Leaving magazines loaded?

[Alex45ACP]

What's your opinion on leaving magazines loaded?  Does it wear down the spring, leading to a malfunction?  

I've heard several different theories, like downloading by a couple rounds, replacing springs at certain intervals, just leave it loaded and forget about it, etc.

What's your stance on this?

[BRASMAN]

No. Leaving your mags loaded will not wear them out. Metal like that fatiges when it is compressed and released over and over. You would actualy wear your mag out faster putting in ammo and taking it out.

This gets asked so much that maybe "myth busters" should out it in one of their episodes. LOL

[Walt-Sherrill]

Wolff Springs has a FAQ area that addresses this topic.

For a 9mm gun with a 10-round mag, kept fully loaded, you'll probably never know the difference. For a hi-cap mag, it can make a difference.

For a 97B which has a 10-round mag, it MIGHT shorten the life a little -- as that spring is really tightly compressed. (Its the equivalent of a 15-round 9mm mag as far as spring compression goes.)

Wolff says anytime you push the spring to its design limits, it stresses the spring.

If you want to remove risks of spring stress, download the mag two rounds for long-term storage.  

Or just be prepared to replace springs a little sooner.

[Alex45ACP]

So I guess a good compromise would be to leave the mags fully loaded, but replace the mag spring at a certain interval?  How often do you think would be adequate for the 97B mags?

Also, where do you buy replacements mag springs for the 97B?  I checked Wolff's site but they don't sell them.

[Walt-Sherrill]

Personally, I'd download mags a round or two during storage.  If you feel you must have one loaded, keep it loaded.

Frequency of replacement?  You should shoot your gun periodically, and use your range time as a "proof" period.  

In the meantime, I'd try one of the springs for the Para-Ordnance P-14 or P-16.  (Isn't that a double-stack?).  I suspect that a standrd 9mm/.40 spring would work fine.

[Alex45ACP]

Does no one specifically make magazine springs for the 97B?  Can you order them from CZ?

Would Witness magazine springs work?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm obsessive about maintenance

[Walt-Sherrill]

You can probably get them from CZ.  You MIGHT be able to get them from Mec-Gar.  But the cost is quite hight that way.

Nobody else makes springs specifically for CZs, that I know of.  (Wilson makes some kits, but they're really repackaged Wolff springs, as best we can tell.)

Magazines are magazines.  Mag springs are mag springs.  A 10-round double-stack .45 mag will use a spring that is very similar to any other 10-round double-stack .45 mag.  (The dimensions are the same, the function is the same, and form follows function.)

CZ springs are one of the key shortcomings of CZ guns...

But, until you start having problems, I'd not worry about it.  It may be a long, long time before you notice problems that might be attributed to mag springs.

[Alex45ACP]

Didn't know that, I thought you had to have special magazine springs for each brand

Thanks

[Uncle Alvah]

10 rounds in the mag in the gun, 9 in the spares.

[jwc007]

The Wolff Magazine Springs made for the 9mm/.40 EAA Witnesses and CZ75's are the same replacement spring to be used in the CZ97B and .45 Witnesses, and I have used them to replace the Mec-Gar Springs in the Mec-Gar Magazines for my .45 Witnesses.  I recommend you use the +5% extra strength springs.  These springs also will fit the new .45 Sabatti magazines made for the .45 EAA Witness.

Back to the original subject.  I don't have a problem with leaving magazines loaded, but I rotate them, every 2 months or so.  I have one in the .45 Witness by the bedside (one in the chamber, and 9 in the magazine) and a fully loaded spare, nearby.

[Alex45ACP]

Thanks for the info.  I think I'm just going to leave 8 rounds in each of the mags for home defense to be on the safe side, and I'll order some replacement springs