This is kind of a novice question, but can I keep the clip loaded pretty much all the time, or will that wear out the spring in the clip? The gun is a Hi-Point 995 carbine, which uses a regular pistol type clip.
Stupid question...keeping the clip loaded
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Keep the mag loaded. You will be fine.
Whenever you field strip and clean the weapon it's not a bad idea to wipe down the mag, unload/check the ammo, and check spring tension.
Whenever you field strip and clean the weapon it's not a bad idea to wipe down the mag, unload/check the ammo, and check spring tension.
The spring will compress. I loaded a 10/22 clip a long time ago, and we tried to get it to fire, but the bullets wouldn't come out of the clip. Pistol clips with small capacity may be different though.
For the sake of clarity, can we please only use the words "clip" and "bullet" when you mean "clip and "bullet". I believe the OP means magazine when the word clip is used. And when Shaman said, "but the bullets wouldn't come out of the clip", what was really meant was, "but the cartridges wouldn't come out of the magazine."
Sorry for being so anal, but this will help all posters have a clearer understanding of what's being said.
Sorry for being so anal, but this will help all posters have a clearer understanding of what's being said.
I keep my HI-Point clips loaded all the time, no problems in nearly 8 years...
Probably depends more upon the quality of the metal the spring's made of, and by extension the quality and price of the firearm. I'm in the camp that maintains at least several loaded firearms at any given time. Haven't had any problems to date. Anecdotal evidence for sure, but seems to make sense to me.
Steve
PS Periodic maintenance cannot be forgotten with a semi auto pistol.
Steve
PS Periodic maintenance cannot be forgotten with a semi auto pistol.
Google the studies done on how keeping mags loaded has NO effect on feeding reliability. It is the constant unloading and reloading or flexing of the spring over time that weakens it. One study noted 50 year old loaded magazines that were used and had no problems. I am a senior member at a major firearms forum and fellow board members keep magazines loaded as common practice (an empty magazine is worthless) with ZERO problems.
And the term should be "magazine" not "clip". The two are not the same. The diference between a clip and a magazine. A magazine is a mechanism, removable or internal that holds bullets or shells and pushes them into the action with a spring. A clip is a thin strip of metal that holds bullets and assists in loading magazines. They usually hold 5 or 10 depending on the caliber and are placed on the top of a magazine and the bullets pushed down so you can load 5-10 in the time it would take to load 1 round regualarly. Some guns such as Mosin-Nagant's, M1903 Springfields, Lee-Einfields, SKS's, and K98's are loaded primarily by a single clip. Weapons with detachable magazines such as M16's and AK47's use clips to quickly load the magazines and to organize ammo (soldiers often carry a bandolier of a couple hundred rounds loaded on stripper clips so they can quickly load their mags during lulls in the fighting.
A "clip" http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ARR037-36.html
A "magazine" http://glockstore.com/pgroup_descrip/336...nes/?return=%3f
And the term should be "magazine" not "clip". The two are not the same. The diference between a clip and a magazine. A magazine is a mechanism, removable or internal that holds bullets or shells and pushes them into the action with a spring. A clip is a thin strip of metal that holds bullets and assists in loading magazines. They usually hold 5 or 10 depending on the caliber and are placed on the top of a magazine and the bullets pushed down so you can load 5-10 in the time it would take to load 1 round regualarly. Some guns such as Mosin-Nagant's, M1903 Springfields, Lee-Einfields, SKS's, and K98's are loaded primarily by a single clip. Weapons with detachable magazines such as M16's and AK47's use clips to quickly load the magazines and to organize ammo (soldiers often carry a bandolier of a couple hundred rounds loaded on stripper clips so they can quickly load their mags during lulls in the fighting.
A "clip" http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ARR037-36.html
A "magazine" http://glockstore.com/pgroup_descrip/336...nes/?return=%3f
One of the more common reasons for the spring in a magazine to "take a set" is if the spring wire gets weakened by rust. Or if it's just a [censored] spring.
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
One of the more common reasons for the spring in a magazine to "take a set" is if the spring wire gets weakened by rust. Or if it's just a [censored] spring.
My go to SHTF AR-15 mags have chrome silicon springs in them. Range mags have standard springs. My carbine action buffer in my AR is also C/S.
Besides, it is my standard practice to disassemble and clean all magazines and wipe down the internal and springs with a light coating of CLP.
One of the more common reasons for the spring in a magazine to "take a set" is if the spring wire gets weakened by rust. Or if it's just a [censored] spring.
My go to SHTF AR-15 mags have chrome silicon springs in them. Range mags have standard springs. My carbine action buffer in my AR is also C/S.
