A Video on Spring Set

One concern that people often have with keeping magazines loaded for long periods of time is that of what is often termed spring set: where the spring will no longer expand to its original length, resulting in less power to push a bullet upward. Some people do not believe it is a problem; others maintain it is a problem only with low quality magazines and springs. I have seen it happen, albeit on a lower quality firearm, so I try to not keep magazines loaded for more than a month or two at a time.

In any event, the video below is from a gentleman that left several handgun magazines loaded for a period of several years, and a comparison with springs from magazines which were not left loaded. Although the difference may not seem much, there is a definite difference between the lengths of the springs that had been left compressed for several years, and the springs that were not left compressed.

Video: "Do magazine springs lose power when loaded for years?" from Shadetree Armorer.