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

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

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?

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.

im using the hk compact 40

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.

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.

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

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.

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.