Feedback Magazine springs under pressure (Weak or not)

[Striker777]

I was a believer that mag springs do weaken but..... how much do they.
I recently went to a senior community for a large garage sale I found in a tool box 2 m16 lebel (manufactured I think okay industries bought them out back in the day) 20 rounders filled with blanks she was a widower and said she had no idea what they were so I bought them 5 bucks took them out and the mags ran flawlessly and I still use them with no issues.
I would imagine there is some weakness over time these looked to be by condition not of been handled in a very long time severely tarnished she did tell me he served in the Korean war and after. Opinions welcomed.

 

[Hit Factor]

I recently went to a senior community for a large garage sale I found in a tool box 2 m16 lebel (manufactured I think okay industries bought them out back in the day) 20 rounders filled with blanks she was a widower and said she had no idea what they were so I bought them 5 bucks took them out and the mags ran flawlessly and I still use them with no issues.
I would imagine there is some weakness over time these looked to be by condition not of been handled in a very long time severely tarnished she did tell me he served in the Korean war and after. Opinions welcomed.

Senior community . . . widow of a Korean War vet . . . said she had no idea what they were . . . so you gave her 5 bucks?

Do you really want our opinions of this?

 

[USMC06RET]

I was a believer that mag springs do weaken but..... how much do they.
I recently went to a senior community for a large garage sale I found in a tool box 2 m16 lebel (manufactured I think okay industries bought them out back in the day) 20 rounders filled with blanks she was a widower and said she had no idea what they were so I bought them 5 bucks took them out and the mags ran flawlessly and I still use them with no issues.
I would imagine there is some weakness over time these looked to be by condition not of been handled in a very long time severely tarnished she did tell me he served in the Korean war and after. Opinions welcomed.

The M16 first went into production in 1964 so, not the Korean war.

Factors such as temperature, humidity, corrosion as well as repeatedly compressing and releasing the spring will weaken a spring much more than simply having the spring compressed to it's design limits. If those mags saw service in South East Asia, I would see if I could open them and examine the springs for corrosion.

If they are USGI mags they are most likely 20 or 30 round capacity and you will have to decide what if anything you want to do about that. As for the $5, that's what garage sales are all about. If you hadn't purchased them it's likely they would have gone in the trash and what a shame that would have been!

 

[Striker777]

Senior community . . . widow of a Korean War vet . . . said she had no idea what they were . . . so you gave her 5 bucks?

Do you really want our opinions of this?

Wow you are totally missing the point read it again... do mag spring steel weaken over time period. the question was not how I obtained them or what someones knowledge is about mags because he had these does not mean they where from the Korean war that was 4 years later he was a vet and was still in the military after the Korean war.

Does this mean he was not around to see the m16 developed or was not still in the military? Always someone out there ready to slam someone.

 

[sonofeugene]

No. They do not weaken over time when fully loaded. That’s an old wives tale.

I have magazines that were loaded for over 100 years. They work as new.

 

[NASAcollector]

I have USGI M16 mags that were loaded since the late 70's that work flawlessly. Same with 60's USGI M14 mags, G3 mags, FN FAL and most others. I read years ago that the spring tension isn't degraded with the length of time it's been loaded, but the number of cycles it's gone through.

 

[sonofeugene]

And the vast majority of that degradation happens the first time the spring is compressed.

 

[Striker777]

The M16 first went into production in 1964 so, not the Korean war.

Factors such as temperature, humidity, corrosion as well as repeatedly compressing and releasing the spring will weaken a spring much more than simply having the spring compressed to it's design limits. If those mags saw service in South East Asia, I would see if I could open them and examine the springs for corrosion.

If they are USGI mags they are most likely 20 or 30 round capacity and you will have to decide what if anything you want to do about that. As for the $5, that's what garage sales are all about. If you hadn't purchased them it's likely they would have gone in the trash and what a shame that would have been!

No. They do not weaken over time when fully loaded. That’s an old wives tale.

I have magazines that were loaded for over 100 years. They work as new.

And the vast majority of that degradation happens the first time the spring is compressed.

Thanks just wanted someone else's opinion on this.

 

[AR15barrels]

I was a believer that mag springs do weaken but..... how much do they.
I recently went to a senior community for a large garage sale I found in a tool box 2 m16 lebel (manufactured I think okay industries bought them out back in the day) 20 rounders filled with blanks she was a widower and said she had no idea what they were so I bought them 5 bucks took them out and the mags ran flawlessly and I still use them with no issues.
I would imagine there is some weakness over time these looked to be by condition not of been handled in a very long time severely tarnished she did tell me he served in the Korean war and after. Opinions welcomed.

Springs do NOT weaken over TIME.
Springs weaken from cycling.

So load a mag 50 years ago and leave it in a footlocker and the spring will be the same in 50 years.
Take that same mag and load and unload it once every day for 10-20 years and it will be worn out.