[mike30188]

For years I've kept my pistol magazines filled to capacity -1 in an effort to prevent the spring from wearing out due to stress.

Here's the question: Do you guys think it's doing any good? I've always assumed I was increasing reliability as well as extending the life of the magazines.

 

[MistWolf]

Downloading does not affect spring life. As to whether or not it aids reliability, that depends on the magazine design.

Bottom line, you are responsible for determining what works for you

 

[Grunt67]

IMHO, magazine capacity is determined by the mfg after extensive
testing. Why try to reinvent the wheel. I've never encountered a problem in
this area. I've always loaded to the max & they rip right off. That one
extra round could be a life saver. Just saying........

 

[jonm61]

Stress on springs comes from use; being repeatedly compressed and decompressed. Springs do not get stressed from being fully compressed or fully decompressed. Load them up. Loading -1 won't matter either way.

 

[Lawrence]

100% correct.

 

[UniversalExports]

What JonM said: Cycling springs between compressed and uncompressed states is what causes fatigue. Continuous compression or continuous relaxation does not. I know that is counterintuitive, but there are documented cases on file of .45 Colt magazines being fully loaded for decades being taken out and operated without failure, just as good as the day they came out of the factory.

The only reason to offload a magazine by one (or two for double-stacks) is if the weapon proves unreliable with the magazine fully loaded, and even then those problems seem to go away with most guns after leaving the magazine fully loaded for a week or two.

 

[balance]

For years I've kept my pistol magazines filled to capacity -1 in an effort to prevent the spring from wearing out due to stress.

Here's the question: Do you guys think it's doing any good? I've always assumed I was increasing reliability as well as extending the life of the magazines.

You may be relieved to hear that when the P99 first came out, they used 16rd 9mm mags. Mec-Gar changed the design and lowered the round count by 1, so the 15rd mags are already -1 as they come from the factory.

I carry my PPQ 14+1.

 

[Lawrence]

You may be relieved to hear that when the P99 first came out, they used 16rd 9mm mags. Mec-Gar changed the design and lowered the round count by 1, so the 15rd mags are already -1 as they come from the factory.

I don't think that's the way it works. Sounded good though.