Topping up magazines

[Bearman202]

I don't know if this has been discussed before or not. I'm wondering just how many out there top up their magazines? I've always felt better getting to within two or so, but something I read recently said it was okay to fill them to the max, as the springs are better made and will withstand being under tension forever. Anybody know the truth on that? Oh, I also remember that when I entered the Air Force in 1974, they told us in basic not to put a full 20 rds in a mag. If you put in 19, it wouldn't jam as bad. That didn't help, of course. The very first round I shot out of that POS jammed the rifle. I know they're making them better now, and the ammo has better tolerances, but I don't know if it's smarter to top off the mag or leave a space. Anybody?

[Grand58742]

I load mine to the full 30, never has issues with feeding that couldn't be attributed to the plain fact of a bad magazine. Lots of times that I've seen feeding issues in AR mags specifically is because the feed lips are bent or the body has been loaded up for so long it becomes bulged. As long as the magazines are in good shape, you shouldn't have feeding problems.

[Lowdown3]

Ditto what Grand said.

Back before I was more "enlightened" and used that black rifle ;) all their was out was metal 30's, no fancy magpul stuff. If the feed lips were slightly deformed forgetaboutit.

I've had some AK mags long forgotten about, filled to 28 and 30 sitting on bookshelves next to windows since we moved here (1999). One of these trips to the range I'm gonna remember them and used them up. Probably have some tracers in them also. We have had some issues with that before LOL.

Quality military magazines usually hold up pretty good. Commercial aftermarket mags usually not so much.

One anomaly (sp) with the Circle 10 plastic Bulgarian AK mags people might want to be aware of. Loaded to 30 they are harder to insert and many times the bolt is harder to pull back. Definitely download them to 28 or 29. Metal $6. AK mags no problems in the same weapons. It's really just the Circle 10's in the Arsenals. Very tight (for AK) tolerances on the Arsenals.

As a course of habit our mags in chest rigs, etc. are rotated every couple months at a high note. We shoot and train with the same mags that are sitting ready to go all the time. This helps us know and constantly monitor which ones might be a problem (had some issues with Glock mags), mark them and either keep them just in the training bag, or get rid of them.

[rice paddy daddy]

I'm not a metalurgist, but I have gleaned from those that are that spring fatigue comes from being compressed/uncompressed over and over many times. Many, many times.
Just loading a magazine and leaving it full for fourty or fifty years probably won't bother a thing.
I mean, how many double barrel shotguns have been left in closets for decades with their firing pin springs compressed?

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Load them up. If they dont work either replace the springs or get rid of that junk. It works or it doesnt reside at this house

[onebigelf]

I'm not a metalurgist, but I have gleaned from those that are that spring fatigue comes from being compressed/uncompressed over and over many times. Many, many times.
Just loading a magazine and leaving it full for fourty or fifty years probably won't bother a thing.
I mean, how many double barrel shotguns have been left in closets for decades with their firing pin springs compressed?

I am. You're correct. Spring fatigue is from hundreds of thousands of cycles. What can happen, however, is fatigue of the feed lips from the pressure of the rounds on the underside. Downloading a few rounds dramatically reduces that pressure. Probably not an issue on big, robust AK mags. Those skinny aluminum lips on the AR mags?

John