Gun Myths Debunked Ep. 1: Magazine Springs

First episode of a new series I hope you guys like.
If you have a gun myth or urban legend you want me to debunk, email me at [e-mail] or send tweet me @GunTortureTests.
As always, thanks for watching, and don't forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe.
And don't forget to pre-order some great ammo from Red Fork Ammo.
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[@RealitySurvival]

I had 2 Glock 23 Mags loaded and stored away for 10 years and they fired great! No issues at all to this day.

[@dylanpaul1212]

Wow

[@HopsAndLead]

I always keep my mags loaded and never had any issues

[@HopsAndLead]

Well the Korean Glock mag with the 40-9 conversion barrel vid I just did, had a stove pipe but that could have been caused by many things.

[@TheGreatAK6153]

I do the same, they don't do much good if they ain't... ; )

[@guntorturetests]

***** Maybe all those weird beer reviews you do? Also, I need to come out there and get in on one of those.

[@HopsAndLead]

More than welcome. It'd be about a 1.5 hour drive from Tulsa to his house. Jesse lives in Jones. If I get you drunk enough maybe I can talk you into a trigger job on my 1911 LOL.

[@guntorturetests]

***** You don't have to talk me into anything. You just have to pay me. I'm easy like that.

[@billyfreeman5803]

This also depends on the quality and condition of the spring in the magazine.

[@andresimmons6787]

I totally agree he's not accounting for the quality of some magazines

[@ka-pop2243]

I have worked in a mattress factory since the early '80s (cue the sound of a career path's death rattle). Why is that relevant? One word: Innerspring. Anywhere from eight to twenty innerspring units can be compressed in a crate for years with no discernible deterioration at upwards of 7.5 tons of pressure. But put one in a bed, send it to a customer who compresses and decompresses it a number of times (get your mind out of the gutter) over the years. That is when wear and tear (and possible breakage or eventual decompression) occurs.

[@lizzylover561]

Well, I have good news and bad news. First, the bad news. My PhD in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and my Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering say you are wrong. Compressing a spring, especially to its maximum compression point, do in fact cause the spring to weaken over its lifetime. How much the spring weakens is dependant on many factors, but the most important factors are the quality of the spring and how compressed it is when it is stored (like in a fully loaded magazine). As the spring sits in its compressed state, its ability to expand again begin to decrease, which in turn "could" cause a malfunction. Many well designed magazines leave adequate room for the spring when fully loaded to help alleviate this problem, but others don't. Now the good news. If a spring is allowed to expand and "rest" it will gain back much of what it lost while fully compressed. In other words, rotating magazines is a good idea. In something like a 30 round AR magazine it would also be a good idea to leave two or three rounds out for long term storage, which would allow the spring to expand just a little bit. One more small point. Never and I mean never stretch a magazine spring past its fully relaxed state. Magazine springs are designed to compress and expand, not stretch. Short of applying direct heat (fire) stretching is the worst thing you can do to this type of spring. This whole post is kind of tongue and cheek and meant only as information to consider. I am in no way telling anyone how they should load their weapon or store their magazines.

[@lesrinehartlr]

Lmfao....you pretenders crack me the fk up...mettallurgical phony ass..how many real engineers go trolling on you tube to look for magazine spring videos? take a hike clown..

[@lizzylover561]

+Les Rinehart I would suggest you immediately contact the head of Human Resources for Alcoa, because apparently I have been cheating them for years. And because I am not an internet bully, I will answer your question. I am a reserve law enforcement officer and love guns, so I watch videos about them. I was not aware only the uneducated were allowed to watch videos on KZbin and make comments. Anyway, enjoy your day.

[@billc4222]

I vaguely remember from my high school physics class a topic on springs and definitions about "stress" and "strain". I think stress involved the force on or maybe exerted by a spring and strain was amount of permanent deformation(permanent compression). Therefore, wouldn't a magazine spring be designed to compensate for expected setting or strain and allow maximum magazine rounds to consistently feed?

[@billc4222]

Not sure, but might have mixed the terms. Stress may have been the permanent deformation.

[@Reaper7.62]

"Compressing a spring...do cause it to weaken over its lifetime". Ok, now the next question is what is the definition of a springs lifetime?

[@user-wb8pp3wr1k]

I own a Beretta 92F since late 90s. Had to get one after watching Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Always had the mags loaded as this was one of my main home defense firearm. 20 years later and the gun performs flawlessly. Still use the original mags with zero problems. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@fornos123]

I’ve had my SD9ve Magazines loaded for more than 4 year and every time I go to the range it goes Bang 💥

[@jonjonr6]

I've got a sw40v from 1998. It's been loaded since day one. Took it to the range couple weeks ago. Magazine springs are still tight. Gun still feeds perfectly. So, 22 years, still no problem.

