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Cycling magazines?

Z

zakst1

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Oct 23, 2007
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Bremerton, Washington, USA
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Not sure if this has been a topic before, but I was wondering how many day(s) are advised to keep magazines loaded before cycling them in order to maintain spring tension. I usually cycle my magazines every 2-3 days.

Thoughts?
 
Mainsail

Mainsail

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Silverdale, Washington, USA
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zakst1 wrote:
Not sure if this has been a topic before, but I was wondering how many day(s) are advised to keep magazines loaded before cycling them in order to maintain spring tension. I usually cycle my magazines every 2-3 days.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Actually that’s going to wear your magazines springs more than just leaving them loaded. Springs get worn out by being cycled between compression and extension. Just leave them loaded.
 
D

Dave The Welder

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Mainsail wrote:
Actually that’s going to wear your magazines springs more than just leaving them loaded. Springs get worn out by being cycled between compression and extension. Just leave them loaded.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Loaded magazines will last for years and years without any problems. I cycle my magazines about once a year and they're still just as good as the day I got them 5 years ago.
 
B

BluesBear

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I concur.

It's been proven many times that leaving a magazine loaded has absolutely no effect on spring tension.

ALL coil springs will take on what is called "set" the first few times they are used. But after that they stabilize and stay the same until they start to fail from fatigue. And it is the cycling of a spring that causes fatigue.

A magazine with high quality springs can remain loaded for literally decades with no adverse effect. I have four Colt magazines that I purchased a few years ago that had been left loaded since the mid 1960s. They still continue to function flawlessly.

As long as the magazine spring is produced of good quality materials and is manufactured within the proper specifications there is no reason that it should notwithstand dozens of years of regular use. I worry more about the follower wearing out before the spring does.
 
E

expvideo

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I'm glad to hear that not cycling them is actually the better way to do it. I was under the impression that I was causing unnecessary harm to my mags, but it's good to know that I was wrong.

I just figured I don't need to over-maintain my gun because after all, I carry a Sig P226. As far as minimal maintenance relates to reliability, Sigs are the AKs of handguns (IMO) and AKs are the revolvers of "assault" rifles (IMO) and revolvers are good backup guns (IMO) and good backup guns are something I should go invest in.

So in conclusion, I should go buy a revolver. (all trains of thought end at buy-another-gun station)
 
compmanio365

compmanio365

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expvideo wrote:
I'm glad to hear that not cycling them is actually the better way to do it. I was under the impression that I was causing unnecessary harm to my mags, but it's good to know that I was wrong.

I just figured I don't need to over-maintain my gun because after all, I carry a Sig P226. As far as minimal maintenance relates to reliability, Sigs are the AKs of handguns (IMO) and AKs are the revolvers of "assault" rifles (IMO) and revolvers are good backup guns (IMO) and good backup guns are something I should go invest in.

So in conclusion, I should go buy a revolver. (all trains of thought end at buy-another-gun station)
Click to expand...
Careful with that train of thought......it's gotten me in trouble before......:shock:
 
S

sv_libertarian

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expvideo wrote:
So in conclusion, I should go buy a revolver. (all trains of thought end at buy-another-gun station)
Click to expand...
I agree, buy another gun! I need to get another revolver, some sort of BUG. Been getting rifles of late, the SMLE No1, and an M38 Mosin Nagant... need to get another handgun or four. :celebrate
 
G

gregma

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just_a_car wrote:
Personally, I'd like to pick up the S&W 629 in .44Mag with the 4" or 6" ported barrel and finger-groove grips.
Click to expand...
My personal favorite would be the Model 19. It's what I carried on duty too many moons ago. Unless I could get a hold of a good Dan Wesson with 3 barrels and 3 grips package! *DROOL*
 
J

joeroket

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Everett, Washington, USA
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gregma wrote:
just_a_car wrote:
Personally, I'd like to pick up the S&W 629 in .44Mag with the 4" or 6" ported barrel and finger-groove grips.
Click to expand...
My personal favorite would be the Model 19. It's what I carried on duty too many moons ago. Unless I could get a hold of a good Dan Wesson with 3 barrels and 3 grips package! *DROOL*
Click to expand...
I just ran across those on auction arms. It was a pretty spendy deal but very nice.
 
