Riot on your street?

[churchmouse]

I have heard that it is not the pressure of being loaded that wears a mag spring. It is the cycling of it from full to empty and back repeatedly (fun!) that stresses and weakens it.​

2 schools of thought on this. Staying compressed will give the spring a memory. I have experienced this personally in a few different style mags and shotguns.

 

[rhino]

2 schools of thought on this. Staying compressed will give the spring a memory. I have experienced this personally in a few different style mags and shotguns.

That only happens when a spring is compressed or stretched beyond its elastic limit. That suggest poor design if it happens with normal use.

 

[churchmouse]

That only happens when a spring is compressed or stretched beyond its elastic limit. That suggest poor design if it happens with normal use.

STI double stack 10mm 2011 mags. Not cheap. I expected a lot better form them and was sorely disappointed. Even the high end "Race" springs are not reliable if you leave them loaded.
Isolated example but hey........

 

[rhino]

STI double stack 10mm 2011 mags. Not cheap. I expected a lot better form them and was sorely disappointed. Even the high end "Race" springs are not reliable if you leave them loaded.
Isolated example but hey........

Such mags are almost always on the edge because they're trying to get extra rounds in them. Sometimes they clip coils to save space when it's compressed to fit more rounds, then stretch the spring (far enough to give it "set" -- ie beyond its elastic limit) in order to provide enough force to load the gun. I left my para mags loaded all the time without issue (using Wolff extra power springs), but I could easily have created the problem you experienced if I started clipping coils and then stretching the remaining spring.

Load a 7 round 1911 magazine with a decent spring and come back in 25 years. It will be the same!

 

[bobzilla]

STI double stack 10mm 2011 mags. Not cheap. I expected a lot better form them and was sorely disappointed. Even the high end "Race" springs are not reliable if you leave them loaded.
Isolated example but hey........

On hte flip side the mossy 500 has been loaded for 18 years (along with shooting close to 1000 rds) and the spring still feeds reliably. I've got some old Colt 8-rd steel mags for the 1911 I've had since 1998. They've been used, abused and left loaded for loooong periods of time and also still function reliably. Granted, they have long since been rotated out of circulation for carry to err on the side of safety. I believe the "YMMV" is quite apropos.

 

[churchmouse]

Such mags are almost always on the edge because they're trying to get extra rounds in them. Sometimes they clip coils to save space when it's compressed to fit more rounds, then stretch the spring (far enough to give it "set" -- ie beyond its elastic limit) in order to provide enough force to load the gun. I left my para mags loaded all the time without issue (using Wolff extra power springs), but I could easily have created the problem you experienced if I started clipping coils and then stretching the remaining spring.

Load a 7 round 1911 magazine with a decent spring and come back in 25 years. It will be the same!

My mag case for the 1911's has about 50 Wilson/Chips in it. They are always loaded as well. I do cycle them a lot. So far so good.

 

[churchmouse]

On hte flip side the mossy 500 has been loaded for 18 years (along with shooting close to 1000 rds) and the spring still feeds reliably. I've got some old Colt 8-rd steel mags for the 1911 I've had since 1998. They've been used, abused and left loaded for loooong periods of time and also still function reliably. Granted, they have long since been rotated out of circulation for carry to err on the side of safety. I believe the "YMMV" is quite apropos.

I had a home defense 12G pump that stayed loaded. An 870. I decided to cycle the gun at the range and after 2 rounds it would not feed. Spring had collapsed. Sat maybe 6 months. Bad spring...??? I would guess. New spring and off to the races.

 

[rhino]

My mag case for the 1911's has about 50 Wilson/Chips in it. They are always loaded as well. I do cycle them a lot. So far so good.

I bought some Wilson 47Ds from Sportman's Guide about 10 years ago that had really wimpy spring from the start! Since I replaced them, no issues.

 

[bobzilla]

I had a home defense 12G pump that stayed loaded. An 870. I decided to cycle the gun at the range and after 2 rounds it would not feed. Spring had collapsed. Sat maybe 6 months. Bad spring...??? I would guess. New spring and off to the races.

And that is why the 500 is better. :P

 

[churchmouse]

And that is why the 500 is better. :P

Well the 870 is 370 bigger so

I have long since sold the 870.

I have a pump gun for the same purpose but it is a 590-A
The auto loader is a 930.

 

[Hop]

New race car springs will take a set too. Maybe <1" out of a total length of 8. After that they last for decades.

Back on topic... Most of you guys are woefully under gunned if facing a mob. Step it up!

 

[Vigilant]

Have I mentioned high ground clearance vehicles, or shooting rioters? Both have a tendency to quell the riot?!