[@misssincere5762]

Thanks I needed to know this!!!

[@2abloodandbone427]

Thanks for info

[@sergeantcrow3070]

I went home for my 20 year reunion and found some Beretta 92FS magazines that l loaded when I was a senior in high school. I brought them back with me and they fired just fine. I still use them three years later. Maybe it really depends on the manufacturer and process.

[@StONEDiLESO]

+Kimber Lover it depends on their design. not on bearded freaks magical science. good ones are very likely designed for greater compression than the maximum magazine load, so even though they will suffer fatigue from being compressed for a long period and loose strength this will be irrelevant in practical terms. lower quality magazine springs will malfunction, regardless of bearded freaks beliefs.

[@WorkFromHomeFriday]

My last CHL instructor told the class that it was tantamount to suicide to keep a mag loaded for more than 6 months. He recommended switching mags every 3 months and buying new springs every couple of years. Is it just me or are a lot of concealment instructors a little cooky? He also said that it was pointless to carry if you had less than three loaded mags on your person. Dude, if the first three or four rounds don't save my life from a thug, I'm running!

[@niwanagahide2235]

i am no mag expert but do now a thing or two about metalurgy. Springs are able to stay in compressed state for very long periods of time without loosing elasticity. However there is a thing called material fatigue which worsens properties of any material when exposed to same stress for long period of time. and i mean any material. 10 kg weight on an I beam for 1 000 000 years and I beam would eventually break as a result of that weight. (you can hold 1 kg of weight with ease, however after few hours your arm would start to hurt from it) Conclusion, while it does not hurt for a spring to be in compressed state for few weeks, it does for few years. so if your mag has been fully loaded for years you should replace the string. If you know you will not use the mag for years, just unload it or leave few rounds out as fatigue is dependent on stress level, the bigger the stress (more kg) the faster it fails, no stress on a spring = happy string :D or if it has been loaded for few months, unload it and leave it empty for a week or so for it to rest and then it should work as intended, if not, new spring. if the string was compressed, do not try to stretch it to its original length, with that you kill it

[@DoctorYoda2]

Regarding the "Dude, if the first three or four rounds don't save my life from a thug, I'm running!". Most armed confrontations, offensive and defensive, don't stop after 3 or 4 rounds. The average amount of rounds fired in a confrontation is 8. And that is not even accounting for multiple attackers or if the person(s) is/are on drugs or not.

Docter Yoda...what you said is mostly true...most "gangster punks" never go out and regularly practice, so they cannot shoot straight as it is...therefore they shoot 100 rounds and hit with two of them (tongue in cheek)...

[@GerardoLuna92]

Steve P yea they're like fuck accuracy i wanna look cool and so they shoot sideways with pistol over their heads while they're doing a rain dance.

[@jefife750]

They’re often a strange bunch of “wanna bes’”. Full of stories and knowledge they don’t have.

[@rodrodriguez460]

Infinite life span? Thermal Dynamics says no.

[@davidjones8164]

I have 16 Beretta 92FS 25 round magazines. I preload them before going to the range to save time and reload them when I return to be read for the next exercise. I went shooting dormant for 18 years with the 16 magazines loaded in my shooting bag. After 18 years I purchased a new Berreta 92FS Compact with two 13 round magazines - it will also take the 15 round mags. I went to the range and fired all the 18 year old rounds without a misfit or jamb!! I reloaded the mags and fired 300 more rounds the next week and ++++

[@emperor91108]

This guy makes so much sense. Very well explained.

[@HopsAndLead]

I have an old G17 mag that's labeled for law enforcement only (Clinton ban era?) and the polymer is slick and cracking in some spots. The spring does feel weaker but I've never had any problem with it feeding.

[@calholli]

You're right.. But heating and cooling is also a cycle; and if you have constant pressure on it while it's being heated and cooled--- that's going to have a huge effect on the life of the spring. Also, people should understand that you can over-stretch a worn out spring and give it new life for awhile. Eventually it will break, but if a spring is weak, it can be stretched and give it more pressure.

[@jsweatt6302]

I have been asking people for years to explain to me how a magazine spring, basically at rest, is wearing out. Have not heard a reasonable response yet. Great video. I hope a lot people see this video.

