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How Long Do Handgun Magazines Last?

wmg1299

wmg1299

Professional
The recent push for magazine capacity restrictions has me wondering if I should purchase a few more handgun magazines. I have always made sure to own at least 5 magazines for any handgun I own. For guns that I shoot frequently, or guns with really affordable magazines (i.e. Springfield XD or Glock), I often buy 10 or more magazines. I will normally keep 3 magazines loaded for my EDC, but I rotate these mags every few months to make sure that I'm not leaving any of the springs under constant pressure for prolonged periods of time. All of my other magazines are stored empty, and I clean most magazines after several range sessions. The vast majority of my mags are OEM, but I also own a few MecGar mags (I avoid ProMag like the plague).

I put thousands of rounds through Glock mags during my law enforcement career, and also have high round counts through my XD/XDM magazines. Despite shooting for several decades, I have never actually worn-out a name brand handgun magazine. I frequently trained with my duty weapon during my enforcement career, but have only really been collecting firearms for the past 5-7 years. Given my habits, how long can I expect my magazines to last? Is the lifespan of a magazine affected more by usage, or the passage of time? I'd hate to waste money buying a lot of spares right now, just to have them break down during years of storage.
 
Never really seen an answer to that. I can say that I have the original 3 magazines for my Marlin .22 my dad gave me when I was like 7. Which would have been better than 50 years ago. They have had thousands of rounds thru them, and they still work great. And I mean thousands, my best friend and I would buy a brick or two of ammo every week and burn thru it in a weekend. They have always been stored empty.

I have seen WWI andWwII pistols shot with the original magazines. Not knowing how old you are, I would confidently say, it will be an issue for your kids to worry about. Buy a few spare Wolff springs in case a few fail.

Those are for steel mags, polymer mags, I have no clue.
 
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wmg1299 said:
The recent push for magazine capacity restrictions has me wondering if I should purchase a few more handgun magazines. I have always made sure to own at least 5 magazines for any handgun I own. For guns that I shoot frequently, or guns with really affordable magazines (i.e. Springfield XD or Glock), I often buy 10 or more magazines. I will normally keep 3 magazines loaded for my EDC, but I rotate these mags every few months to make sure that I'm not leaving any of the springs under constant pressure for prolonged periods of time. All of my other magazines are stored empty, and I clean most magazines after several range sessions. The vast majority of my mags are OEM, but I also own a few MecGar mags (I avoid ProMag like the plague).

I put thousands of rounds through Glock mags during my law enforcement career, and also have high round counts through my XD/XDM magazines. Despite shooting for several decades, I have never actually worn-out a name brand handgun magazine. I frequently trained with my duty weapon during my enforcement career, but have only really been collecting firearms for the past 5-7 years. Given my habits, how long can I expect my magazines to last? Is the lifespan of a magazine affected more by usage, or the passage of time? I'd hate to waste money buying a lot of spares right now, just to have them break down during years of storage.
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Magazine springs don't wear out from being under constant pressure/compression. They wear out from being loaded and unloaded.
 
In my experience, the gun is as important as the mag when determining how long they last. An example, I have a MetroArms American Classic II in 45 that has never missed a beat for a couple thousand rounds. One day, it started having first round FTF. I replaced the mag it came with, with a new Mec-Gar and the FTF stopped immediately.

I took the problem mag and stuck it in a S&W 1911 and it works fine. The Metro has tighter fitment tolerances, that may have something to do with being more sensitive to the mag wear but as of right now, it will no longer function properly in that gun but will in others.
 
wmg1299 said:
The recent push for magazine capacity restrictions has me wondering if I should purchase a few more handgun magazines. I have always made sure to own at least 5 magazines for any handgun I own. For guns that I shoot frequently, or guns with really affordable magazines (i.e. Springfield XD or Glock), I often buy 10 or more magazines. I will normally keep 3 magazines loaded for my EDC, but I rotate these mags every few months to make sure that I'm not leaving any of the springs under constant pressure for prolonged periods of time. All of my other magazines are stored empty, and I clean most magazines after several range sessions. The vast majority of my mags are OEM, but I also own a few MecGar mags (I avoid ProMag like the plague).

I put thousands of rounds through Glock mags during my law enforcement career, and also have high round counts through my XD/XDM magazines. Despite shooting for several decades, I have never actually worn-out a name brand handgun magazine. I frequently trained with my duty weapon during my enforcement career, but have only really been collecting firearms for the past 5-7 years. Given my habits, how long can I expect my magazines to last? Is the lifespan of a magazine affected more by usage, or the passage of time? I'd hate to waste money buying a lot of spares right now, just to have them break down during years of storage.
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at least 2 ways to look at this...but more magazines to keep on hand, in case of another shortage

then when it comes time to sell the gun, you have more to offer for a higher resale.

i try to have at least 4 mags per gun.

if this insipid mag size limit passes in my state, i will only buy (maybe) 2 mags per gun, as the others (of higher capacity) could be allowed again, if the law is over turned.
 
How long they last is in you more times than not.

I have mags designated to have self defense ammo and other than original function testing (a few mags worth) don’t use them for range stuff.

My range mags have been long lasting for the most part. Had a couple floor plates break or feed lips get bent have some that are over a decade old and have some that lasted only a year with hard use.

Just my method
 
Dropping your mag on the floor during speed reloads will eventually do this:
IMG_1635.JPG
 
I have magazines that are more than 70 years old and they still work fine. The metallurgy of the springs has changed significantly over the years. Leaving a modern magazine loaded will not cause wear to the magazine springs, but repeatedly loading and unloading, or shooting the gun, will cause wear to the magazine springs and followers. I have a maintenance schedule on the guns I shoot a lot. I replace all the springs in the gun at 5,000 rounds, and the magazine springs at 10,000. I don't shoot that much any more so I am not overly concerned about the magazines wearing out.
 
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