G

gregma

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joeroket wrote:
gregma wrote:
just_a_car wrote:
Personally, I'd like to pick up the S&W 629 in .44Mag with the 4" or 6" ported barrel and finger-groove grips.
Click to expand...
My personal favorite would be the Model 19. It's what I carried on duty too many moons ago. Unless I could get a hold of a good Dan Wesson with 3 barrels and 3 grips package! *DROOL*
Click to expand...
I just ran across those on auction arms. It was a pretty spendy deal but very nice.
Click to expand...
I got to shoot one WAAAAYYY back when they came out. Sweet piece of hardware. They had one at the last Monroe Gun Show. $400!! Mint condition. Alas, out of my budget until at least next year *sigh*
 
B

BluesBear

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Monroe, Washington, USA
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gregma wrote:
joeroket wrote:
gregma wrote:
My personal favorite would be the Model 19. It's what I carried on duty too many moons ago. Unless I could get a hold of a good Dan Wesson with 3 barrels and 3 grips package! *DROOL*
Click to expand...
I just ran across those on auction arms. It was a pretty spendy deal but very nice.
Click to expand...
I got to shoot one WAAAAYYY back when they came out. Sweet piece of hardware. They had one at the last Monroe Gun Show. $400!! Mint condition. Alas, out of my budget until at least next year *sigh*
Click to expand...

One what? The Model 19 or the Dan Wesson?

$400 for either in mint condition is a dang good price.
 
G

gregma

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Redmond, Washington, USA
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BluesBear wrote:
gregma wrote:
joeroket wrote:
gregma wrote:
My personal favorite would be the Model 19. It's what I carried on duty too many moons ago. Unless I could get a hold of a good Dan Wesson with 3 barrels and 3 grips package! *DROOL*
Click to expand...
I just ran across those on auction arms. It was a pretty spendy deal but very nice.
Click to expand...
I got to shoot one WAAAAYYY back when they came out. Sweet piece of hardware. They had one at the last Monroe Gun Show. $400!! Mint condition. Alas, out of my budget until at least next year *sigh*
Click to expand...

One what? The Model 19 or the Dan Wesson?

$400 for either in mint condition is a dang good price.
Click to expand...
It was a Dan Wesson. All three barrels, all three grips, presentation case. Looked *mint*. I think it was a .41, which I believe is even rarer. It was the table in the north west corner of the show. about 3 from the north wall I'd say...
 
E

expvideo

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It's a shame you couldn't snatch that one up! I saw it too, but I didn't really look too hard at it. Good thing, too, because I could have gotten in trouble if I spent anything more than ammo money :D

Hope you can get your hands on one. That would be a really nice set.
 
B

BluesBear

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Monroe, Washington, USA
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gregma wrote:
It was a Dan Wesson. All three barrels, all three grips, presentation case. Looked *mint*. I think it was a .41, which I believe is even rarer. It was the table in the north west corner of the show. about 3 from the north wall I'd say...
Click to expand...

I recall seeing a Dan Wesson .357 Pistol Pack there but I thought it was more than $400.

If you see it again and if it's a .41 I'll take it in a heartbeat at that price.
 
U

unrequited

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Mag-bayonettes!, Virginia, USA
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+3 mags for me thanks to that XD promotion dealie with another craptacular 2-mag carrier (but a nice carrying case for the mags). Thanks vaopencarry! $40 well spent.

I figure I have enough now to never have to worry about keeping the same mag for too long. I reload and rearm a random mag from the bag every range trip.
 
N

Nitrox314

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Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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You know, when I was Active Duty USMC, we cycled our magazines ever couple days. They swore that the tension would cause the last couple rounds to be stuck in the mag. Maybe the M-16 mags are not made too well? They do get well used though! Everytime we cycled, we had to pull out the springs and lube them too. Of course this was probably all a conspiracy to keep us busy anyways...
 
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