[@crazy4dariver]

Outstanding! I am a retired Police Officer and have several weapons that have had fully loaded magazines for 20+ years. In all that time Ive had magazines two jam up fortunately, during training. The spring stayed compressed and refused to feed further ammo. A two minute fix that I do yearly now: Open it up. LIGHT oil on the follower plate EDGES that press against magazine walls. Issue done. The spring was not the issue it was simply the feeder / follower getting stuck and twisting just enough to stop. Metal magazines can get debris or light rust inside. Oil it LIGHTLY issue will not happen

[@BiggMo]

Urban Myth Debunked: common sense stunts beard growth

[@louchedecay7922]

I work for a spring company. We've made STANAG springs before. The spring steel you're referring to is (on good magazines) ASTM A228 "Music Wire." I've also seen "rocket wire," which is just high tensile music wire. There are situations where keeping a spring compressed can lead to a small amount of force loss - IF the spring is fully compressed, and experiences drastic temperature changes (specifically high temperature). I've never done the calcs on a magazine spring, but on similarly stressed springs, and at greater temperature changes than would be foreseeable in the field, the force loss is no more than 6% Springs are designed so as to have enough initial force to negate any long term affect of fatigue. In my opinion, the best material for this application (without considering price) is 17-7 stainless. High tensile, temperature resistant stainless steel. Chrome silicon is also a good option if you don't care about corrosion resistance. Engine valve springs are made of chrome silicon.

[@guntorturetests]

Anything wrong with my "Explain Like I'm 5" science in the video?

[@louchedecay7922]

GunTortureTests No, not at all! This is the most accurate and accessible description of gun springs that I've seen. Awesome vid.

[@tonysid3563]

Sorry, but I know a guy (REALLY WELL because he's ME!) that experienced 2 failed magazines that I left fully loaded for about 30 years. The first round from each loaded when manually racked, but only the 2nd round from one would load when cycled and none from the other. Subsequently, I tried to unload each magazine by manually racking the slide, but neither had enough tension to feed even when holding the firearm upside down to encourage the rounds to fall out via gravity. I then emptied the magazine's by hand and needed to pry some of the rounds up and out. These were double stack 9mm. Granted, 30 years is a long time, but it is a lot shorter than FOREVER, so DON'T bet your life on a magazine that's been sitting around fully loaded for more than a few (as in 2 or 3) years that you haven't tested.

[@varyconfuzed]

How do you know the magazine springs would have still worked if they had just been left unloaded though? Over that period of time things like corrosion can also affect springs.

[@tonysid3563]

@@varyconfuzed There is zero evidence of corrosion or rust on the firearm, ammo or the magazines. All were stored together. In fact, one of the loaded magazines was in the firearm along with a round in the chamber. The springs move up and down easily, but have virtually no real tension other than that required to fully expand without a load. More like a "Slinky" than a valve spring.

[@tonysid3563]

@Playdo Boy Don't keep the magazines loaded for long periods of time. Buy at least 1 extra mag and change it out say once per month or when you go to the range, if you go regularly. The idea being that each mag will get some time off so that the spring has time to go back to it's original expansion and retain it's strength. At home I use revolvers for home defense, so, if I have been carrying an auto loader as my ccw, when I get home I remove the mag and empty it.

[@tonysid3563]

@Playdo Boy You can keep the one in the gun loaded as well as one other as a backup. Just leave one empty. Use a marker, paint, nail polish or whatever to number them so you know which is which. Each month rotate them so each one gets a month off every 2 months. They will probably outlast you. Springs are intended to be "sprung", not kept in a perpetual compressed condition.

[@tonysid3563]

@Playdo Boy That is the way I would carry it.

[@MDAdams72668]

all springs, if left compressed, will to some extent lose tension/compression. In general probably not enough to affect feed over 5, 10 or 15 yrs however, they will lose some. Cyclic rate is more important in every case total time being the same.

[@kenibnanak5554]

You are ignoring the issue of what kind of steel used to make the spring and how things were heat treated. Back in the 80s I got a batch of the cheap 'military surplus; over runs being sold via Shotgun News, I think the price was something like $5 for 3 or something like that. Worth every penny, NOT, LoL Early production from RIA of S Korea. Yeah something like 40 countries make, made or use(d) the 1911 design. Lots of problems with those magazines. Did springs fail? In one. I had fully loaded it and a year later grabbed it for a trip to the range. It fired two shots then no more. Examination showed the magazine had stopped expanding. Five rounds were just sitting there a half inch below the magazine lips. Shaken empty the magazine later examined was compressed and had no interest in resuming it's former length. I pulled them all apart and discovered widely varying lengths. Some had semi compressed while others had not. One of the ones that had not compressed did however in the next year of use display the (cery) annoying habit of allowing the bullets to just be pushed past the feed lips which would not stay in place. I junked out all but one of the RIA mags and in that one I replaced the spring with a Wolff mag spring and added a convex follower. It behaved well for several years but later something weird wss noticed at the firing range. I had brought 3 pistols to the range that day. This RIA magazine works flawlessly in two of them, However, for a still unknown reason when this magaizine was placed in an authentic Colt 1911 on the second or third shot the gun's trigger would not pull as long as that magazine was in place. WTF? Visually it looks normal but when I tested this magazine in 4 more 1911 rype pistols and in one other, a Norinco, it did exactly the same thing but even worse. It would allow the gun to chamber the first round, then the gun became inert so that first shot will not fire. I still have that magazine (unloaded and well apart from the others), so if you have an enemy you wish to give it to, lemme know. Alternatively, back in 82 or 83 I took a two-tone magazine my father had loaded sometime back in the 40s and fired that old WW2 ammo with no feed failures at all. So anyway, when you say the gun spring issue is a myth and so are feed lip issues, please take into account quality of manufacture.

