Is it an old wives tail to exersise your springs.

[Stubob]

I have always heard that it is best to unload your magazines for your semi-auto pistols at least every month. I have also heard that it does not matter, and you should only do that once a year.

Well personally - if you are practicing it does not matter, I am asking regarding guns that are pre-positioned for quick access and may not get much use.

:?

Any suggestions?

[VegasGeorge]

I've also wondered about hammer springs. I keep my 1911 cocked and locked, so the hammer spring is always under tension. Of course, I do get out to shoot every few weeks. So the spring gets some exercise.

I have a couple of AMT 9mm Kurtz Backup pistols that I bought at least 20 years ago in California. I don't use them for anything these days. Frankly, I've been considering taking them down to the police station and simply surrendering them. Oh, the reason I'm mentioning them: I discovered a few months ago that one of them now has a weak hammer spring. It doesn't always strike hard enough to fire the gun. I was thinking that might have been the result of too many years sitting around cocked and locked. Of course, they are unloaded these days.

[DAN]

Vegas george, surrender your backups to me, I have a collection of AMT pistols, 7 of them. Shot the 45 hardballer for years and carried the backup in the 80s. I could use the backups for parts if nothing else. I will buy them from you and stop by and pick them up next time I go into Vegas.

Be advised springs do go bad, mag springs, trigger springs, hammer springs and recoil springs. I have replaced the springs in all 5 of my 45s over the years except for my Kimber. They never go bad. I rotate my magazines every week. that gives them a rest. But then again maybe it is a rumor and I am just old!!!

Thanks also for your dedication to this site!!
DAN

[DangerousDave]

Springs can deform over time and suffer a reduction in the amount of energy they are capable of storing.

I've replaced a couple of 1911 mags after the springs became too weak to reliably feed. They went after about 7 years of use that included being stored loaded and probably shooting 500 rounds a year.

My father had kept the mgazines on his Browning HiPower loaded with the same ammo for over 10 years w/o going shooting. When I got him to go to the range, at least one of the mags would not reliably feed the last couple rounds. These mags were original equipment and about 35 years old and had probably been stored loaded for much of that time with very infrequent shooting. I picked up new mags at a gun show and those solved the problem.

[Bill of Rights]

Dan, you beat me to it! But, as you have the collection and can use them, not to mention you called it first, you get "dibs". :)

Under no circumstance that I can think of would I just surrender a weapon I owned legally to the police to be destroyed-At the very least, I'd sell it SOMEwhere legally.

Cogito, ergo porto.

Blessings,
M

[VegasGeorge]

Dan, you've got a deal. The two AMT Backups are yours. I don't mind keeping them for you. Just let me know when and where you want to pick them up. In fact, if it will work out, we could have lunch somewhere when you're in town. As far as the price is concerned, whatever you think is fair will be fine with me. I'm sending you a PM with contact information.

[DAN]

Vegas G, Great! I will give you a call. St Michael, sorry bout that.
DAN

[nodaywithout]

If anyone wants to surrender a pistol let me know (unless it's stolen i don't want anything to do with that)

[CA CCWInstructor]

Metal has improved greatly in the last 30 years. I keep mags loaded for several years and they work fine. However for piece of mind, stretch them if you want.

[EBDPA]

Springs, my nature, will get tired when compressed. They are made of metal wire that wants to return to their natural state, straight. Whether you store them loaded or unloaded. Of course, under pressure, they weaken quicker.

I can't speak for all brands of firearms, but Glock's current advise is that you check the magazine springs when you clean your gun. On Glock's it is easy. Just slide the base plate off of the magazine. Hold the magazine upside down and if there is less than 2 and 1/2 coils showing above the rim of the case, then replace the magazine. Than includes now replaceing all old style Glock magazine springs that were designed to only have 1 and 1/2 coils above the case.


I shoot alot, so I check and clean my magazines about once a month. Your mileage may vary.