Many gun owners wonder whether leaving their magazines loaded for extended periods of time will weaken the spring. The answer is not straightforward, as modern magazine springs are built to handle stress and remain fully compressed when the magazine is loaded. However, outside factors such as corrosion, debris, and moisture can affect the longevity of the spring.
It’s essential to maintain good practices with magazine springs, just as you would with your firearm. Regularly check that your equipment is functioning correctly, including the holster and magazines. If you have two magazines for your concealed carry firearm, make sure to cycle through both magazines, so they’re both in regular use.
It’s worth noting that loading and unloading a magazine will degrade the spring’s usefulness over time. While modern magazine springs can handle tens of thousands of cycles, any movement of a spring will weaken it to some degree. Checking the magazine’s function regularly is crucial to ensure it’s working to your standards and expectations.
Storing fully loaded magazines in a safe or other areas in the house shouldn’t significantly weaken the spring. However, if a magazine could ever be used in a self-defense situation, it’s best to keep it in regular rotation to ensure it’s still functioning correctly. You don’t want to be caught with a severely weakened or broken spring when you need it the most.
