. As per a respected and knowledgeable member of this board who may or may not chime in on his own, cycling the spring rather than constant compression will take more out of it. FWIW, IMHO,MY $.02, IANAL, etc.

[Thunderjohn]

Agree with both previous posters.
It's like your car springs. They wear from use, not sitting still, even under compression.

It is recommended however, that you cycle the top round, if carried a lot (mainly LE), due to the small
amount of movement and the possibility of wearing a small groove in the casing of the ammo.

[hammAR]

The answer is in this thread physics forum,
but before you read it be warned,
some of the discussions around here are tame in comparison..........

There are two things that will wear a spring out:
1. Compression cycles (i.e. loading and unloading the spring)
2. Stretching a spring beyond its yield point (i.e. stretching the spring so far that it doesn't go back to its original shape)
Storing a spring compressed or uncompressed has ZERO bearing on spring life.

.

[1911fan]

To support the previous threads, I have mags wrapped in brown paper that were loaded in the 1950's at West Point, I open one bundle up and found those mags to function as well as brand new mags. My carry mags get used as instead of removing my carry ammo from the mag, that is the first ammo shot, then practice ammo until I am ready to leave the range, when I reload my carry mags with fresh carry ammo.

[Ironbear]

There are two things that will wear a spring out:
1. Compression cycles (i.e. loading and unloading the spring)
2. Stretching a spring beyond its yield point (i.e. stretching the spring so far that it doesn't go back to its original shape)
Storing a spring compressed or uncompressed has ZERO bearing on spring life.

<Engineering hat on>
HammAR's got it right. Item "1." is fatigue failure. Fatigue life is dependent on how big the stress change in the spring is, during a cycle. If you are worried about it, fill the magazine short a round or two to reduce the peak stress, but if designed to, springs can have fatigue lives in the millions of cycles.

[Holland&Holland]

Here's my question. I try and swap out my magazines on a weekly basis to give the spring a break. However I always have one in the chamber and just leave it there. I've heard about magazine springs becoming weak after being loaded to the max, is there any problem leaving my GLOCK 19 locked and loaded all the time?

Good comments so far, though I am interested in thoughts on the other part of his question. Is ther any problem leaving your carry arm locked and loaded? I would assume not, but wonder if a round is left in the chamber and that chamber is not cleared regularly is that chamber more suseptible to corrosion?

[hammAR]

Good comments so far, though I am interested in thoughts on the other part of his question. Is ther any problem leaving your carry arm locked and loaded? I would assume not, but wonder if a round is left in the chamber and that chamber is not cleared regularly is that chamber more suseptible to corrosion?

<Can't put Engineering hat on>
Locked and loaded by and of itself no, depending on type of firearm.
A round left in chamber for extended periods, probably not good. Due to the chemical and electrical differences of the mixture of materials (lead, brass, steel), and compounded by environment (humidity, oils, temperature) I am relatively sure that over time there will be technical issues..............IMHO + $.02


...and thank you Ironbear.........Two Dogs out........

.

[Vlad]

I am of a simular mind to 1911fan, I shoot my carry gun at least every other week, clean and then put one more mag through it to make sure the cleaning didn't mess something up. If you wear a lot, you at least have to take the air hose to it and get the dust bunnies out. I do a fair amount of pocket carry and am amazed on how much stuff collects in there! And no it is not too much oil.

[Wadero]

I do a fair amount of pocket carry and am amazed on how much stuff collects in there! And no it is not too much oil.

Yeah it is crazy how dusty it can get after just a couple of days.

[John S.]

Thanks for all the input. Mostly, I wondered about the bullet itself, as discussed, sitting, and sitting. Guess I need to step out my door every few weeks and fire one in the air! Yee HAW! J/K....................

Nice to know about the mag springs though, I can quit loading and unloading them then!

[hammAR]

Nice to know about the mag springs though, I can quit loading and unloading them then!

Yep, that is settled, but don't pocket, it disrupts nature,
the firearm attracts and collects all the lint bits that were supposed to go in your belly button..........

[monschman]

as long as you dont continually rechamber the same round then you shouldn't have any bullet seating issues, which will lead to possible headspacing issues, other than that the round should be fine as long as you keep the booger hook off the bang switch. I am of the mind of the others that have posted, I do sling some lead at least every other week, just on the off chance that some errant dust bunnies or a drop of missed clp manage to prevent ignition then at least I know it is a fresh round in the chamber and defensive ammo is very cheap. BTW do you perform an administrative load, i.e. full mag, chamber one, eject mag and add one more round to give you 15+1 or do you just load a 15 rounder and sling one in? There are arguments for both, personally, if I cant do it with 15 rounds and the other 15 rounder in my opposite pocket, then I should have been carrying a rifle and not a handgun

[John S.]

I have a full mag, and one in the pipe. Might come in handy, that one "extra" round, but, I just been leaving the same round in the pipe and swap the mags. But, now, I won't even be changing the mag.....................

One mag is 15 rds the other is only 10. Man, it seems lighter with the 10 in.