Monday, February 20, 2023

Ammunition and magazines are worthless unless they're ready for use

 

Following my article last week on the imperative need to move out of "blue" big cities right away, I had several e-mail exchanges with readers.  Some said they were planning to move as soon as it was practicable for them.  Others said they couldn't move, for one reason or another, but they were buying more ammunition and supplies in preparation for whatever might be coming.

I asked a number of them how they stored their ammunition, thinking more in terms of how to keep it secure from thieves and looters.  Some of my correspondents said they were stashing it in odd corners, or hiding it in the bottom of boxes filled with other contents and labeled as such (e.g. "bedding" or "books"), in the hope that anyone looking for it would glance inside, but not waste time looking more deeply.  That's all well and good.  However, most of them also said they stored their ammunition in the boxes in which it came.

Friends, that's entirely the wrong perspective.  If you want to store ammunition, it's because you think you might need it one day.  If you need it in a hurry, you won't have time to load it into magazines before use.  Mobs, looters or home invaders won't give you that opportunity.  You need to have it ready for use right away, just in case.  Nobody ever survived a criminal encounter and thought, "Darn - I had way too much ammunition!"

Look at it this way.  You plan to use that ammunition sooner or later, right?  Then why not keep it ready for use?  You can grab a few boxes of ammo to go to the shooting range, or you can grab a number of loaded magazines and do the same.  The latter has the advantage that you won't have to waste so much time at the range reloading magazines before continuing your shooting session.  (When you're paying by the hour, range time can get very expensive, so why waste it by reloading mags?)

Some argue that you'll end up with a lot of empty magazines that'll have to be reloaded anyway.  Well, yes, you will;  but you can do that at your leisure, in your own free time.  I can watch a TV show while thumbing rounds into magazines without even looking at them, or use an Maglula loader to do the same thing.  The motions become automatic.  If I take several evenings to reload my magazines, a couple at a time, I've lost nothing that way, and I've used all my expensive time at the range for the reason I paid for it - shooting.

There's another reason to keep your magazines loaded.  If we hit a true SHTF situation and you have to evacuate, it's much easier to pack loaded magazines that are ready for any emergency.  Similarly, if you may need to arm your family and friends to deal with the situation, you can simply hand out loaded mags.  Saving that much time might save your life one day.

As we've discussed in the past, I recommend minimum magazine levels for every firearm.  For every defensive pistol, I suggest at least 5 loaded magazines;  for every defensive rifle, at least 5, and preferably the same as an infantryman's basic load.  In the US Army, infantrymen using the M4/M16 carry 7 magazines on their body plus 1 in the gun, for a total of 8 30-round magazines, or 240 ready-to-use cartridges.  That's a reasonable minimum figure for civilians too, IMHO.  Important note:  test every magazine, just in case.  Fill it, take it to the range, and shoot with it.  If any problems are encountered, fix or replace it - don't trust your life to it.

For longer-term storage, I download my magazines to reduce stress on the spring (a habit I acquired in the military back in the 1970's, one which I see no reason to change, despite all the discussion about it not being necessary).  In a 20- or 30-round magazine, I load 18 or 28 rounds;  in a magazine with fewer than 20, I download by one or two rounds, depending on the magazine in question.  In my experience, quality magazines can stay loaded for years like that without the spring losing its tension and "taking a set".  Cheaper springs may not be as flexible, so I tend to avoid them.  I also make sure to keep spare springs on hand, so that if any magazine has issues during loading, I can replace the spring to see if that fixes the problem.

Another recommendation:  if you rely on military surplus magazines for your AR-15, as some shooters do, bear in mind that they were supplied by the lowest bidder.  That supplier may not have used the best or most reliable components.  Therefore, it's a good idea to rebuild such magazines using higher-quality components.  The shell is usually OK, provided the lips haven't been bent.  Check them using a gauge, and if they don't pass muster, repair them or throw away that magazine.  If they pass, good, but the magazine's innards could still stand some improvement.  For example, I replace the follower with a Magpul anti-tilt unit (in yellow, so my magazines can easily be identified from a distance), plus a new, more powerful spring and (if necessary) a better-fitting floor plate.  I have dozens of such magazines, and so far they've never given me a problem.  I think the upgrades are worthwhile.

You can do the same for some pistol magazines.  Glock, for instance, has been through several generations of follower design.  Find out the latest generation number for your magazines, and replace the followers when you replace the springs.

Finally, check your magazines.  I recommend at least once per year;  others prefer more or less often.  I disassemble it, blow out any dirt or debris that's gotten inside, and (if necessary) use a silicon lubricant, applied sparingly, to reduce internal friction, before I reassemble and reload it.

