{"id":92020,"date":"2023-04-20T23:06:27","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T04:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=92020"},"modified":"2023-04-20T23:06:27","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T04:06:27","slug":"92020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=92020","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

So, using your magazines is the only thing that really wears them out<\/p>\n

BLUF
\nConclusions
\nCommon wear and tear from everyday use is more likely to degrade the overall quality of a firearm magazine than the spring failing on its own from being loaded to full capacity and stored for long periods of time.
\nSince it\u2019s not economical for a shooter to monitor their spring\u2019s quality with force gauges, the only true way of knowing if your magazines are functioning reliably is from actual use during training.
\nSo, unless you\u2019re part of the group of individuals that actually shoots thousands of rounds down range on a weekly basis for training or completion reasons, the whole issue of worrying about the lifespan of your magazine springs is somewhat trivial.<\/p>\n

Other, Larger Concerns
\nIf you\u2019re prepping for a SHTF situation, simply load your mags and set them aside. You can now use all the extra spare time figuring out if you want a Menu 18 beef patty or Menu 14 Spicy Penne Pasta MRE!<\/p>\n

As for mags, there are many other factors to consider before worrying about magazine spring failure. First, address the overall quality and cleanliness of your firearm, magazine housing, guide rod, buffer tube spring, ammunition choice, the list goes on. Magazine springs are relatively cheap items that can ultimately fail, just like any other man-made item before it. Luckily, they are easy to replace once identified as the cause of a malfunction.<\/p>\n

\"Turns<\/p>\n

Magazine Spring Stress Tests<\/a><\/p>\n

A massive gun magazine stress test to determine how long magazine springs will last and if we can determine outside variables that impact their longevity.<\/p>\n

We set out to test magazines. How long do they last and what can you do as a shooter to help ensure they\u2019ll function properly for as long as possible? In this project, we\u2019re going to give the quick answers up front and then we\u2019ll dive into some of the details about our testing protocol and what we learned.<\/p>\n

Spring Test Summary<\/h2>\n

For about a year, we loaded, unloaded, and function tested thirteen different magazines.<\/p>\n

Magazines Field Tested<\/h4>\n
    \n
  1. Magpul Gen 2 Pmag (30 round)<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Magpul Gen 3 Pmag (30 round)<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Magpul Gen 3 Pmag (40 round)<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Amend2 AR-15 Magazine (30 round)<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Lancer AR-15 Magazine (30 round)<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. USGI AR-15 Magazine (30 round)<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm Magazine (8 round)<\/li>\n
  8. ETS Glock 17 Magazine (17 round)<\/li>\n
  9. Glock 17 Factory Magazine (17 round)<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Magpul Glock 17 Magazine (17 round)<\/li>\n
  11. Glock 17 Factory Magazine (33 round)<\/li>\n
  12. USGI 45 ACP 1911 Magazine (7 round)<\/li>\n
  13. Wilson Combat 45 ACP 1911 Magazine (8 round)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/p>\n

    I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard someone ask or even wondered yourself if it\u2019s bad to leave your magazines loaded for long periods of time. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there\u2019s also the question of whether or not the actual use of loading and unloading the magazines is really what negatively affects their longevity.<\/p>\n

    So, we tried to get some answers. For each magazine, we introduced eight different variables included in our testing set.<\/p>\n

    Variables for Each Magazine Set<\/h4>\n

    1.) Loaded to full capacity and stored in a climate controlled safe<\/p>\n

    2.) Loaded to full capacity and stored in an outdoor shed with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees with high variability<\/p>\n

    3.) Stored unloaded in a climate controlled environment<\/p>\n

    4.) Stored unloaded in a high-variability outdoor shed<\/p>\n

    5.) Loaded half way and stored in a climate controlled safe<\/p>\n

    6.) Loaded to capacity, stored in a climate controlled safe and loaded\/unloaded five times bi-weekly<\/p>\n

    7.) Loaded to capacity, stored in a climate controlled safe and loaded\/unloaded fifteen times bi-weekly<\/p>\n

