[PositronDave]

Hello I'm new to the forum and wanted to ask a few questions.
Bought a Ruger SR9C yesterday for home protection / concealment. This was my first handgun purchase, chose the Ruger after renting a few at the range and was the most comfortable with the SR9C. Wanted some different opinions on how owners store their guns in the home. I have no children, just my wife and myself.

I have two clips, I've talked to a few people about keeping clips loaded and the spring compression, one USMC I know swaped out clips every month, keeping one loaded and the other empty to save the springs.

How many keep one loaded in the house, chambered, unchambered, no clip?

Thanks for the advice.

[ar10-nut]

If a spring is properly designed for the application there is no loss of tension from simply being compressed. Repeated cycling will cause springs to fatigue and lose tension. Leaving a magazine loaded should not be a problem, as long as the spring is not stressed close to its limit. Some magazine manufactures attempt to get more rounds in the magazine by allowing the spring to almost fully compress. 1911 mags are designed to be loaded all the time.

[JTJ]

1st of all they are magazines not clips. I dont know where you live so I dont know which magazines came with your pistol. The SR9c comes with either 2 10 round mags or 1-10 round and 1-17 round mag. For home use I keep 2-17 round mags loaded with 15 rounds. 1 in the pistol plus a round chambered. Just load 16 and chamber a round. When I carry, I load 10 rounds in the 10 round mag and an additional round in the chamber. I will carry an additional 10 or 17 round mag. With 10+1 the pistol will weigh about 28 oz. You can find extra magazines at CDNN or direct from Ruger. You will need spacers for any 17 round mags you purchase. Be careful loading the 17 round mags as they will pinch if your hand is in the way. Do not use the slide lock to release the slide. Pull the slide back and release it. It needs to go forward hard to properly chamber a round. A light grip sometimes called limp wristing can cause a malfunction. Holding the pistol sideways as seen in the movies will eject the spent casing into your face. Do not place your off hand thumb behind the slide on a 2 hand grip. The slide will cut you when it comes back.

[PositronDave]

It came with a 10 and a 17 round magazine, with a spacer for the 17. Thanks for the info. As for holding a gun sideways, I'm new, but I'm not stupid.

[MrWray]

I have a 1911 and a G31 and they stay cocked and locked 24/7. You will not ruin your magazines by keeping them loaded.... And welcome to FTF

[cbibb]

I don't know the whole situation that can happen so I would have some place to keep it if kids come around other than that keep it loaded train the wife in fire arm safety cause an empty gun is just a paper weight. As fare as keeping mags loaded keep them loaded and ready take out your ccw loads and use ball ammo for practice and reload your ccw rounds back in for carry and home protection. I recommend practice once a month and maybe get a 22. Ruger has a SR22 and they are like your SR9C little cheaper to shoot and you can concentrate on shooting skills and fundamentals and be a better shot with your center fire pistol. Sorry so long winded CB ccw instructor

[mes227]

New springs are cheap and easy to install. For my SD gun I keep both mags loaded -- when the time comes I'll buy new springs.

[vincent]

What everyone said about keeping loaded mags is right, it's the actual use, compression/decompression that causes wear. If you're still worried about it, load it one short and call it a day.

For HD, I keep mine where I might be most vulnerable, in the bedroom, never more than 2 feet away from me if I'm in bed. I ALWAYS keep a round chambered. Gotta figure at 3am, you're doing well to make it to the bathroom in one piece being groggy from sleep. Now imagine trying to load a mag, rack the slide and get into a defensive position in that state...not an easy task.

[levelcross]

Welcome to FTF PositronDave,

Keeping the mags fully loaded is no problem at all, the cycling of the spring between a free state and compression and back is where the wear comes from. As for where to keep your gun stored, I carry mine until I take a shower and get ready for bed, then it goes in a holster I have mounted to the night stand after a quick wipe down. If you don't have to worry about small children getting access to your gun, keep it close to you or on you at all times, running into another room to get your gun will not work for home defense.

[danf_fl]

Welcome to the forum. I would suggest that you get some training (using the word "clip" for "magazine" is the biggest clue to how familiar you are not with firearms).

Get a pro and not a "friend of a friend". It'll be worth the money you lay out.