auto for home safety
 

any tips on saving clip spring when using a auto for home safety and keeping a loaded clip all times. thanks for all.......mitch

RE: auto for home safety
 

Yes, buy quality magazines and don't worry about your springs.

RE: auto for home safety
 

Quality magazines are critical, but leaving out one round will cause less tension on the spring of any magzine. It'll really help prevent wear in the long term.

What firearm are you using, if you don't mind me asking?

RE: auto for home safety
 

Buy an extra magazine or two. Rotate the magazine once a month. I never cared for downloading a magazine, guess my old duty weapon a S&W 910 ruined me on that. The magazines would rattle with 14 rounds vs 15 rounds. Magazines are rather inexpensive unless you are buying pre-ban mags.

RE: auto for home safety
 

im using the hk compact 40

RE: auto for home safety
 

I've had a Ruger P91 for about 10 years now. I keep the max 10 rounds in the magazine at all times and have done so since I bought it. Never had any problems.

RE: auto for home safety
 

Magazine springs wear out because of use, not because you keep it loaded. A magazine will wear out when it's spring is compressed and released hundreds of times through use. Keep it loaded to the max and don't worry about it.

RE: auto for home safety
 

A spring will only permanently change shape if it is compressed or stretched beyond its designed limits, or if the spring is of poor quality or not suited to the job it performs. Magazine springs are designed to be compressed as far a fully loaded magazine compresses them, and the follower usually is designed to prevent the magazine from being overloaded.

Springs will wear out over time, but the high quality springs used in defensive handgun magazines will likely take thousands of compression cycles before they wear out.

Go ahead and top up those H&K mags and don't worry about them. They'll be fine. I keep my Glock 21's mags fully loaded all the times unless I'm travelling to and from the range (fricken liberal carry and transport laws don't allow otherwise). And I've never had any problems with magazine related stoppages.

Mike

RE: auto for home safety
 

Your HK has high-quailty factory mags. Stack 'em up and forget about them. I have a Glock 36 and a Kimber 45 in my nightstand and both of them stay "stacked" at all times and I've never had any problems from either of them.

RE: auto for home safety
 

I agree with most here. Keep them full. The myth of having to rotate magazines and empty them is just that. A myth. I have my Kimber .45 either on my person, or on the nightstand beside the bed.

But if there is an intruder in my trailer, I'll reach for the 12 gauge pump that sits in the corner next to the bed. I don't want to shoot down the length of the trailer with a bullet or slug due to my daughters being in their bedrooms at the other end of it. 3" magnum shells loaded with #4 shot should be a great deterrant to anybody, if the sound of the sliding working doesn't cause them to mess their pants.

RE: auto for home safety
 

I put only 10 rounds in my mag and I rotate them at every time change(6 months). I'm sure it's not absolutely necessary but why chance it. I have four 15 round mags for my Sig P-226 and they are expensive to replace.

RE: auto for home safety
 

Worc, I have a 226 that I have had for 15 years. keep a mag in it with 14 rounds and another handy with 15. I've probably run 5000 rounds thru this weapon and it still functions flawlessly. You can always order new springs. Unless you live in one of those screwed up states that considers a repair to be a modification.

David

RE: auto for home safety
 

Worc, I understand where you're coming from. And it used to be a common practice. However, I've talked to metallurgists (sp?) and they all agreed that springs will not weaken over time if left fully compressed. They only weaken when "worked". In other words, compressed and decompressed many times. Shooting the mags will weaken the springs 5 times faster than leaving them compressed over several years, according to them.

Just wanted to give you some information so you can make an informed decision.

RE: auto for home safety
 

Contrary to popular opinion, keeping a magazine loaded for years will not weaken the spring..... At least, not the springs in magazines I have kept loaded for years.