"High capacity" magazine for Home Defense

[Excalibur]

So when I was putting my AR away, a thought occurred to me about what magazines I should use for home defense. Since my go to gun is my rifle, it has a 30 round mag attached but I thought about either getting another mag clamped to the one chambered. So then I had a thought about about higher capacity magazines like the Pmag40 or even the Surefire 60 round mag.

So the debate is...what mags do you have in your defensive gun at home be it a pistol or a rifle or a shotgun. Would you load up a higher capacity magazine first to provide more ammo and more shots between reloads?

 

[Who Dares Wins]

I never fill my magazines to full capacity and leave them for an extended time, as it can weaken the spring. I would put 13 rounds in a 15 round pistol magazine, etc or maybe 25 rounds in a P-Mag rather than the full 30. Just my 2c here.

 

[MontereyC6]

Fully compressed mags will not weaken the springs. Its the loading and unloading cycle that fatigues the spring.

 

[wolfman]

I never fill my magazines to full capacity and leave them for an extended time, as it can weaken the spring. I would put 13 rounds in a 15 round pistol magazine, etc or maybe 25 rounds in a P-Mag rather than the full 30. Just my 2c here.

It is cycling from compressed to expanded not being maintained in a compressed state that weakens springs. Load em to capacity and leave them as long as you want and it will not hurt them.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

You want the weapon to function. Magazine capacity is way, way down on the list.

 

[1911ly]

Springs go not go weak from being compressed. They go weak from being compressed multiple times over and over. I don't understand the mindset of not loading your mags to capacity. Load them up! Or your wasting your capacity!!!!

 

[VERT]

My AR is in the safe so not really a home defense gun. But there are 4 loaded Pmags next to it. Pmags are like $10-$15 each. A sure fire is considerably more. Buy a half dozen Pmags and load them up. Some people load AR mags to 28 rounds in order to facilitate seating the mag.

I am all about more capacity for home defense. I doubt you would need the reload. Not saying it cant happen but odds are against it. Best bet is to have all the onboard ammo you can get. Do not sacrifice reliability!

I keep my hi capacity 1911 fully loaded. 7+ 1

 

[jhparsons78]

I typically use a 30 rd PMAG, but got a good price in the 40 rounders on Saturday. Will consider using those after I shoot a few rounds through them.

 

[Sylvain]

If you need more than the standard normal capacity 30 rounds mag then you really have a big problem (not that a home invasion is not already a big problem).Im not sure that just having more ammo would be enough to solve that problem.

To me there are other things you can do to be more ready instead of adding more rounds to the gun (also adding more weight to it).
Like adding a light (if it's not already the case), a tourniquet attached on the stock, sling, getting more training, etc.

 

[Who Dares Wins]

Looks like I stand corrected. I swear I read this in a magazine once and have heard it at the local gun store, so it must have been true!

I am glad that you all are updating me. Do you leave your mags loaded for 3-4 months or more, say??

 

[VERT]

Mine have been loaded since????? I keep 30 rounds in them with the dust cover snapped on. I am sure they will work fine.

 

[Steeler]

Looks like I stand corrected. I swear I read this in a magazine once and have heard it at the local gun store, so it must have been true!

I am glad that you all are updating me. Do you leave your mags loaded for 3-4 months or more, say??

Yes, my mags stay fully loaded and have been for 3 or 4 years. Never had a problem.

 

[MontereyC6]

Looks like I stand corrected. I swear I read this in a magazine once and have heard it at the local gun store, so it must have been true!

I am glad that you all are updating me. Do you leave your mags loaded for 3-4 months or more, say??

No problem! That's one of the great parts of INGO. Ar mags stay loaded til the next range trip or class. Rounds in my carry guns get cycled every six months or so.

 

[Who Dares Wins]

I had some G22 spring issues at one time and it caused jams/failure to feed etc. Maybe it was the fact that they were old/fatigued rather than creep/relaxed....

I do buy the +10% Wolff springs now and they seem much better!

 

[Bennettjh]

My HD gun (pistol) has 17 rounds ready to roll.

The go-to AR has a full 30 round Pmag in it with two Pmags beside it.

 

[indiana36Bravo]

Yes, I keep my mags fully loaded, until they are fired, then reload till next time. Have not had any problems

 

[Who Dares Wins]

I live and learn! Sorry Excalibur! I didn't mean to hijack your thread!

 

[Excalibur]

It's ok. I go out on a job and I come back with this. It happens. If I was home earlier, I would have said springs don't get worn out from compressed but unloading and loading them wears them out. The mentality of weak springs came from the really older guns I think

 

[in625shooter]

So when I was putting my AR away, a thought occurred to me about what magazines I should use for home defense. Since my go to gun is my rifle, it has a 30 round mag attached but I thought about either getting another mag clamped to the one chambered. So then I had a thought about about higher capacity magazines like the Pmag40 or even the Surefire 60 round mag.

So the debate is...what mags do you have in your defensive gun at home be it a pistol or a rifle or a shotgun. Would you load up a higher capacity magazine first to provide more ammo and more shots between reloads?

I know from personal experience double stack mags on MP 5's and M4's change the balance in a not so good way. That is also a problem with anything over 30 round mags is they cause the gun to get past the point of being practical due to added wieght. Less is more at times. 20 round mags are pretty near the perfect size in less sticking down to get caught on things. Unless you are on a Cartels list somewhere you would probably be ok with 20 rounds but to each their own.

 

[calcot7]

Looks like I stand corrected. I swear I read this in a magazine once and have heard it at the local gun store, so it must have been true!

I am glad that you all are updating me. Do you leave your mags loaded for 3-4 months or more, say??

Yes more than years in my order of rotation. But I don't shoot as much as I used too.