[Kelly]

Having a 17 round magazine for my Glock obviously gives me more firepower than a 10 round one.

However, I have heard that keeping the magazine fully loaded at all times can weaken the spring. Supposedly, this will eventually lead to a gun jam or some other negative consequence. Most likely at the worst possible time.

Does anyone here have any real experience with this? Is it a real problem? Any recommendations?

[chorst294]

For the last 7 years, I've kept 3 fully loaded Glock 22 magazines on me at work and have yet to have a single problem. Police carry all their mags fully loaded and haven't had problems, you'll be fine.

[NYPD13]

I Believe This To Be True, But Only Over Extended Periods Of Time. If You Hit The Range Periodically As You Should, The It Shouldn't Be A Problem.

[RL357Mag]

Keeping springs compressed is not good for them. They become "denatured" over time. Will it cause a failure to feed, can't say for sure. Can it cause a failure to feed, yes. It's an individual choice. I have seen firing pin springs weakened to the point where they no longer ignite primers, because the gun was inadvertently left cocked for months. This happened to me with a .22 Mossberg rifle and a friend of mine with his Winchester Mod. 94. Generally it's not a good thing to do, especially with a gun that you will rely on to save your life...

[Flint Rock]

My dad has had the same, fully loaded, GI magazine in his 45 for at least 40 years. He shoots one box about every two years (he says he doesn't need practice since he has had enough experience shooting at people). That gun, that magazine, all those springs, have not failed him yet. The gun is a Colt 1911 (stamped Property of US Army) that Colt tells us was made in 1916.
The firing pin spring tension is a non-issue, at rest or fully loaded there is no difference in the pressure on that spring. I suspect RL357 really means the hammer spring. The pressure on that spring is increased if the hammer is cocked back. However, that spring has a good bit of tension on it even when the hammer is down. I suspect that the life expectancy of a cocked hammer spring is shorter than the life of a hammer spring that was not kept in that condition, but I doubt the difference would be significant. The issue to me is more an issue of safety and situational awareness than spring tension.
All that said, periodic spring replacement should be part of your gun maintance.

[Jay]

If a magazine spring is not physically damaged/rusted, it can sit compressed for 10's of years with no adverse effects. Remaining compressed will not "wear" a spring nearly as fast as "cycling" a spring, that is to compress, and release it repeatedly.

[h&k bigdaddydieseldan]

Originally Posted by Jay

If a magazine spring is not physically damaged/rusted, it can sit compressed for 10's of years with no adverse effects. Remaining compressed will not "wear" a spring nearly as fast as "cycling" a spring, that is to compress, and release it repeatedly.

I agree with Jay 100%

[RL357Mag]

If you want to know the correct answer concerning metal fatigue and tensile strength, ask an engineering professor or student who has had a class in "Strength of Materials". Some people can smoke their whole lives and not get cancer, that doesn't mean smokinmg doesn't cause cancer...

[RL357Mag]

Originally Posted by Flint Rock

I suspect RL357 really means the hammer spring. The pressure on that spring is increased if the hammer is cocked back. However, that spring has a good bit of tension on it even when the hammer is down. .

Actually the terminology is "mainspring". On the Winchester lever action it is a leaf spring, and as such is even more vulnerable to failure, and has virtually no tension until the hammer is cocked. On the Mossberg it is also called a mainspring, however it is a coil spring and again has virtually no tension until it is cocked. It was weakened so much from being left cocked for almost a year that I had to disassemble it and stretch it out to get enough force to set off the .22 ammo. That spring is ruined and must be replaced - not a simple task for a 35+ yr. old rifle where parts are no longer available from Mossberg. I would advise anyone in posession of an old or antique gun to take care not to leave it cocked. 1911 parts are a dime a dozen and are available frommany sources. Magazine springs may be a bit more difficult to obtain for certain guns. Leaving springs compressed is obviously a personal decision - my Dad was a PhD in engineering and my brother is an engineer - I won't leave my guns cocked or mags loaded. To each his own.

[Flint Rock]

No, actually the term I was looking for, and used, is hammer spring.
Also, the original post was something about magazine springs .
Next thing, in a Winchester 94, or any other gun fired by a free swinging hammer, a weak firing pin spring would not prevent a firing. Something about inertia carrying the firing pin forward after the impact from the hammer,,, that's what causes the gun to fire (that's what my brain surgeon brother told me). A firing pin springs job is to keep the firing pin OFF the primer until the hammer falls. That spring does NOT push the firing pin into the primer. A weak spring won't stop the gun from firing, it actually makes the gun more likely to fire if dropped (if the gun is a design that does not have some sort of internal firing pin safety).
Oh, "denatured" is not the word most people would use. Metal fatigue would be a better fit, at least that's what all my friends that work for NASA and the JPL say .
One last thing RL, see my signature .