There is a contested debate between folks who believe in keeping their magazines full, and those who believe that storing magazines full will damage them. There is definitely merit to keeping your magazines ready to rock and roll at a moment’s notice, but are you really doing yourself any favor if those magazines are unreliable or worthless when it comes time to put them to use? Let’s take a look at both theories behind each idea and look for some kernels of truth, and determine which way is the best way to store your magazines.

There are several reasons you might want to keep your magazines loaded when in storage. One of the reasons people own firearms is to use them in case of a home invasion or in defense of their family due to a number of different reasons, some more plausible than others. Regardless of the specific reason, your magazines are no good to you if they are not loaded. You might be somebody who values having their full load-out ready to go in an instant.

Even if you don’t plan to have your entire arsenal REDCON-1 at all times, if you practice concealed carry you should understand that you are going to have your magazine(s) always loaded. While some might debate the value of keeping one in the chamber or not, there is no debate that carrying your pistol with an empty magazine is a completely unrealistic proposition.

The concept of carrying a magazine with a worn-out spring is something that can be just as dangerous, if not more, than not carrying a firearm to begin with. One complaint against semi-auto firearms is that they are not as reliable as other actions, such as revolvers. Whether you agree or disagree, you should be able to agree that using a spring to assist in loading the next cartridge into battery is an additional mechanical function that has the potential to fail.

A worn-out spring can cause erratic loading issues, malfunctions, and even completely jam a firearm up when attempting to put it into action. Old 1911 shooters should be able to empathize with this concept as the most unreliable part of the pistol, for years, was the magazine. Imagine pulling your concealed pistol to stop an armed assailant; your first round does not stop the attacker and when you pull the trigger again you find that nothing happens due to a double feed in the gun. As I’ve heard before, you’ll have the rest of your life to correct the malfunction.

If we consider that most springs are made of steel, and steel is a ferrous material, then science tells us that no additional factors a magazine spring will remain in its current condition indefinitely. That is to say that steel springs are impervious to wear if they are left alone. However, we do not live in a perfect world and there will inevitably be external forces placed upon the springs in your magazines such as humidity, temperature changes, impurities in the air, and others. All types of different factors will play into the steel of a spring eventually degrading.

Now, how long it will take for a spring to degrade if left in a loaded magazine could be decades depending on the conditions. A quick internet search will lead you to dozens of anecdotes of preppers and equipment testers shooting magazines that have been left for years, both loaded and unattended, that have performed flawlessly when put into action. You can also find anecdotes of the obverse.

Another thing to consider that that spring steel will deform, or set, if they are placed under tension to their fatigue limit. A properly designed magazine should not be at it’s fatigue limit when full, but who is to truly know what that point is when they pick one up from the gun store. This means that it is possible to for a spring to loose tension over time if left loaded full.

While spring steel can withstand elements and constant tension for a very long time, it is subject to work hardening. What tends to wear out a spring faster than constant tension is repeated changes in tension, such as loading and firing a magazine. Consistent use of a magazine is likely to be worse for a magazine than constant tension. If you doubt this concept, think about nearly every other spring you use regularly; mattress springs wear out, vehicle suspension wears out, it’s likely you even racked the slide on your new pistol a few dozen times to wear it in before shooting.

If you plan to use magazines as storage for a potential real-world situation, it is recommended that you leave those magazines at rest and only unload them occasionally to inspect them. It is also recommended that you store these magazines in cool, dry conditions to help extend the life of the spring steel and prevent premature corrosion. Also consider leaving your magazines stored one or two rounds short of full to help combat the effects of over-stress if a spring is at its fatigue point. For those of us who carry a firearm regularly, assuming that you also train with that firearm, consider replacing your magazines when you first see any signs of wear to the spring.