Peter


25 comments:

  1. Great Advice.
    Now do Revolvers and Lever Action Rifles.
    Thanks.

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  2. Agreed.
    Most of my ammo is NOT in magazines, but that's because I have a LOT of ammunition. But I do have at least 4 or 5 magazines loaded for each firearm, as well as a loaded mag in each weapon itself (I live alone, so no safety issues). And for the rifles that I have not stored in the gun safe, but close to where I spend time in the home, I try to keep a bandolier or mag carrier with full mags with the weapon, just in case I need to move quickly. I don't want to have to go open a gun safe to access the loaded mags.

    The only thing I don't have magazines for are my shotguns, but I keep their tubes loaded and boxes of rounds nearby, if they don't have a shell carrier mounted.

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  3. +1. All good advice. A few points to add--

    Magpul magazine dust covers are great for storing loaded magazines. Snapped in place, they depress the cartridge column slightly and take the pressure off the feed lips. Note: The Gen II and Gen III dust covers do NOT interchange.

    Surplus GI cloth bandoleers are a cheap and handy way to keep loaded magazines at the ready, as in ready to step out on the porch RIGHT NOW if need be.

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  4. RE: AR or AK mags - try the MagPump (www.magpump.com). The major online retailers - MidwayUSA, Brownells, et al have them for about $99 - and they pop up on sale occasionally. I got a couple for $89 each on sale (the Pro version is $199, I figured 2X $89 was a better bet, two is one, etc). Snap in a mag, dump ammo in the hopper, work the lever, full 30-round mags in about 35 seconds. They have a 9MM version, never tried it so I know nothing about it.

    Few years back I picked up a few "shoulder mag bags" at a gun show that hold 6X 5.56 30s and a couple that hold 6X 7.62 20s. Not as fast as a chest rig, but throw it over your shoulder and go.

    Pro Tip: Store all your Not-Ready-To-Use guns with empty mags so that if you have to "grab 'n' go" you'll have at least one magazine with the gun. Because 30-rounders take up a lot of space, I bought 10-round PMags for the ARs, so they all come out of "the storage cabinet" with an empty but functional magazine.

    A "Grab 'N' Go" gun bag is very useful - 2-4 full and 2-4 empty mags for whatever carry guns you may find yourself running out the door with, a couple boxes of that ammo, some cleaning tools, a couple small oil bottles (anyone in the family use eye drops? Save the bottles, clean and dry them and refill with gun oil), some repair tools, etc. Don't get carried away, think "168 hour INCH bag." A shoulder bag works well for this, think "WWII musette bag."

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  5. Number your mags. If you don't you will never figure out which one puked

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  6. Time for a bit of honesty.
    The thugs will indeed run from gunfire.
    They'll be back in the dark of the night with molotov cocktails and burn your house down.
    The fascists at anti-fa have shown the way to deal with defense by gunfire alone.
    As any soldier knows, static defense is a loser's game and the only way to beat it is to patrol and burn down the bad guys first.
    You make a little desert and call it peace.

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  7. Revolvers have a second one aka NYC reload. Then you have the option to disable your empty for a speed loader.

    Shotguns, lever guns side saddle carrier.

    Both cases shoot when you have a target not blast the bushes like we did in Afghanistan. You don't have a helicopter to bring in more ammo, replacement troops and take out your wounded.

    I've a neighbor that tops off from the side saddle during our cowboy shooting. He keeps loose rounds to top off side saddle. He's pretty good at it never taking eyes of the target zone.

    If it's antifa and you've gotten warning from others, it's L shaped ambush time. Prone shooters vs a group isn't "Fair" LOL.

    As they taught me in the military if it's a Fair fight your tactics suck.

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  8. For pistols, you’d end up needing to reload the magazines anyway, wouldn’t you? Hollow point to target?

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    Replies
    1. My question too. I keep half loaded with hollow points and half empty for the range. I guess I could load the other half with round nose but not sure it would be a great choice even in an emergency. Open to suggestions.

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  9. I have a bandoleer of loaded mags for each of my primaries.
    I have a ready case of 308, in which I have 5 round stripper clips, loaded 2 into a cardboard sleeve and put into a standard issue cloth bandoleer. I can fit about three bandoleers into 30 cal can, and I can fit 3 of those cans into a wooden crate.
    My 7.62x39 does not have nearl6y as good a system for it, but I have several loaded mags in purpose built mag carriers and bunches of loose rounds in standard metal ammo cans to reload mags from (that's just the way I have the most practice doing it).
    I still haven't figured out a good way for the 556, as the 10 round stripper clips in the cloth bandoleers just don't fit as well into the standard 30 cal cans.
    But I'll get that figured out eventually. It's not like I have a bunch of 556 or rifles for it.
    Yet.

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  10. And as Anony said, I number all my mags and put my glyph on them so that I know which ones are mine at the range and which mag starts giving me trouble. And the ones that give too much trouble get painted orange or blue and used for realoading drills.