[@mysterymeat586]

Quality of the spring steel is it. All springs will weaken in time but the ones with good steel will take next to forever to degrade.

[@Pro2AGuy]

Agreed--I can attest first-hand from having a Father who was a cop and, moreover, who outside of his partner had the HQ Chief Armorer as his best buddy. NEVER in all those years did an 870 and or Beretta 92 EVER fail to function due to a failed "overly-compressed" spring. And honestly, though the officers were "required" to maintenance their firearms (including spring replacement) few were the Men that did so outside of basic cleaning.

[@rickb06]

Had to show this to my dad! He was dead set on this myth being more than legend, he wouldn't store ANY magazines loaded, ZERO, now he's finally putting his brass in the RIGHT place...

[@DirtRoadLanding]

Thanks for the video, it was informative. Also, i tried to measure the "pounds" that it would take to compress an Ar15 30 round mag spring, I did that by placing the magazine base plate down on a weight scale and used a pencil to push down on the follower until i got almost to full capacity. I did that with a pmag M3, a Lancer L5 awm, and a Ar stoner stainless steel mag. The result was that all of the mags averaged about 2.5 lbs of downward pressure. So, i think thats enough pressure to lift 5 or 6 boxes of 20/rd .223 ammo, more than enough pressure to lift just 30 rounds.. my point is that YOU ARE CORRECT.

[@philipbracciale7424]

I keeped 2 -60rd surefire mags loaded for probably a year or so. When I got to them and inspected em the ammo was all caved in. I had to empty the mags and mess with the anti tilt follower to get it pop back in place

[@tnekkc]

You can't think predictably about springs without stress strain yield math. Calculate the stress in the spring and compare that to the yield strength. Springs can wear out in one cycle or not in 10s of millions of cycles, depending on those two numbers.

[@Beretta197]

i really miss Rich, such a talent so sad it ended the way it did

[@chriskelly509]

Do one on ammo shelf life.

[@kinggeno32]

no need, keep your ammo dry and sealed up and it will last for 100 years.

[@guntorturetests]

Email me your idea.

[@blacrow7]

+Chris Kelly84 If you keep your ammo in a warm dry place ( as the saying goes, if your comfortable, then your ammo is comfortable), then it can last a long time. Her is a idea of how long it can last when kept warm and dry, I had 40 cal. ammo from my days from in the Police Academy from 2003 and when I got my new 40 cal. hand gun in 2012, I loaded it up with that old 2003 ammo and it shot just fine, no loss in muzzle velocity.

[@CODproR19]

I've shot 10 year old 10mm ammo and didn't have an issue. The only old ammo that always gave me issues were old .22 rim fire, those thing don't have a really good shelf life.

[@TractorWrangler01]

Chris Kelly84 I read this post and ran out and shot a crap load of .22 ammo that has been in a tool box rolling around since 1962ish some of it was green. Every round but one still fired. 90% of it still ejected too even most of the green stuff. I moved on to some old shotgun shells with cardboard hull ones. There I had a few issues. some of the paper o es were obviously water stained and only 18 of the box of 25 worked properly. The interesting part though is the ones that remained dry seamed hotter then they should be. Meaning that it seamed to be creating higher pressures then shells just off the shelf at Wal-Mart. So I took one apart to see if it was loaded hotter but it was pretty dam close to the same volume of powder as measured by my reloader bushing. It appears that age makes the powder burn a little quicker. I also had some green .38 special that shot too. So my conclusion was that if its dry its gunna shoot. If a bullet has been wet inside at sometime in its like you have about a 50/50 chance it's going to fail. (rough math). over all it was the 12 ga shells that failed mostly. The others had a few feed and ejection problems and only a couple failures.

[@HoboBob]

Thank you! I try to keep 6 to 10 magazines per gun. I saw a video once saying that they might fail and had my daughter unload my magazines while I was on the road. I'm going to load them back up today.

[@davidstepeck2644]

No one ever told me one way or the other. I always just assumed that being compressed would make the spring less springy. I'm glad I watched your video and know that this is not the case.

