Guardian mag springs

[Classanr]

Has anybody else discovered this marvelous feature?

Last week I unloaded a 6-round NAA Guardian 32acp mag.  I was adding the NAA extension that converts the 6-round to a 10-round mag.  So I had the 6-round spring left over, and decided to compare that old spring to a new-unused 6-round spring.

Why would you care?  Well, the 6-round mag had been loaded for 10 straight years, the ammo never coming out.  It was just sitting there in the safe.  Yes, 10 straight years.

Compared to the brand new spring, the 10-year-compressed spring was exactly the same height and required exactly the same pressure as did the brand new 6-round spring to compress back down to hold 6 rounds in a mag.

It has been said that a spring will retain its force and strength when kept compressed.  Springs only get weak from repeated movement.  The moral of the story is "don't unload your mags just because you are putting them in the safe."

For naysayers, my rebuttle is "Well, maybe my springs are superior to your springs"?

[Uncle_Lee]

I, me personally, just talking about myself, have never had any problems with magazine springs getting "weak" when left compressed.
I received a P-38  from my father that had a full magazine in it and laid it in the gun safe. About 13-15 years later I started shooting it. I don't know how long it laid loaded before I got it, I do know it was longer than 10 years. It still feeds like a new one.

[redhawk4]

My experience would be similar to yours, I  always keep my mags loaded and most of my handguns are always loaded in the safe ready to go, I don't want to be trying to find ammo when something happens and I need to be shooting, potentially I need access to the right gun for the job. ( Either BG's. my neighbors vicious and out of control vicious dogs, or a Bear or Cougar off the mountain). Also I regularly carry different guns and all that loading and unloading would be a pain.

The only thing you need to be aware of is what I'd call "stiction" for the want of a better word. If you leave ammo in the mag for along time the ammo can stick a little to the sides of the mag  affecting function. If your mags are clean and not oily they work better but some cartridges have a lube on the casing and feel a little sticky when they've been in there a while. Every so often I just unload them and then load them right back up again, just to keep things moving freely.

[Classanr]

... If you leave ammo in the mag for along time the ammo can stick a little to the sides of the mag  affecting function....

Good point.

[TwoGunJayne]

Dirty magazines are often sticky.

[stantheman86]

Good springs last a long time...

I have Ruger revolvers from the early 70's and the mainsprings in those have compressed and relaxed thousands and thousands of times.

When I was an armed guard and we had Glock 22's, those mags stayed loaded for years. The "duty mags" were used twice a year for quals. Never a problem with them.

[G50AE]

Dirty magazines are often sticky.

Oh Dirty women, they don't mess around.

That was from the Black Sabbath days, he must have been onto something.  And more than likely on something.