Magazine Question

[squid8286]

I have a CW9 that I carry in rotation with some other small pistols. I have 12 factory mags for it. If you were going to use it as your primary carry, would you download the 7 round magazine by 1 round, or just rotate the mags on a frequent basis? I ask this question because I have a full-size S&W M&P 9 that I recently found to have several weak magazine springs in several of it's mags. I decided to download the 17 rounders to 15, to help the springs last longer and also to make it easier to insert them under a closed slide. I know this is sort of an apple to oranges comparison, but the recent problem with the Smith mags got me wondering.

[Bawanna]

No doubt several opinions on this. You sure are well stocked on mags for the CW9. Personally, I usually just rotate mags. I don't top load when put in the gun. Just fill the mag and off we go. When I was working or going to town a lot, I'd carry two extra mags. So, for each gun I tried to have 6 mags, and once a month or so or whenever I remembered I'd swap to the other three.
Now that I hardly ever leave the house I generally don't carry extra mags but still like to have the extras.
Perfect vision is magazines stacked to the horizon and back.
In the toy box I try to keep one magazine loaded for each carry gun, just in case I'm in my room nekkid which is never. Since I lean towards 1911's one magazine fill that bill.

[berettabone]

JMO...........I load one magazine into each firearm I own. I always keep one in the chamber and top off the magazine. I leave any other mags empty. Many will tell you that it's not having a full magazine, or an empty magazine, or a minus one or two loaded magazine that weakens springs. It's the loading and unloading/shooting that weakens them. I have never had to replace a weak mag spring. I did own an M&P Compact .40. I don't know who makes their springs, but I never had an issue with my magazines, and I shot it a lot................

[squid8286]

Thanks for the replies. I didn't worry about mag springs until the other day when I unloaded the S&W magazines. But the CW9 doesn't have a lot of capacity to begin with, so I guess I will put one in the chamber and put a full mag in the gun and rotate them on a regular basis. I have NEVER had a mag spring in ANY rifle or handgun I own take a set just from sitting, and I have owned Colts, Brownings, Rugers, SIG Sauers and two Kahrs (including the one I still have.) The S&W thing sort of pisses me off, since I spent a decent chunk of change on new mag springs from Wolff. Again, thanks for the replies.

[FreeMe]

I always keep fully loaded mag in my Kahrs and a spare fully loaded. Like you, I have a lot of mags - primarily so that range time isn't spent reloading mags. I don't intentionally rotate my mags, but I do number them so that if there ever is a problem mag I can isolate it. I have never had any of the Kahr mag springs go weak - and I've been running Kahrs since the mid-90's.

I do download my Shield plus, only because it's not easy to force that last round in and 12 is enough IMO. What was your indication that your M&P springs were weak?

[kenemoore]

All the engineering books/texts say that as long as you don't exceed the modulus of elasticity. A well designed spring, will always spring back to it's at rest state. However, spring cycles change the modulus. So, in layman terms fully compressing a spring does not harm it. Cycles over time is what does them in.
In my experience, the only magazine springs I ever had issues with, were 1911 mags, with thousands of rounds down range. I keep all my mags, for carry weapons fully loaded at all times. On Kahr's I top off after loading the chamber, on high capacity models, I seldom do. If 15 rounds doesn't do it, that extra one would not have mattered.

[squid8286]

I had had the mags loaded for about 2-3 years with only one trip to the range in that time. When I unloaded them, I took the three that had been loaded and pulled the slide back on all three while empty. One of the three just barely made the slide stop engage. Then I checked several other ones that have been unloaded and four of them did the same.

[sorcerer]

From buying used Kahr’s one of the most over looked maintenance items has been the magazines. I have to use #’9 and Gun scrubber and a stainless steel brush on the internals to make them run again. I believe many of them were sold off because of failures that the previous owners couldn’t “ fix”. Some of the previous attempts to fix resulted in me needing to replace modified parts. The one part that everyone should keep around is the spring that holds the slide stop in place and operates the slide stop lever.

[denverd0n]

If you're worried about your magazine springs, you can always buy a couple of these... https://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=1&mID=29#191

[FreeMe]

I had had the mags loaded for about 2-3 years with only one trip to the range in that time. When I unloaded them, I took the three that had been loaded and pulled the slide back on all three while empty. One of the three just barely made the slide stop engage. Then I checked several other ones that have been unloaded and four of them did the same.

Before I would replace any springs, I would disassemble the mags and clean them. Inspect for any visible damage/dents. Reassemble them dry - and shoot the pistol with the mags in question. Don't forget to number your mags.

[squid8286]

Before I would replace any springs, I would disassemble the mags and clean them. Inspect for any visible damage/dents. Reassemble them dry - and shoot the pistol with the mags in question. Don't forget to number your mags.

I always dissasemble and clean the mags after firing the gun. Pretty anal about that in all my guns. I replaced all of the springs that were barely locking the slide back. We'll see how it goes from here.