[@cavscout888]

It can be the case though. Sometimes the spring is getting over compressed, generally thanks to poor engineering, and will lose strength when left compressed.

[@outlawgt3045]

I keep my mags loaded but I also keep a few unopened brand new mags as backup.. I never worried about my mag springs failing... I think everyone should keep some brand new mags unopened especially if they are high capacity mags that might be banned someday.. This really is a no brainer non issue to me..

[@anchorbait6662]

Springs live to be springs. Let them do their job!! Haha that cracked me up

[@dioad1739]

I just found the vid, great job I will share, a lot of military guys like arguing about this but you made some really great points on this, I been keeping mine loaded for years.

[@davidyoung6761]

BY FAR the best video on magazine springs. AMAZING explanation and reasoning

[@cx3268]

Question, if you only partially load a mag, in other words - not allowing the spring to fully cycle? Does this have a negative effect on the mag spring?

[@130shooter1]

i had a problem with my first glock(gen 2 21 in 45acp) it would stovepipe after 4 or 5 shots. luckily there was a glock armorer at the range i was at. he told be that i was limp wristing it. anyway i'd always owned heavier pistols and never had that problem. live and learn i guess.

[@josephwintrich7294]

If poor quality spring it COULD happen. Just because it would be rare doesn't mean it wouldn't happen. But it comes down to cheap and low quality, BUT not every spring is garbage. Right, a poor-quality spring would be the problem.

[@CreekyGuy]

Thank you for taking the time and effort to make and upload this vid.

[@greywolfarmory7336]

Springs can be weakened and damaged by fully compressing (bottoming out) and then subjecting the spring to a shock. This is why using the wrong recoil springs can and will cause them to wear out after a certain number of cycles. Mag springs are good for tens of thousands of cycles before they can potentially wear enough to loose tension.

[@nanroses2137]

I had a Glock 22 magazine loaded in its gun for probably longer than 6 months recently. Before taking it to the range I emptied the magazine so that I could loaded with practice ammo. After doing this I pushed down on the feeder and noticed it was a bit weak compared to the others. In the 5 minutes it took me to get my gear ready I noticed that the resistance on that magazine was equal to my other 5 magazines. So yes, I believe what you're saying and will add that; springs may loosen up somewhat when compression is released after being loaded for extended periods and they will tighten up quickly after that. I will load a couple of these magazines with practice ammo so that I can test how well they feed after a prolonged period of time being compressed, but if my Glock magazines are as good as my AK magazines which I leave loaded all the time with the same ammo I use at the range then I am certain I have no worries.

[@hosfordsinhongkong6388]

Great vid. The valve spring example is perfect to explain what is going on.

[@kugh1185]

I did have this happen in my PT145 mag that sat in a safe fully loaded for 3 years. 3 FTF when I fired that mag. I let the mag sit empty for a month, then took it to the range and it ran flawlessly.

[@DirtyDan1]

You're an outlier. That gun and magazine must have been cheap garbage 😂 with quality Brands such as Ruger Glock Smith & Wesson Sig Sauer etcetera that's not an issue.

[@daveufirst]

Incredible 5 o clock shadow!

[@Shadare]

If you have a fully loaded 10rd magazine and you take 1 round out and put it back in, is that 10% of the stress of a full cycle? Or is one end if the cycle more stressful?

[@Saku19]

Does this apply to shotgun tubular magazines?

[@davolean729]

Great question I'd like to know that as well

[@davolean729]

I imagine so though

[@joshualeniger7663]

I lol so hard at about 11:40. good vid man

[@TeaPartyActivist]

Brilliant debunking. Your spring analogy on car valve returns I thought was great. I also thought of the springs used to suspend the car. A car standing still in a garage or a barn for many years does not begin to sag. It's good to have these simple analogies for those of us that are not scientifically or engineering oriented. Keep up your excellent postings!

[@guntorturetests]

Exactly. Tires may dry rot and develop flat spots, spring and/or shock mounts may rust off, shocks might develop leaks, all of these things will cause the car to sag, but unless the springs themselves (not just coil springs, but leaf springs too) are broken or rotted away, they'll just keep on keepin' on. Because that's how they do.

[@saltyroe3179]

I learned the most about guns from my friend who was a tool and die maker. Properly made springs do not loose springyness by use in any significant amount. Extreme heat of a furnace will ruin the temper. So if your magazines are in a house fire, don't expect them to work. Junk springs not properly manufactured don't work in the beginning

[@bwalt010]

Your right, but wow on your explanation. Grab a stress strain curve. Know anything fails due to fatigue which requires repeated stress before failure. Mags fail due to constant unloading and loading (stress) leading to fatigue which leads to failure. Its that simple.

[@OrangeCounty92]

My Glock mags are swelling up at the bottom and the base plate is getting loose. These are the magazines I use for my main concealed carry. Should I be worry about the magazines?

