thinkin this is an opinion... ??? but perhaps worth consideration... and please add your opinion... Video: Is It Okay To Store Magazines Loaded?
Not watching the video... to many pop ups...sorry...no patience for garbage sites. I might have a few pre-loaded mags.... or a whole bunch....don't know, but maybe.
Consider how long it'd take you to load six or seven 20 or 30 round magazines and how much racket you'd make dragging around and loading the empty mags. I have several that have been loaded for ten years or more. No question that they'll function perfectly. The only magazine design that I won't leave loaded is a Ruger factory 10/22 rotary magazine. I run way more than the recommended tension on the springs, and they seem to lose tension if left loaded.
Haven't watched the video yet, but I keep my defensive mags loaded all the time. An unloaded magazine is worthless when you need it. A couple considerations: Springs wear out out based on compression/decompression cycles. Uncompressed and compressed springs do not wear out. Feed lips are next. I have steel, aluminum, and polymer mags that have been stored for years and when they are periodically "tested" work just fine. I prefer polymer (PMags) as the feed lips will either fail or be perfectly perfect. Next are steel and finally aluminum in terms of potential for deformity malfunctions.
I always heard that leaving a magazine loaded would ruin it, but then I read an article ( I forget where) about a guy that found some pistol magazines from WW2 that still had period ammo in them (.45 ACP and 9mm). The ammo was collectable so he removed it and replaced it with modern ammo, and tested them....they both worked flawlessly! These magazines had been under constant compression for 60+ years, so that should put an end to that old wives'-tale!
As in all things, it depends. Spring type is the main part of this question. Do research before you buy and check others experience in reviews of a given manufacture.
Battlefield Vegas, a high volume machine gun rental range recommends Brownell's mags for durability. They would certainly get lots of compression and decompression cycles and feed lips would be well exercised and abused by the renters. AR endurance findings, at a rental range - "...USGI mags have outlasted all of the other brands. We use UGSI (Brownell’s with tan follower) and on a mag for mag basis, they have outlasted Pmags and a few of the other mags that we get from mfg’s with new weapons. We don’t have to worry about various generations with different weapons like the MR556, SCAR, F2000, Tavor or a couple of others that use AR15/M4 magazines. ..." Oh, and BTW AR receivers outlast AK's two to one based on number of rounds.
I have always kept loaded mags in storage, in fact, I have many for my most trusted platforms vac sealed in loaded mags, and more loose ammo vac sealed into battle bags for SHTF grab and go! I keep my harness and bandoleers loaded with pre loaded mags, and pouches with specialty loose ammo, and have never had issues! We used to get loaded mags that had been loaded and stored in the early 70's and they all worked just fine!
Same hear also !! I just use the thicker Vac seal bags for metal stuff . the Cabala's stuff is thin . Sloth