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  11. Don't forget to check your state laws when going to the range; some states consider loaded magazines a loaded weapon (or did not long ago) and ban or restrict their transport.
    Jonathan

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  12. Hey Peter;

    A few years ago, Academy had plastic cans that you could stack loaded AR type magazines in little foam inserts ready to pull out. I have a couple of those in my safe with loaded magazines. I haven't figured out a fast way to load an 870 yet, LOL

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  13. For nearly the price of a rebuild for surplus mags you can get new MagPul mags....and they will last longer and work better.

    The difference in cost is minimal, especially if you watch for sales on the MagPuls.

    Plus the top clips on the magpuls prevent fatigue on the feed lips, so you can essentially store them loaded forever without an issue.

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  14. Your spring reference about "taking a set" from the manufacturer of springs is right about the fact that a spring will change if you exceed the elastic limit. If you don't exceed the elastic limit, it won't change. (This is exactly why it is called "the elastic limit".) This is one of the most persistent and tiresome stories gun people repeat without understanding. But it sells a lot of springs, and more power to the people who buy them and sell them, and people are welcome to believe that changing springs every so often is worthwhile. Note that even the manufacturer doesn't repeat the assertion that a spring will change over a long time under compression. To repeat: If you don't exceed the elastic limit, it will not change.

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  15. @libertyman: You're correct with regard to properly manufactured springs using high-quality material. However, many of us who served during the 1960-1990 timeframe will be able to tell you horror stories about magazine springs that just plumb "wore out" under stress. There were also cases when fully loaded magazines were under so much pressure that the top round rubbed against the bolt carrier, preventing it from cycling smoothly or fully, or the magazine lips deformed over time. We were told by our instructors to download by a couple of rounds to prevent such issues, and it worked. We've stayed with that advice, and I don't regret it. Call me an old fart if you will.

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    Replies
    1. Not at all, sir. I grant that current metallurgy allows for a magazine spring to survive being compressed to maximum capacity. Who's willing to bet his life that the mags he scored from Saigon Sam's Army Surplus are modern? Not me - I'll remember what my Gunny said and download them by a roundor two, just on the off chance...

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  16. Thank you for your advice on this subject. It makes a lot of sense. This also is an opportunity to keep a few lower capacity magazines with specialty ammunition loaded for certain situations. A few of these magazines in designated spots in your bags would useful.

    Not a happy subject but as you said, far better to be prepared for this possibility, especially if you live in or near the urban environments, where unprepared or criminal elements exist.

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  17. I have a couple of pistols with 4 to 6 magazines at the ready. They are there to get me to my rifles. Those rifles have more ammo in magazines and clips available than what an infantryman carried on patrol in a war zone.

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  18. As for shotguns, look at 3 gun competitions. They use tubes filled with shells that are used to load much faster than your thumb.

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  19. How much you have loaded should match your plan - and what is that? Are you planning to shelter in place or bug out? I'm not planning on being a refugee (at least to start) , so there is no way I'm going to load ALL of my ammo into mags. I couldn't take it all with me anyways. I have enough stuff ready to get through a decent fight, at which time, assuming I and my family are still alive, will reassess our needs.

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  20. Going to the range with ALL magazines fully loaded with LIVE rounds is not the best option. The purpose of going to the range is to develop skills. The most important one is developing good trigger press, what Jeff Cooper called the "compressed surprise break." One of the best ways to develop a good trigger press during range sessions is with skip loading as taught by Larry Mudgett. If you don't know who Larry Mudgett is do a search on his name. He has probably forgotten more about training gunfighters than most firearm instructors know. Skip loading involves loading magazines with a mix of dummy and live rounds. Beginners start with mostly dummies with a couple of live rounds mixed in randomly so the shooter doesn't know when the trigger is pressed whether it is a dummy or live. With a dummy in the chamber and good trigger press, the muzzle will hardly move. With a poor press the muzzle will move significantly. This allows a coach and student to immediately see how good the trigger press was. As shooter skills improve the number of live rounds in the magazine is increased. Properly done skip loading also trains shooters to clear failure to fire malfunctions. Larry developed this from the old revolver drill to improve trigger control by loading one or two live rounds and leaving empty cases in the rest of the cylinder. The shooter would then spin the cylinder, close it without looking, aim at a target, and press the trigger.

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  21. Don't forget a way to carry your mags...

    Botach's KZ active shooter bag is a handy piece of kit, especially at its sub $30 price, and functions as both a mag bandolier or hasty chest rig. UW gear makes something similar for much more $, prob others do too.

    Similar bargain priced to KZ above, LA police gear bailout bag is also good, but I much prefer the surplus british army ammunition grab bag but both hard to find and quite a bit more $.
    Bag allows for both mags and tools and cleaning and any spare parts as well as extra eyes and ears... Bandoliers/chest rigs, you're working w/ less.

    And there are several chest rig options too, both budget and more expensive...

    Ideally at least something for every gun you can place on a shelf or hang on a hook and quickly grab and go -- and also then mount or hang off your body not impeding use of weapon, hence the suggestions above.

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