Is it Okay to keep AK mags loaded?

[Cheimison]

Are there any known problems with keeping an AK magazine loaded indefinitly? Altough I intend to use this as a fun gun, there might (hopefully not) be a time when I have to use it to defend my home/self until I get a shotgun. Because of that I'd like to have a loaded magazine around, just in case.

And yes, I'm fully aware that an AK is a terrible choice for home defense, but that's exactly why I'm getting a shotgun later on.

[Admin]

A quality mag should be able to withstand fairly long periods of being loaded to
capacity.

[cd45]

I keep the my AK and AR 30 round mags loaded with 25 rounds. They should last forever. I still have plenty of ammo on tap for anything bad that happens.

[Kasatka]

I kepy an AK-74 mag loaded for about 6 months for defense purposes until I sold the gun recently. Never any issues with it.

[southernshooter]

Every mag I own is loaded to the max. They shoot just fine for me.

[lohki13]

Whats the point of having a gun if it's not loaded or ammo isnt ner by. We leave cheap sks mags loaded for long periods of time works fine.

[Red Neck64]

Cheimison,You can bye springs for your magazines that will not set when kept topped off,if your springs in your magazines do get week and set.

[Crpdeth]

Cheimison

Your mags will never get weak from being loaded, the act of loading and unloading them would actually do more harm.

Load 'em up and stack 'em high.

Crpdeth

[Red Neck64]

5. Should I unload my magazines, rotate magazines, load with fewer than the maximum rounds? How often should I change magazine springs?

Magazine springs in semi-auto pistols are one of the most critical springs and the subject of much debate and concern. Magazines which are kept fully loaded for long periods of time, such as law enforcement applications, will generally be subject to more fatigue than the weekend shooter's magazine springs which are loaded up only when shooting. Magazine design and capacity also affect the longevity of the spring. Older designs where maximum capacity was not the goal such as the 7 round 1911 Colt magazines will last for years fully loaded. There was a lot of room for a lot of spring which reduced the overall stress on the spring. In recent hi-capacity magazines, the magazines were designed to hold more rounds with less spring material. This puts more stress on the spring and will cause fatigue at a faster rate. Unloading these magazines a round or two will help the life of the spring. Rotating fully loaded magazines will also help the problem somewhat but is not always practical. In applications where the magazine must be kept loaded, a high quality magazine spring such as Wolff extra power magazine springs, will provide maximum life. Regular shooting will verify reliability and regular replacement of magazine springs will provide the best defense against failure from weak magazine springs.

[Red Neck64]

MAGAZINE SPRINGS for 30 round magazines. +5% Extra power magazine springs are available to restore feeding & reliabilty in magazines with weakened or worn springs.

[inplanotx]

Bottom line is if you buy cheap mags then worry about the springs later going bad. If you buy the good magazines you don't have to worry. I have .308 and .45 ACP mags loaded for years with no problems. Same with some AR mags.

[Red Neck64]

inplanotx,You wont get an argument out of me with your post.Trouble is many firearm manufacturers aren't going to spend extra money on quality springs,unless it's Mil-Spec order.Everything on Earth has a working lifespan and springs are no exception,many shooters never think of them just give the piece a bad reputation.


http://www.gunsprings.com/

[Crpdeth]

I have to concede to you on this one Red Neck and take my own advice in my signature...

"Everything on Earth has a working lifespan"...I like the truth in that, I shouldn't have said "Never"...The other side of the coin is, like you and Rick have stated, you should avoid "Junk Mags"...Not only are the springs most likely inferrior, but they (The junk mags) cause feeding problems as well causing the uneducated to spew untruths about the particular piece.

I only use Labelle mags for the AR and Wilson for the 1911 and I load 'em up and stack 'em high.

Crpdeth

[LIKTOSHOOT]

Everything has a working lifespan, including a banned member and thread over two years old. Guess some don`t have enough to do in their lives but talk to ghost, or rather argue with them............


LTS

[inplanotx]

Originally Posted by LIKTOSHOOT

Everything has a working lifespan, including a banned member and thread over two years old. Guess some don`t have enough to do in their lives but talk to ghost, or rather argue with them............


LTS

Hey LTS............................................
































BITE ME

[LIKTOSHOOT]

SAY>>>>>>>>>suck on this Finish 7.62x51 AK ya JARHEAD.......now why in the heck would anyone keep a AK mag loaded..........specially a real one in a major caliber???? Could it be gophers????


LOL


LTS

[inplanotx]

Here's to that piece of garbage ya got there.

Bite Me

Try one of these Herstal Belgiun FN-LAR's pre-68, no import marks grandfathered.

These are real guns! Yes, the mags are loaded, but the chambers are not. Got 4 more of them too!

Just for the record, I don't have an AK or SKS and won't have either! It's either 7.62x51 or greater!

[southernshooter]

I wish I had a safe deep enough to keep my loaded mags in the gun but O well Their close enough for comfort

[Crpdeth]

Originally Posted by Red Neck64

Well now look what I am facing,OH I can smell the blood 3 crosstown Texas whores ganging up for lack of payment.You bet this Yellow Dog Yankee met many of your kind in my life,hell I can't tell you boys the times I took your kind behind the barracks,buy the boileroom and had a talk with y'all you might say.Shoot I'll bet you 3 couldn't Waite to get to the keyboard to start your attack,and I tell ya I'll bet my 222 Remington phone calls where made for the preparation of the attack.And I could come back at you with a better play then BITE ME but this man ain't stooping to your intelligence level.

ROTF


Crp

[Crpdeth]

Originally Posted by southernshooter

I wish I had a safe deep enough to keep my loaded mags in the gun but O well Their close enough for comfort

Aye!

Crpdeth

[LIKTOSHOOT]

BTW......IPT, you should read above that the Valmet is powered by 7.62x51 as it has the rather large box mag.......looking much like the one slung under yours...........but in the bigger pictureMines quite-UR



LTS

[e3mrk]

I learned in Boot Camp not to keep them loaded for a extended period of time as it can weaken the spring.
If you want to keep one loaded at all times it would be a good idea to rotate them every so often.

[Mosin_Nagant_Fan]

An AK for home defense. XD I hope you can fix the holes you create from shooting the idiot who broke into your house and possibly your neighbors house, too. :P Remember, assault rifles are intended to drop large amounts of people with the lest amount of effort and the ammo is intended to penetrate light to heavy body armor and light to medium vehicle armor.

As for your question, springs are made of metal and if it's under constant pressure for extended periods of time, it'll become less reliable because of the laws of physics.

[berto64]

MNF,

There ya go again, bringin the law into the conversation. Hehehehehe.

[191145A1]

Always use new military mags in an AK.