On a Mossberg 500, is keeping the tube full at all times bad for the spring? I've heard of several officers keeping a round less in their magazine to reduce tension on the spring, but (if that is true) does the same apply to shotguns?
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YAgunT: Is keeping the tube full a bad thing?
- Thread starter Fullmetal Chocobo
- Start date
Triumph
Lifer
I've heard conflicting reports. I've read about some guys having magazines loaded for years, when finally fired, no problems arose and the springs were just as springy as when new. On the other hand, materials tend to take a set after being in a position for extended periods of time, so I can see how springs would lose tension if they are kept compressed for long periods of time. So, I dunno.
No, there is no round in the chamber. I'm referring to keeping the shells in the tube where a pump of the shotgun will chamber a round.
The shotgun is for home defense, not hunting, so the plug has been removed. A sergeant just advised that due to the metallurgy of current springs, keeping them in compression isn't a problem--nothing like what it was in WWI, etc.
Well, that is something you can check easily on a regular basis. Every few months, cycle all of the rounds out. If it gets to the point that rounds won't cycle, buy a new spring. I would rather go through springs than leave a couple of rounds out of the tube and end up needing them.
Are you using 00 buck?
Are you using 00 buck?
DeadByDawn
Platinum Member
Most of what I've read indicate it should not be a problem. Springs are supposed to wear out by being loaded & unloaded more than staying compressed for a length of time.
Just what I've read.
Just what I've read.
fleshconsumed
Diamond Member
Somewhat related question. How easy it is to replace spring in a handgun magazine if it ever goes bad?
daniel1113
Diamond Member
It shouldn't be a problem. The compression isn't what wears out a spring, it's the the cycling between compressed and uncompressed states.
Of course, I wouldn't keep a home defense gun that I didn't practice with at least once a year.
Of course, I wouldn't keep a home defense gun that I didn't practice with at least once a year.
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
I'm married...my tube is always full.
It would depend on the magazine, but if the basepad is removeable, pretty damn easy. If the basepad is welded (like certain flush fit 1911 mags), it'd probably be a lot harder.
Springs only wear out when they expand and contract, so leaving it compressed doesn't wear it out. Personally, here is how I rotate my magazines on the semi-auto handguns. Each gun has a loaded mag full of hollowpoints. I load mine to about 80%, I personally also like to keep the spring from putting so much load on the top round after that first shot.
Every 5 trips to the range, I would rotate out that loaded magazine and load up the next one to sit in the safe loaded. Repeat every 5 trips to the range. I do this so the springs will wear roughly the same and eventually if I ever have to replace the springs, I'll do it all at once.
The shotgun, you should be function checking at least every few months anyway. I usually cycle through some rounds and check for things like rust on all my guns during that magazine rotation.
Although I'm sure some of you have much bigger collections than I.
#4 buckshot stays loaded at the house (due to close proximity of neighbors). Have #000, #00, #4, and slug stocked though.
shortylickens
No Lifer
On a quality gun like a Mossberg 500 this would not be a problem.
I have known guys to keep their home defense weapon loaded up for years and then one day just go out to the range with it.
All the shells fed properly, no issues.
I have known guys to keep their home defense weapon loaded up for years and then one day just go out to the range with it.
All the shells fed properly, no issues.
It's possible with heat. People, stupid people, do this with the springs on their cars as a cheap way to lower them.
You are absolutely right, but I think we're talking about elastic loading only. If putting shells in a tube or bullets in a magazine loaded the spring beyond the yield strength it would be kind of pointless.
Yeah, there's plenty of things you can do (like annealing) to metal to change the shape. I was just refuting Triumph's comment generalizing that all "materials" behave the same. When, in reality, metals are completely different than plastics and rubber that do take a "set" over a period of time.
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