How long can you keep round in pistol magazine?

[SeeZee Man]

Hi one and all.
This is my first time asking questions.
I have a CZ 75B.
I just purchased a 32 round magazine.
In it I put Glazer Blue for home protection.
How long can I keep the rounds in the magazine before using them to make sure the spring doesn't compress or the rounds become unreliable?
Thanks,
SeeZee Man

[SMSgt]

Okay. What fatiques mag springs is the loading/unloading action, not leaving them stored full. Think of bending a paper clip repeatedly until it weakens and breaks. It is perfectly normal for compressed springs to take a slight "set" and it does no harm. Replacement mag springs from places like Wolff are inexpensive, so don't concern yourself about wearing them out. They, like recoil springs, are a part of routine gun maintenance.

Unless exposed to extreme conditions, ammo will last virtually indefinitely. I still have some WWII-era ammo I break out on occasion and it never misses a beat. Ammo does not spoil sitting in the box or your mag.

[SeeZee Man]

SMSGT,
Thank you for your reply.
Do you have any idea when the rounds should be removed so that they are still potent?
Thanks again,
SeeZee Man

[Grendel]

I can remember reading examples where magazines were loaded in the 1940/50s and shot 60 years later without problems. So long as the magazines/ammunition are kept in a fairly stable temperature and away from moisture the rounds should outlast you.

[SeeZee Man]

Thank you Widge.

This question began when I asked the retailer this question. He said springs on a magazine will compress and will not spring back after a period of time. I also bought Glaser Ammo for the first time and had no experience with it. My CZ likes Magtech FMC. I loaded 30 into the Magazine and target practice went fine. The extra weight wasn't a problem. I also bought 24 rounds of Glaser and took 6 rounds  to the range. Tested no problem.
Then loaded 18 into my 32 round Magazine to keep ready.  And since it's for home protection. That magazine and ammo has to work if need be. So you can see my concern.

By the way I have a ghost ring site, and with that Magazine hanging out the CZ looks more formidable than normal.

[bang bang]

if your concerned with spring set, why not buy some extra/spare springs?

also, why not just rotate your ammo/mags?  the next time youre going to the range, take the one thats been stored the longest and use it up.

[larryflew]

I've shot some of those mags Widge mentioned. Some M1 carbine dated in the 50's and some M16 mags left from my time in the service in 67.  Not a blip and mag springs where still as strong as new ones.

[eric0424]

...He said springs on a magazine will compress and will not spring back after a period of time.

It depends on the magazine, quality of springs, age, storage etc. etc..  I've had a few magazines show signs of weakening after being loaded for several months.  One was an old TZ75 magazine with no telling how much use on it, another was new Marlin rimfire magazine with very little use, third was two Hi-Cap Kimber mags with less than 1000 rounds between them.  Both Kimber magazines were kept loaded 24/7 and both mags stopped feeding the last two or three rounds.  The springs became too weak to push the rounds into the path of the slide. 

New springs cured the problem, those original Kimber springs could have been junk from the start or it could have been the time they spent in a vehicle, but with this evidence, as bang bang suggested, I swap the rounds out of my defense weapon magazines every two or three months if they don't get emptied at the range.  The Marlin and TZ75 mags were kept in my home with regulated temp of 70*,  give or take 3*.

[SMSgt]

Kimber is NOT known for producing a quality magazine. Nuff said on that.

Again, unless you're storing your ammo in an unsealed container, outside, exposed to a daily watering from the sprinklers, left lying in the hot sun, AND run over by the mower on occasion, your ammo isn't going to go "bad." The bullet and primer form a tight seal and it's very unlikely that any moisture will ever penetrate.

The normal indication of a mag spring going bad is the last one or two rounds fail to feed. The springs are incredibly durable, it's the repeditive loading and unloading that causes them to weaken--not storage compression--and unless you're a compeditive shooter firing hundreds a rounds a month, it's unlikely that you'll wear out the mag springs. Mags springs, like light bulbs, do have a lifespan. But just because a bulb exceeds its specified hours and still glows doesn't mean it has to be changed. Mag springs are good until not.

If mag spring wear is a concern, or you don't trust the condition of the ones you have, Wolff Springs has them starting at about $8+shp. Change them out once a year if you feel they are weak; at that price it's a no-brainer.

[eric0424]

Kimber is NOT known for producing a quality magazine. Nuff said on that.

"It depends on the magazine, quality of springs, age, storage etc. etc.." 

I doubt Kimber is alone in material or quality of mag spring choice. However these particular Hi-Cap Kimber mags were reportedly built by Mec-Gar.  I never bothered to confirm this but, given the fact Mec-Gar makes a lot of factory magazines, I figured it to be accurate.  You may have a different view on Mec-Gar magazines, but all of mine have been high quality replacements that serve me well.  Now that we've established (and you seem to agree) it happens with Kimber it seems logical it can, will and has happened with other firearms. 

[LuckyGunner]

You don't have to worry about the springs.  It's the compression that causes the springs to wear out.  By the time you wear out the spring you will have used the firearm for enough rounds that it's not an issue to replace the spring.

Ammunition storage has to do with how you store it.  If the firearm is in a safe or lock box.  The ammunition should be good for a minimum 10-20 years.  If you have the ammunition in proper storage.  Temperature controlled and moisture free.  The ammo should last as long as you live.  I have shot old surplus WWII ammo and had zero issues. 

[RandyP]

Simple solution, once a year shoot off your SD ammo in the magazine, then replace it? Easier solution. since the ammo's viability will outlive yours, keep the high priced stuff for SD use and spend your money on practice ammo and range time.

The 'average' shooter is not likely to ever wear out magazine springs, and even of you did they are cheap enough to replace.

[Stuart]

I would definitely test that 32rnd mag several times before depending on it.
Call it a bias but some of the longer aftermarket mags aren't good. so be sure to test your defense ammo with your mag.

[RandyP]

I think I misread you original question a bit. Are you planning on having that 32 round magazine as your home defense setup? IMHO just stick with the standard capacity factory mags........unless you are thinking you'll be in a firefight? - lol

[larryflew]

I just purchased a 32 round magazine.
In it I put Glazer Blue for home protection.

Unless you are going to have a dozen home invaders at the same time stick with factory mags. You don't need the capacity and the extra long mag would just get in the way of your movement.

Use the 32 for fun at the range instead