    8.) Loaded to capacity, stored in a hot shed and loaded\/unloaded fifteen times bi-weekly<\/p>\n

    Our Process<\/h3>\n

    Every week for for about 6 weeks, we took the magazines to the range and field tested their function. We fired one round every two seconds in an effort to mimic a \u201creal world\u201d shooter\u2019s use of the magazines in non \u201cSHTF\u201d times. We documented all failures and used a\u00a0digital force gauge<\/a>\u00a0to measure any change in spring strength or resistance.<\/p>\n

    After about ten months, hundreds of hours, and thousands of rounds we learned\u2026 basically nothing!<\/p>\n

    After 270 cycles (the equivalent of 8,000+ rounds through a pmag), none of our magazines failed.\u00a0The force gauge we used to measure spring resistance didn\u2019t show consistent variability in any of the 104 magazines we tested.<\/p>\n

    The biggest takeaway from our manual testing was that Magpul\u2019s Pmags showed springs that loosened over the course of our cycling. In many cases, the springs put up 20-25% less resistance after going through our course of testing. But it didn\u2019t matter when it came to function. The magazines all performed flawlessly when field-tested at the range.<\/p>\n

    So, having no real failures as a result of a ton of trigger pulls we got frustrated. Next, we got angry. Then, we got an idea.<\/p>\n

    Getting A Lab\u2019s Help<\/h3>\n

    \"testing<\/p>\n

    We called some friends at a testing laboratory near Atlanta, Georgia and decided we were going to make a magazine put in the work until it could no longer function.<\/p>\n

    We gave\u00a0Applied Technical Services<\/a>\u00a0a Glock 17 magazine and a 30-round Magpul pmag. Due to the cycling mechanism on their equipment, we were forced to modify each magazine\u2019s follower. (The molded cartridge shape on a typical follower wouldn\u2019t allow our compression rod to push down properly on the spring.) So, the lab welded a special piece to attach to the magazine follower that mimicked the shape of a round of ammo.<\/p>\n

    The lab crew put the mags in place, turned the machines on, and then waited for something to fail.<\/p>\n

    \"Testing<\/p>\n

    When The Magazines Failed<\/h3>\n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Magazine<\/th>\nCycles<\/th>\nRound Equivalent<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Glock 17 Mag<\/td>\n14,842<\/td>\n252,314<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Magpul Gen 3 Pmag<\/td>\n69,881<\/td>\n2,096,430<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

    As you can see, it took quite a while for anything to go wrong when isolating the springs themselves.<\/p>\n

    In the case of the pmag, if you fired a case of .223 ammo every two weeks as part of your training,\u00a0it would take 80 years for that magazine spring to fail<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \"Pmag
    While there is evidence of wear and tear on our lab-modified follower, you can see the snapped spring is obviously what led to this magazine\u2019s failure in our tests.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Where The Lab Test Comes Up Short<\/h4>\n

    Of course, real world shooters run into issues that we didn\u2019t test in the lab. Those are the issues our initial protocol tried to answer (dirt\/debris, heat\/storage, etc.) We weren\u2019t dropping magazines to the ground, running into things, reloading in a hurry and other issues that could cause wear-and-tear. None of our mags fell from a helicopter or were run over by a tank!<\/p>\n

    However, based on the limited data we have on how AR-15 and other gun owners train, we believe our initial field testing regimen was more strenuous but still in-line with what a \u201ctypical\u201d self-defense shooter\u2019s would be.<\/p>\n

    After all of the effort, time, and money we poured into this project, we realized one very important thing: It\u2019s incredibly\u00a0<\/i>hard to wear out magazine springs.<\/p>\n

    Want more? Read on to hear all the nitty-gritty about our field tests.<\/p>\n

    Detailed Data from Our Field Tests<\/h3>\n

    We thought after about a year of rigorous cycling and shooting we\u2019d see results. I mean, we had a set of mags we stored in the southern equivalent of a swamp (a backyard shed.)<\/p>\n

