Welcome back to the 14th installment of my blog, in which I don’t claim to be an expert, in fact the opposite. I’m a new user to the AR platform and want to share my findings and experiences as I go through and build rifles as well as being the Operations Manager at Tyrant Designs.

 

To load or not to load. I'm fairly certain Shakespeare said that once...

Should you store magazines loaded or unloaded? Can I take the cheap and easy route and say both? Well I’m going to so deal with it. I have noticed that this is another one of the great gun debates. And like all great debates each side has its merits. I’ll get into both sides and give my final thoughts at the end. Ready? Well continue reading anyways.

 

What is a magazine?

 

A magazine quite simply puts the ammunition into your rifle automagically.They do this because they have a spring mechanism in them which feeds the cartridge into the chamber by the action of the firearm.

**IMPORTANT** If you call a magazine a clip, you will get laughed at, yelled at, your manly hood will surely be in question and you will probably spend the next 6 weeks in a corner of your bedroom lightly sobbing while listening to Nickelback on repeat.

 

Loaded Magazines

 

I touched upon home safety in my last post ( if you didn't read it, you really should). When it comes to being prepared it’s hard to imagine how one can respond quickly to a threat if they have to load a magazine first. Magazines, or mags for short (only cool kids say this), can be a great method for storing ammunition safely. I’ve heard of people storing fully loaded mags for over a year with no issues.

 

Unloaded

 

If your goal is to maximize the effective use lifespan of your mag then storing unloaded might be for you. A fully loaded mag places maximum tension and stress on the spring mechanism. Being under the constant tension may lead to wear and tear and may cause your firearm to malfunction. You want it to work when you need it.

 

Final Thoughts.

 

Why not do both? I think if you properly rotate your always loaded magazines you should see no issues with magazine malfunctions. With this technique you should also see an increase in the longevity of the magazine. There is no question you should always have a loaded magazine available. Its really straight forward because you don't have to pick a side. Simply keep some loaded, and the rest unloaded under the bed like everyone else. That way you always have your bases covered.

Intruders and nazi zombies aren’t just going to wait around for you to load your gun. Be prepared.

 

I’m curious as to what you guys do with your magazines? Leave a comment below.