magazine springs

How often do you guys switch magazines for your CCW and/or nightstand gun. On my boat we have to keep our security watches manned 24/7/365 and the magazines get switched out once a week. however, the springs are so weak now I doubt it would feed more than one or two rounds before I had a ftf if, God forbid, I should ever have to use it. I don't want the same happening to my own weapons. I figure I can switch weapon to weapon once a week, 12 ga, PPK/S, P22 switching magazines for the pistols. Maybe I should just get a wheelgun.

Magazines will not wear out that quickly. The magazines were faulty to start with.

They way I understand it (and someone please correct me if I am wrong) is that compression and decompression of the mag spring is what causes it to wear out. Leaving the spring compressed with the mag loaded will not cause the spring to wear out. So if you had a mag or two loaded with a home defense load, and it was just sitting in your gun or night stand, I wouldn't see the need to change out the mags that often.

Gun mags are made to be loaded with ammo. Get quality mags, and test them ever so often, rotate them out once and a while. I have had one loaded for about 2 years (except when I test it) and it works every time.

I presume that at "work" your watch sidearm is a Berreta 92. Consider a Taurus PT92 for your nightstand duty. It is the same design with the saftey on the frame. The saftey is also a decocker. It has a built-in key lock if you need to use it. (I don't) The magazine capacity is 17 rounds. If you load it a few rounds shy, the mag spring won't be so stressed. So I was told. A new PT 92 can be had for under $400. It will come with 2 mags.
Because of the design, it is capable of "Condition One" carry if you so desire.
They are also available in 40 S&W (PT 100/ 101) although the mag capacity is reduced to 11 + 1.
Thanks for your service, from an ex Navy man. (I was a sonar tech during the 60s on a Destroyer.)
P.S. My nightstand gun is my revolver.

If you are issued the common Check-Mate magazines, I am not surprised they are worn out. They are total POSs, suck to start with and wear out quickly. I had my wife send me OEM Beretta mags to carry here in theater. I'll give them away to someone I like when I leave.

Todd is correct that it is not compression that wears out springs, but rather compression AND decompression - loading and unloading. It would better just to leave the mags loaded.

I shoot my carry ammo every time I go to the range back in the World, so I rotate my mags at least every two weeks. I have a lot of Glock mags.

Try to find some good mags. The good ones are easy to spot - they have a thick, angled baseplate, unlike the flat baseplates of the Check-Mate garbage.

Ive already talked to the torpedoman chief (guy in charge of small arms) about this issue, but he says he'll try to get some new magazines. A few of ours are factory made in Italy with the thick baseplate, and they seem to be a little better. The checkmate ones do suck. Drummin man, I do like the M9 pistol, and I probably will own one some day, however, I don't think it will be anytime soon, I like my PPK/S just fine. Next up is a P99 or 1911. Just concerned about my personal weapons and their reliability.

Just FYI, if you need to order some new mags, the NSN is 1005-01-204-4376. The system doesn't differentiate between manufacturers, however. The last time I ordered M9 mags, about two months ago, I got 48 Check-Mate pieces of garbage. I had to issue them to the guys with a warning to only load ten rounds in them, cutting their capacity by a full third. I hated issuing them, but it was that or nothing.

How I love working in a low-bidder Army!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike Barham at Galco

Just FYI, if you need to order some new mags, the NSN is 1005-01-204-4376.

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thanks man, I appreciate it.

Mike and Todd, Thanks for straightening me out about the spring wear. I'm still brand new to semi-autos, and I'm still trying to get the hang of them (it).
The crew at TaurusArmed.net said the same thing about compression/ de-compression being the cause.