    Every two weeks, we gathered resistance data\u00a0using\u00a0this Andilog Centor Easy, Graphical Force Gauge.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s a sample of all the data. In this case, it\u2019s our resistance testing from Magpul\u2019s Gen2 30 round Pmag.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n\n\n\n
    Test Subject<\/th>\nDay 1<\/th>\nDay 15<\/th>\nDay 29<\/th>\nDay 43<\/th>\nDay 57<\/th>\nDay 71<\/th>\nDay 85<\/th>\nDay 99<\/th>\nDay 113<\/th>\nDay 127<\/th>\nDay 141<\/th>\nDay 155<\/th>\nDay 169<\/th>\nDay 183<\/th>\nDay 197<\/th>\nDay 211<\/th>\nDay 225<\/th>\nDay 239<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n
    		\n
    <\/div>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Mag A<\/td>\n11.604<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n8.646<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mag B<\/td>\n11.354<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n8.356<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mag C<\/td>\n10.575<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n8.506<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mag D<\/td>\n10.215<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\nX<\/td>\n8.366<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mag E<\/td>\n11.815<\/td>\n11.495<\/td>\n10.485<\/td>\n10.345<\/td>\n9.346<\/td>\n9.136<\/td>\n9.296<\/td>\n9.356<\/td>\n9.176<\/td>\n8.736<\/td>\n9.785<\/td>\n9.086<\/td>\n9.276<\/td>\n8.329<\/td>\n8.506<\/td>\n8.516<\/td>\n8.726<\/td>\n8.776<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mag F<\/td>\n12.114<\/td>\n11.825<\/td>\n10.055<\/td>\n8.826<\/td>\n10.405<\/td>\n10.015<\/td>\n9.566<\/td>\n9.076<\/td>\n9.935<\/td>\n8.726<\/td>\n8.587<\/td>\n9.775<\/td>\n8.596<\/td>\n8.726<\/td>\n8.706<\/td>\n8.326<\/td>\n8.556<\/td>\n8.856<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mag G<\/td>\n11.984<\/td>\n11.595<\/td>\n9.269<\/td>\n10.145<\/td>\n9.286<\/td>\n9.975<\/td>\n9.705<\/td>\n9.825<\/td>\n9.765<\/td>\n9.236<\/td>\n9.795<\/td>\n9.246<\/td>\n8.876<\/td>\n8.324<\/td>\n8.716<\/td>\n8.826<\/td>\n8.585<\/td>\n8.526<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Mag H<\/td>\n11.314<\/td>\n11.525<\/td>\n9.286<\/td>\n8.996<\/td>\n9.356<\/td>\n10.075<\/td>\n9.546<\/td>\n8.946<\/td>\n9.406<\/td>\n9.754<\/td>\n9.456<\/td>\n8.576<\/td>\n8.686<\/td>\n8.726<\/td>\n8.686<\/td>\n8.426<\/td>\n8.884<\/td>\n8.776<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    You can view all our data for all magazines in this\u00a0downloadable .pdf file by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Basic Parts of a Firearm Magazine<\/b><\/h3>\n

    \"Anatomy<\/p>\n

    While the selection and quality of magazines have definitely improved over the years, the\u00a0basic science behind magazine design<\/a>\u00a0has essentially remained the same. A detachable box magazine\u2019s primary function is to feed ammunition into a repeating firearm by the force of a compression spring. Although a somewhat simple design, a magazine can also be a frustrating source of malfunctions when operating a firearm.<\/p>\n

    Magazine Springs<\/b><\/h4>\n

    \"rifle<\/p>\n

    The springs found in most box magazines are commonly known as compression springs. These springs provide resistance when a load is applied.<\/p>\n

    When ammunition is loaded into a magazine, the spring stores energy, which is then used to chamber an individual round by the action of the firearm.<\/p>\n

    In recent years some popular brands have fallen to the wayside, but it seems that there are new firearm and accessory companies popping up more and more these days.
    \nWhile this is a welcome sight, consumers need to be cautious that their magazines actually come from a reputable manufacturer.<\/p>\n

    Below is a list of some of the industry leaders in magazine springs:<\/p>\n