I am just starting to shoot my slightly used WC 5” 1911. The gun came with a stack of used magazines. Some will cause slidelock and others will not.

So, I have been buying a bunch of new mags, all Wilson Combat. Mostly 8 rounders and 6-7 10 rounders.

My question for the collective is, after vetting the magazines, should I keep them fully loaded. The gun will not be used for carry. Steels and pins only. Or should I leave them empty and load up just before a match?

Thanks,
Mike

I vote for keeping them loaded. I dont think they will wear prematurely from it. its the compressing decompressing

Why? People will say keeping them loaded won't hurt them. Some will say it will.
You'll be hard pressed to find someone that says keeping them unloaded will hurt them.
So "why" as in... what's the upside?

always having a loaded mag available and easier loading are two I can think of

Seriously it makes no difference. Quality springs don't give a hoot. Eventually the number of cycles matters to springs but I seriously doubt that number is relevant to anyone on sigforum. What's more convenient for you? I like to load my competition mags at home rather than at a match, it reduces my stress level. But there is no practical difference here from the point of view of the mag.

I am in the camp of keeping a magazine loaded does zero harm to the spring in the magazine. Keeping a spring compressed does not harm it or weaken it.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Why? People will say keeping them loaded won't hurt them. Some will say it will.
You'll be hard pressed to find someone that says keeping them unloaded will hurt them.
So "why" as in... what's the upside?

I wouldn’t go quite so far as to say an empty magazine is as useless as an empty gun. However, when I go to the range I go to shoot, not to load magazines. For most pistols I have ishot magazine pouches (or CED’s knockoff ones after ishot went to selling only to .gov) which hold six double stack or 12 single stack mags. When I want to shoot whatever pistol I take the pouch or pouches for it. It isn’t uncommon to reload and shoot more than just the initial round of loaded magazines. When I get done, if the weather is pleasant and I’m not under time pressure I reload the mags before I leave. If not I reload them at home before I put the pouches away.

I once took custody (for safekeeping for the family) of a WWI 1911. A 1911, not an A1. Included was a WWI era magazine with lanyard loop, fully loaded with GI ball dated 1917. Which by all accounts was when it was loaded. I test fired it. Gun and ammo was fully functional. After about 68 to 70 years. Pretty evident that long term storage had no effect on the magazine.

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:
I wouldn’t go quite so far as to say an empty magazine is as useless as an empty gun...

Yea, but it's pretty darn close.

The consensus is in! I’ll keep them fully loaded. I keep every magazine for all of my other guns full.
It may have been a case of paralysis by analysis. I watched a ton of 1911 videos this week.
Hilton did mention, that in his experience, that 10 round mags do not last as long as 8 rounders.

Thanks, Guys.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I once took custody (for safekeeping for the family) of a WWI 1911. A 1911, not an A1. Included was a WWI era magazine with lanyard loop, fully loaded with GI ball dated 1917. Which by all accounts was when it was loaded. I test fired it. Gun and ammo was fully functional. After about 68 to 70 years. Pretty evident that long term storage had no effect on the magazine.

I have the opposite experience with a WWII 1911A1. The magazine springs had taken a set, although they could still barely feed the last few rounds.

For new production I don’t think you will have an issue. And if you’re going to defend your life with it, the cost of new magazines/springs is irrelevant. Buy extra springs, and if the ones in the magazines are significantly shorter than the unused ones during cleaning and inspection, swap them out.

had an old gunsmith at a shop I used to hang out a lot back in the 80’s told me when I bought my 1911 to leave one or two rounds out when I was going to store them for long very periods of time between use.
I’ve tried both full loaded and with 2 rounds down but haven’t had any issues either way but still follow his advice for guns I don’t shoot for years at a time

I no longer have a 1911 but the guns I keep loaded like an AR for example I will not pack in the last round that will fit so the springs don’t sit packed so tight forever.

If my AR magazine holds 30 I will load the mage with 28.