[@raythackston1960]

I have always kept every gun I have loaded to the max...never had a single issue due to the spring tension ( I am 60 years old, and have had guns since I was 9 or 10 years old ). But...can you say POOR MAINTENANCE ! LACK OF CARE ! Most gun makers will tell you it does not hurt it at all. They are engineered that way, for that purposed.

[@ScootersAdventure]

Great explanation I've always wondered about that I just trusted they would be fine although I do use it as an excuse to go out shooting to cycle through some ammo

[@PavelZajec]

I've got 2 magazines that came with my 1913 era 1911-same year as the gun. They still work perfectly.

[@worddunlap]

455 HO Trans Am left in a corn field until it could be titled 20 or more years later cranked up and drove down the road without any valve spring work at all. Most quality springs are cyclic. I've had the feed lips on polymer mags bulge out after just a few months. The dust covers prevented this in some of the mags. There is no substitute for using your head. I've tested all this stuff because I want my mags to work when I need them.

[@LAIRDO-]

Good analogy with the cars.

[@charlescarr3909]

I hear a knife party intro and i already know this will be a good video.

[@CWB1863]

When i first started carrying, i was told(yeah, that guy) to rotate my mags once a month.I did that for about 8 months until i saw a video from Hickok45 and a chat online saying you don't need to rotate, if fact it it's a bad idea.Live and learn, i guess.Now i have a total of 16 mags from three different pistols loaded and ready to go.

[@oliangomes6776]

What diameter of the steel wire used to make the comb spring?

[@jtdtem]

Good stuff man. Keep em' coming.

[@derekkt49]

Well said... Your description made me picture myself trying to break off, say a piece of sheet metal. I can bend it once and it will be fine but if I were to sit there and just bind it back and forth, it will eventually break off due to the strain I've put on it.... Besides all of this is anecdotal and based off of experience.

[@canadianfreeman5022]

I need help. So I took my friends shooting with my pistol me and my buddy are experienced and Yes I kept the mag full all the time but when me and the experienced friend shot of rounds we had NO malfunctions but when our 2 other friends who were new to shooting it was mis-feeding on them. I was thinking this was because they were limp wristing the gun which is why the next round was going into the chamber? Was I right about the Limp wristing? Because it was just Stove pipes and failure to feeds.

[@cosmedic]

Well said, but if they can wear, and its not from the cycling of the spring tension, would it be from friction against the said of the magazine or something? Or maybe the steel in the spring is weakened by sudden jolts from the weapon? There just seems to be so many people that blame springs in magazines, so Im wondering if there is a logical reason to the wear...

[@jefife750]

I found a mag for my Sig 226 in my safe since 2001. Took it out back and it functioned flawlessly. FWIW!

[@jackforeman3687]

I like that technical term springs are made to be springy

[@patrickrodriguez320]

You make a good point. Add to that how many times a single valve spring is pushed up and down in the life time of an engine. Billions of times. Do that math. You average about 2-3k rpms in normal driving conditions and average normally about 30-60 mph. Which means 60-120 seconds per mile. And a properly maintained engine can survive an excess of 300k miles. So split the difference and say 4,500rpm×300,000=1,350,000,000 In reality its way more than that with idle times and acceleration. Add to that engines have usually 12-24 valves each. That increases the chance of failure 24 times. Although valve trains do fail somewhat commonly on cylinder heads (usually only 1 spring). Its very common to see valve springs out live bearings, rods and piston rings. Extremely impressive!

[@patrickrodriguez320]

Although its impossible to calculate exactly how many rpms an engine runs through its life time. Its safe to say a couple billions atleast

[@ComingStorm2011]

Does it weaken the spring in the gun to leave it cocked. Thx. Glock

[@davidstepeck2644]

I also saw a video where a guy measured springs from magazines loaded for 5 years. They were a little bit shorter thsn cycled springs, but they worked fine. Based on your video, I'm not sure why the loaded springs would be shorter than cycled springs.

[@anthonylindsey6205]

My Glock magazines were significantly shorter after being loaded for 2.5 years. I keep measurements and compare magazines for fun. So in short what most manufacturers recommend, 6 month intervals is correct.

[@smilingbiter]

I have a Colt Gov't that I bought used from a friend in about 1982. I shot it and reloaded it. I negleted it, didn't touch it for , left the magazine loaded until 2013. I admit I was neglegent towards the proper care of this firearm. After I retired I took up shoting as a recreation. I took this same Colt, same loaded magazine, I also had a couple of other loaded magazines I had during this time. I shot this firearm with the magazines, I had no problem shooting with these magazines that had been left loaded for 31 years. I take better care of my firearms now but I wouldn't worry about leaving my magazines loaded for an extended period of time. By the way after I cleaned my Colt, it was as good as new.

