A couple of questions from a newbie

[Desert Dude]

Hello. I'm new to USA Carry and Concealed Carry, but not to guns.

I have a Mil Spec 45 auto and a Glock 30. I plan to carry the Glock in a IWB holster. The Colt 45 auto will be in my vehicle. So, my questions are......

With the magazine fed weapons should I rotate mags from full to empty? How long is it safe to carry a mag full before spring damage happens?

With the Colt 45 auto I currently carry with one in the chamber and the hammer on 1/2 cock. Is there a better (safer) way to carry this weapon?

Since the Glock is an internal hammer double action I just keep one in the chamber. This seems safe as far as everything I have read.

Thanks in advance.

Desert Dude

[Rachkir]

Hello. I'm new to USA Carry and Concealed Carry, but not to guns.

I have a Mil Spec 45 auto and a Glock 30. I plan to carry the Glock in a IWB holster. The Colt 45 auto will be in my vehicle. So, my questions are......

With the magazine fed weapons should I rotate mags from full to empty? How long is it safe to carry a mag full before spring damage happens?

With the Colt 45 auto I currently carry with one in the chamber and the hammer on 1/2 cock. Is there a better (safer) way to carry this weapon?

Since the Glock is an internal hammer double action I just keep one in the chamber. This seems safe as far as everything I have read.

Thanks in advance.

Desert Dude

Mr. Desert Dude,

I carry a Taurus PT1911 IWB, one in the chamber, cocked with safty on. Safe, reliable. As one of my experiences that I talked about (see post in CC Discusion, subheading "Renting a car next to a methadone clinic), you need to be ready in an instant if you are confronted in a personal defense situation. You might not have time to pull the hammer back before you need to use it. As for your other questions, I dont know... but I'd love to hear the answer to them myself!!!

Welcome Mr. Desert Dude!

v/r
Rachkir

[kengrubb]

How long is it safe to carry a mag full before spring damage happens?

Consider replacing the factory mag springs with Wolff Springs.

[Ga9mm]

With the magazine fed weapons should I rotate mags from full to empty? How long is it safe to carry a mag full before spring damage happens?

I don't know the answer to that. Something that I've heard is that it's not a good idea to keep a magazine at full capacity. Having one less round in it puts less strain on the spring, therefore extending the life of it. I don't know how true that is, but it seems logical.

I clean my gun about once a week, mainly because I try to shoot that often. When I do, I completely unload both carry mags to wipe them down, too. Also, when I wanted to get faster at loading, I would load and unload mags over and over again while I was watching television. It got on my wife's nerves after a while, so that practice doesn't happen as often as it used to.

Look at it this way - if you practice a lot and shoot a lot, you'll never have to worry about it!!

[iamtheuglyamerican]

I have an old CZ 52 that was made in 1953 in Czechoslovakia that I once left a mag overloaded for over a year just to test this. 52 mags hold seven, but can be stuffed with one more smashing the spring down in the bottom and the mag wont lock in the well. It fired just fine, so I would imagine modern springs would be pretty reliable but most people will say not to do that and thats OK too. It is a good idea to practice as often as possible and I can shoot everyday living in a vey rural area in AR, but the facts are everyone can't. Ruger used to use the strength and longevity of their springs in ads way back in the eighties. I would bet that if you deloaded one round (as in one in the chamber) you would never have any trouble. Unload it completely whenever you clean your weapon and it will probably outlast the rest of the moving parts.

[6shootercarry]

Hello. I'm new to USA Carry and Concealed Carry, but not to guns.

I have a Mil Spec 45 auto and a Glock 30. I plan to carry the Glock in a IWB holster. The Colt 45 auto will be in my vehicle. So, my questions are......

With the magazine fed weapons should I rotate mags from full to empty? How long is it safe to carry a mag full before spring damage happens?

With the Colt 45 auto I currently carry with one in the chamber and the hammer on 1/2 cock. Is there a better (safer) way to carry this weapon?

Since the Glock is an internal hammer double action I just keep one in the chamber. This seems safe as far as everything I have read.

Thanks in advance.

Desert Dude

Always one in the chamber... Better to be ready...

As far as the mag springs, That's a question for the manufacturer. I rotate one full when I store it, just in case I need it quickly. I also have a pair of speed loaders ready for the revolver if need be in case I decide to unload both mags and give the springs a rest.

IWB Holster CroosBreed SuperTuck. Really comfortable and hides well...

Welcome to the site...

[Springer M-14]

I would not worry about spring fatigue unless you are shooting that pistol constantly. I have heard that it is the constant compression and decompression that causes spring wear. If it bothers you that much, I would replace the springs every year or so, even it just for peace of mind.

[Glock Fan]

The Glock mags should be ok if left fully loaded. Constantly loading and unloading them will do more damage than storing them fully loaded. I have several magazines for my Glocks, which I rotate on my trips to the range. I would recommend marking the magazines so you can tell them apart. It will help diagnose any possible failure to feed malfunctions with your magazine fed firearms.



gf

[Smokewagon]

I would not worry about spring fatigue unless you are shooting that pistol constantly. I have heard that it is the constant compression and decompression that causes spring wear. If it bothers you that much, I would replace the springs every year or so, even it just for peace of mind.

Totally agree with that. As for the carry method of the Colt .45, chambered round, fully cocked and locked. I have a pancake holster for mine with a thumb break retention strap that fits between the hammer and the back of the slide. Makes for just one more measure of safety.

[SpaceFrank]

Long term plastic deformation (creep) is not an issue with steel at room temperature. Cyclic loading (fatigue), on the other hand, can cause damage after many cycles (thousands or more), even if the load is under the elastic limit of the material. What this means in non-engineer-speak is that you can leave your mags loaded as long as you want. You'll do more damage to your springs in the long term by constantly loading and unloading them. Even so, it will probably take years to cause noticeable fatigue.