If you’ve spent any time around gun owners, you’ve probably heard the debate: Should you store your magazines fully loaded, or will it wear out the springs?
Some shooters insist that leaving magazines loaded for long periods will weaken the spring, while others argue that it’s completely fine.
So, what’s the real answer? Let’s settle this once and for all.
Will Storing Magazines Loaded Wear Out the Springs?
No, storing magazines fully loaded will not ruin them.
The idea that keeping a magazine loaded will “wear out” the spring is a common misconception. The real wear and tear on magazine springs come from cycling—loading and unloading rounds repeatedly. Springs in quality magazines are designed to stay under tension for extended periods without losing their strength.
Think about it like this: your car’s suspension is constantly under tension when it’s parked. Does that ruin the springs? Nope. But if you drive over rough terrain and constantly compress and decompress them, they’ll wear out over time.
The same logic applies to magazine springs. Load your mags and store them without worry.
What Actually Causes Magazines to Fail?
If leaving magazines loaded isn’t the problem, then what actually does cause them to fail? Here are the real culprits:
- Constant loading and unloading: This repeated action fatigues the spring over time.
- Poor-quality springs: Cheaply made springs can lose tension faster, so always stick to reliable manufacturers.
- Corrosion and rust: Storing magazines in humid or salty environments without proper maintenance can lead to rust, which can affect feeding and function.
- Polymer feed lip deformation: Some all-polymer magazines can experience feed lip creep under long-term pressure, though quality brands design against this issue.
Former Marine Recon Sniper and mechanical engineer Chet Peters weighs in on the topic:
“Spring steel is made of a very specific alloy called music wire, and it is designed to stay in a permanent state of stress. YES, you should leave your magazines loaded! The act of loading and unloading is actually worse for your magazine springs.”
That settles it. If a mechanical engineer who’s also a former Recon Sniper says it’s fine, it’s fine, or is it?
Metal vs. Polymer Magazines: Which Are Better for Long-Term Storage?
Not all magazines are created equal, and the material used for the feed lips can impact long-term durability.
So, what should you do? If you’re concerned about feed lip creep in polymer mags, you can use dust covers (like the ones Magpul includes) to reduce pressure. However, many shooters have stored PMAGs fully loaded for years with no issues, myself included.
How to Store Loaded Magazines the Right Way
If you’re storing loaded mags, you want to ensure they’re protected from moisture in the air. Here’s how to do it right:
Use Ammo Cans for Magazine Storage
Military-style metal ammo cans are an excellent choice for keeping loaded mags safe. They seal well, are stackable, and can be easily secured.
For those who prefer a lighter option, MTM makes dedicated magazine storage cases with foam inserts to keep mags organized and upright.
Control Humidity to Prevent Corrosion
Humidity is the enemy of metal springs and mag bodies. If you’re storing your mags in a gun safe or storage locker, throw in a dehumidifier.
- Eva-Dry Mini Dehumidifier – Great for small safes and cabinets, wireless, and lasts for years.
- GoldenRod Dehumidifier Rod – Keeps the air inside your safe warm and dry to prevent rust.
Keeping moisture under control will ensure your mags, especially the old-school metal mags, are around for the long haul, whether loaded or not.
Regularly Rotate and Check Your Mags
Even though leaving magazines loaded isn’t a problem, it’s still a good habit to inspect them periodically. Every few months do a quick check:
- Ensure springs are still functioning properly.
- Look for rust, dirt, or debris inside the mag body.
- Wipe down metal mags with a light coat of oil if needed.
Final Verdict: Should You Store Your Magazines Loaded?
Yes. Absolutely.
Quality magazines are built to handle the stress of being stored loaded. Repeated use—loading, unloading, and firing—causes wear, not static tension.
So go ahead, load them up, and store them. Ensure you’re using quality mags, keeping them dry, and inspecting them occasionally. When you need them, they’ll be ready.
I enlisted in 1986. One of the huge improvements in the M16/M4 has been the availability of better and fresh magazines. Our NCOs were quick to stomp and deform a bad magazine. They had been accustomed to not having access to replacement springs or better followers. I served in Panama, Desert Storm, and Bosnia before having a break in service. When we deployed to Iraq in 2009, I was overjoyed that each soldiers was issued 7 fresh (still in the package) magazines. On top of that, many of use purchased P-Mags.
There were other issues with the M16 that have been improved with development and modern engineering. I would guess that some portion of the earlier issues was due to poor design of first gen magazines and the use of worn-out magazines.