[@TheHornedOne81]

Is that a Marlin Model 60 on your back wall? I love those little guns.

[@Blake4Truth]

You need to read up on the materials science technical term "creep." Springs do lose capacity over time when stressed, including just sitting compressed. Reputable manufacturers over-design the OEM magazine spring such that even after losing some preload over time, as they will absolutely do, the spring remains sufficient for reliable function of the gun. Thanks for turning down the volume on the intro.

[@carlderossi6497]

Springs do after a long peoriod of time start to loose their length and pressure. But it will take a really long time. tink of shocks/struts in your car how many times do you have to replace them. eventually they go bad. But how will it effect feeding really not much unless you have really crappy mags. That said you can keep them loaded or not depends on how you feel on the issue. i have seen a few videos on spring tests and after years of being loaded they shorten in length. But i doubt the feeding will be effected as much.

[@nicerperson1]

A spring does not have to cycle to become damaged. Any compression over time will make it deform. It may be very small, but it certainly happens, and the longer it is compressed, the greater the stress and deformation. It may not be noticeable for a long time and it may still perform within useful parameters.. Constant compression gives structural stress, cycling produces fatigue stress. Two different things.

[@Chief2Moon]

nicerperson This is my conclusion as well

[@wcody777]

Dude, great video. I believe you and not the naysayers. But seriously? Chasing Classic Cars? I love that show (on the MotorTrend Network) and watch it all the time. That guy Wayne seems to be highly respected in his community and he really has earned his chops as a car mechanic. And there's nothing better than really old stuff (like myself). P.S. My USMC DIs never warned us about magazine compression. We always kept them loaded.

[@robertmoorej]

Because , then all of our cars would be sitting on the frame... Never seen that either. Lol

[@cameronoquinn94]

TL;DR: Keeping Magazines Loaded for (X+) Years does not harm the magazine. It will be fine, you can store them loaded without worrying if the magazine will fail. It won't.

[@jamesdelong6401]

Yea. I have since this past weekend just over 3,000 total between 6 magazine and no issues. I have to two stock magazines that came with my pistol and a bought 4 promags. No issues. When I'm cleaning my pistol, I just look over my magazines kinda peek inside and I'll clean the outside surface of the magazines and the powerd burn on the top of follower and magazines and let them be.

[@rcdogmanduh4440]

The right spring in the right mag stored in the right conditions can and will last a very long time! Unfortunately as a gun owner we can only control the conditions, I can no longer make springs or test the springs in my mags. We should all remember College is a process not a result!

[@texrule6077]

Hahahaha probably never used army mags. Happens a lot

[@DaddyWarbucks713]

Had my 3 range mags that I never used for training only quals lol

[@cw5865]

Aw, I heard or shall I say taught the Mag spring issue was courtesy of the U.S. Navy and we actual carried five rounds in a 7 round Mag in our issued 1911. But yes, every-time my weapon missed it's target was due to the wind, sun in my eyes, bad powder charge etc... All and all great information, but I do leave a round or two short for long term storage and now not as concerned.

[@ekgd3adshot351]

My mag is so difficult to load I have a Taurus g2c is there an easier way for the mag to be loaded without a speed loader cause the spring is great just really strong

[@marioparra78]

thanks man really well explained. i had all my mags half loaded. and thats in Cali witch means only 5 rounds. im a load then all to full today. cant believe i fell for the that stupid myth. Thanks again.

[@levidowning5460]

I had gun I got that had a magazine that was loaded so long the cartridges were green but on another occasion I had a modern gun I left loaded a couple months and when I used it after that the first round nose dived. I think it in part has to do with the magazine quality. great video! what are you vaping on?

[@guntorturetests]

Provari, 5.5 ml J-Tank, DIY juice.

[@kevinarmstrong415]

GunTortureTests I love seeing a fellow gun enthusiasts and vape enthusiasts at the same time...My kinda fella!!!!!Cool vid I have several mags for my ar-15 and pistols...I usually leave one hundred rounds loaded up for each caliber....Every so often I will rotate like tires on a vehicle...But I have always wondered was it in vain....Thinking about loading up all my mags now .....

[@kevinarmstrong415]

GunTortureTests I love seeing a fellow gun enthusiasts and vape enthusiasts at the same time...My kinda fella!!!!!Cool vid I have several mags for my ar-15 and pistols...I usually leave one hundred rounds loaded up for each caliber....Every so often I will rotate like tires on a vehicle...But I have always wondered was it in vain....Thinking about loading up all my mags now .....

[@slimpickens2164]

makes perfect sense

[@chadhaire1711]

loading a magazine 95% will reduce stress on the spring about 30%

[@cf3232]

Springs live to be springs!! I love it!

[@leoguy1609]

Never had an issues with keeping a magazines fully compressed for long periods of times with quality magazines. As long as the springs are within their design tolerance there should be an issue, sure manufactures took this into consideration with their magazine springs?

[@cavscout888]

Some don't, and the springs end up over compressed when the magazine is full. Some guns will do this with recoil springs as well, though less common to mess this one up, since this one of the springs that will cycle the most.

[@kellymitchell6443]

Well there was a guy who did this test and yes over time the spring ended up shorter when loaded and left but didn't effect performance.

[@naft8132]

I keep all my magazines for all my guns loaded all the time and the only issue I had was with a mag for my cz rami. My pistol started to malfunction so I replaced the mag and now it shoots fine.

[@mingchi1776]

Thanks for your information!

[@jeraldkonkel]

Thanks for clearing up this myth.

[@DA7545]

I know very little about springs and spring metal. I know a little about materials including metals. My common sense tells me that the engineers are correct when they say that the spring metal weaken when compressed for long periods of time (how long I don't know, days, months, years?) But they do weaken! They probably regain their original shape when relaxed for more time. This is most likely FACT. Now for the function in a magazine, these springs are made to account for any potential loss. That means that they are made long enough or strong enough to function AFTER they may have lost 6% or whatever the testing has proven these exact springs and the metal they are made of will lose after being compressed for too long (years). So, the spring does lose some strength and the magazine will work - for a long time but some, maybe not forever. I mean, depending on the manufacturing, some may have better metal, thicker metal or just better made. So, finally the end result, most magazine work after they have been compressed AND the spring does weaken. Pretty simple isn't it.

[@sdrake74]

Good point with the spring on an angine ! Ive been workn on cars for 20 yrs... if u measure the tension they will be a little weak butt they still work.. and rhey might be heat treated diff. Metal etc dep. On car

[@gregb6469]

Someone who has left a magazine loaded for several years has quite likely also done nothing to clean/service the gun for that same amouont of time, so the problems could be just as much a dirty, or inadequately lubbed, gun as they are a weak mag spring.

[@davolean729]

Love it! Keep them all loaded!

[@CODproR19]

After leaving magazine loaded for many years, the spring will get a little shorter. Will that affect reliability? Maybe not, but the spring will not be as long as how it was brand new. My dad's Glock 20 magazines, have all been fully loaded, since he bought the gun 26 years ago and all the magazines work fine, he has never changed the springs.

[@vadimturov7808]

how to limpwrist m 16?

[@hillshepherd9444]

Should compare the ware on the spring, from cycling, like bending a piece of #14 or #12 wire that will flex, but only so many times in the same spot, before it snaps. It can be bent, twisted, & left inside a wall forever, {& especially if it's never had electricity run through it constantly} It will retain it's resiliency, just like a mag spring.

[@potstab2875]

Feed lips I thought, mostly get damaged from dropping them on hard surfaces or repeated slamming into the receiver? This is mostly an issue with non-steel mags such as some types of polymer or Bakelite.

[@tellindatruth6241]

Shewwww....That was the long way around to get to a simple point. Thanks for the info but probably could have cut the video time by half, maybe two thirds. Happy Magin

[@VTPSTTU]

The whole issue is interesting. I'm inclined to think that springs shouldn't change over time at ambient temperatures. The creep phenomena that I see in my field are all related to high temperatures, so I don't think of creep occurring at temperatures near room temperature. I know that the dividing line between plastic deformation and elastic deformation is not all that well defined for many metals. A metal that is stressed near the boundary between plastic and elastic deformation may experience a bit of plastic deformation even though we expect only elastic deformation. My first thought is that I could see compressing a spring to the point near the elastic limit could cause a little plastic deformation that would impact the spring's strength. To the extent that there is some time-dependent deformation, I'm sure that deformation is related to the stress level on the spring. If the stress is nearer the elastic limit, then the deformation is likely to occur more quickly. I don't remember studying this phenomenon directly, but almost all of these changes depend on stress, time, and temperature. Lowering the stress will increase the time and temperature before deformation occurs. Either way, the differences that people see between different magazines could be related to how the magazines were designed. If the magazine was designed to keep the stress on the metal lower, then those springs are less likely to have permanent deformation. If the magazine was designed without thinking about stress and the design causes higher stress on the metal, then the spring is more likely to have permanent deformation and therefore lose spring strength. The issue of cycling is related to fatigue fracture which is a different issue. Most steels have a fatigue limit, and as long as the cycle doesn't cause stresses above this limit, the steel part can theoretically endure an infinite number of stress cycles. That issue is completely different from the spring developing a permanent deformation that weakens the spring.