Thanks for covering/researching this topic.
A vehicles springs are not fully compressed all the time.
I do not believe that a fully compressed spring will last longer then a relaxed spring.
The point is they last the same, what wears springs out is going from compressed to relax AKA use.
neither is a fully loaded mags spring.
The answer depends upon the specific spring steel alloy used and the manufacturing steps taken after winding. Chrome-silicon spring steels processed to take advantage of the Bauschinger effect won’t set over geologic time unless they are grossly overloaded. Silicon-free music wire quality springs are a much different proposition. They will set under a constant stress well below the torsional yield stress of the spring wire.
You can determine the susceptibility of your magazine springs to setting by comparing the free length of springs in magazines left loaded for a period of time to the free length of springs from the same lot which were never installed in magazines. One year is a useful time duration for this static set test. The acceptable degree of set varies from gun to gun – mostly a function of slide/bolt velocity – but a 10% loss of free length is a clear warning.
Corrosion is another issue, independent of spring compression. Corroded springs should be immediately replaced, regardless of whether they still seem to work. They will fail.
Hot wound automotive suspension springs are an entirely different proposition from cold wound magazine springs and provide no useful information on the propensity of magazine springs to set.
I am not an expert on magazines but I have observed major brands(IE Magpul & Mecgar)perform very well even compressed for multiple years. I avoid others but use some that came with certain gats. Those old Taurus mags have never failed.
“Spring steel is made of a very specific alloy called music wire, and it is designed to stay in a permanent state of stress. YES, you should leave your magazines loaded! The act of loading and unloading is actually worse for your magazine springs.”
Well…the sniper/engineer may want to get a refund on that degree….because spring steel IS an alloy made up of steel containing 0.5% to 1.0% carbon, manganese and silicon, with silicon being the key to it’s high yield strengths and flexibility.
Music wire is NOT an alloy…music wire (aka piano wire) is made from spring steel…and mag springs are made from music wire.
REAL, academic, research on such questions it the type of things a REAL ATF might undertake. Perhaps some USAID or CDC loot could be reallocated.
Give me a $2.5m grant, and I’ll conduct such a study. I guess I missed the boat on that one.
“…your car’s suspension is constantly under tension when it’s parked.”
Most springs in car suspensions or gun magazines are in compression, not tension.
Correct, compression, not tension…
I have experienced one catastrophic magazine failure. Korean glock mag, was kept loaded for a number of years at least 5, it was bumped when rearranging a storage area and fell about 2-3’ to the carpeted floor and absolutely exploded. The spring tension was fine, it broke the floor plate into multiple pieces and sent the rounds that had been in the magazine all over the place. I’m more concerned about the polymer failing under tension for an extended period of time than the spring wearing out.
Nylon 6/6 requires a minimum relative humidity to prevent brittleness. Storage in a desiccated safe atmosphere for any length of time can embrittle nylon 6/6. There are additives which reduce nylon 6/6’s sensitivity to moisture, but the less expensive additives tend to promote corrosion in steel and aluminum. So there is a tradeoff and molders tend to use the minimum additions practical.
As a general rule, you don’t want to store nylon 6/6 or wood in atmospheres below 40% relative humidity.
Remember those black plastic eyeglass frames from 50 years ago? The eye doc said to drop them in a glass of water overnight to keep them flexible.
Are you sure trans is mentally ill? Yep! : Could We Please Maybe Draw the Line at Cannibalism?
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In Lynwood, Wash., you address him as Madam Councilwoman Jessica Ann Roberts. Because of course.
Or maybe as the Hon. Ms. Hannibal Lecter? It’s all so confusing.
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…”
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2025/03/13/could-we-please-maybe-draw-the-line-at-cannibalism-n4937860
Forty is on fire today! We have a Trans county supervisor who ran as a man and showed up in a dress. False advertising by someone consciously doing something to deceive others. Fortunately always wears a face diaper, which improves his looks. A fancy wrapper doesn’t change the turd in the package.
P.S. I miss the Possum too, he migrated to some other site…
I treat springs and magazines as consumables. I’d rather pre load my mags after a range trip and leave them loaded. If this causes feed lip deformation over time or if the steel for the spring is older…. I can just replace later. Depending on the weapon, a new magazine is cheaper than a mag full of ammo. And replacement springs are MUCH less.
I think the answer is “it depends”. Not all magazines and springs are created equal and in an effort to get maximum capacity out of magazines what could possibly go wrong? Trying to get that 13th round in my Shield Plus magazine is a real treat.