Besides, it is my standard practice to disassemble and clean all magazines and wipe down the internal and springs with a light coating of CLP.
And while we are on this subject, my own personal rule is to never load a high cap mag fully. For my 30 round AR mags, I load 28, for my 20 rounders, 18, and so on.
If the spring is not plastically deformed (bent) it will not loose "tension" over time or in fact if it is steel, it can't loose tension.
As someone mentioned though, if the spring has cracks or other weaknesses like rust in the metal, they may get bigger when exposed to tension. In that case the mag may fail. On the other hand, if damaged, it will fail anyways.
With detachable mags, always keep two. Otherwise the one you have will fail or you will loose is. Murphy's law.
As someone mentioned though, if the spring has cracks or other weaknesses like rust in the metal, they may get bigger when exposed to tension. In that case the mag may fail. On the other hand, if damaged, it will fail anyways.
With detachable mags, always keep two. Otherwise the one you have will fail or you will loose is. Murphy's law.
Originally Posted By: Yuk
For the sake of clarity, can we please only use the words "clip" and "bullet" when you mean "clip and "bullet". I believe the OP means magazine when the word clip is used. And when Shaman said, "but the bullets wouldn't come out of the clip", what was really meant was, "but the cartridges wouldn't come out of the magazine."
Sorry for being so anal, but this will help all posters have a clearer understanding of what's being said.
I've never seen clips for any of the firearms mentioned. lots of magazines available though.
For the sake of clarity, can we please only use the words "clip" and "bullet" when you mean "clip and "bullet". I believe the OP means magazine when the word clip is used. And when Shaman said, "but the bullets wouldn't come out of the clip", what was really meant was, "but the cartridges wouldn't come out of the magazine."
Sorry for being so anal, but this will help all posters have a clearer understanding of what's being said.
I've never seen clips for any of the firearms mentioned. lots of magazines available though.
I only keep 7 out of 8 in my 1911. And since its not condition '1' I am missing 2 bullets. But if 7 isn't enough neither is nine.
Ok, for clarity, those need to go into that...
We're just having fun with you.
for clarity, these are "clips"
for clarity, these are "clips"
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That's all very impressive, but I doubt any of you got that kind of little guy that keeps my ammo shiny.
Many years ago, my aunt asked Dad(her little brother) to sell a pistol for her- surprised him, he had no idea she owned it. Anyhoo, she said she'd gotten it ~1940, had fired one "clip" full through it, did a rudimentary cleaning on it, reloaded it, wrapped it in an oily rag, and never fired it again. It was kind of a strange looking thing, maybe a Savage? It shot .32 ACP, had a full "clip", and about 2 dozen loose rounds in an old snap-shut cloth coin purse.
We went to the dump with it, just Dad & me- I was probably just turned 10 yrs old, call it summer of '63. He removed the magazine, tapped the rear lightly against the heel of his hand, put it back in, racked the slide to fill the ~22 yr empty chamber- and fired one shot into a coffee can about 10 yards away. He then proceeded to empty it, one-handed, *fast*, into the same coffee can, missing only once.(He'd served as an MP in '46-'47, was well trained on the old .45 auto, and even though he didn't own a pistol often outshot folks with their own short guns.)
That magazine had been loaded for 22-23 yrs, and didn't bobble once. We shot up the rest of the ammo- I say we, I got to shoot it twice- and a couple of days later he sold it, think it was the local constable who bought it.
So, in general, I've held the opinion that if a magazine has a decent spring, it can be left loaded for years- even decades- and still feed 'em fast. FWIW, one of my Xxxxx magazines has been loaded full for over 5 years now- & no, I don't worry about it a bit. Besides, those Xxxxx springs are *way* too strong!
We went to the dump with it, just Dad & me- I was probably just turned 10 yrs old, call it summer of '63. He removed the magazine, tapped the rear lightly against the heel of his hand, put it back in, racked the slide to fill the ~22 yr empty chamber- and fired one shot into a coffee can about 10 yards away. He then proceeded to empty it, one-handed, *fast*, into the same coffee can, missing only once.(He'd served as an MP in '46-'47, was well trained on the old .45 auto, and even though he didn't own a pistol often outshot folks with their own short guns.)
That magazine had been loaded for 22-23 yrs, and didn't bobble once. We shot up the rest of the ammo- I say we, I got to shoot it twice- and a couple of days later he sold it, think it was the local constable who bought it.
So, in general, I've held the opinion that if a magazine has a decent spring, it can be left loaded for years- even decades- and still feed 'em fast. FWIW, one of my Xxxxx magazines has been loaded full for over 5 years now- & no, I don't worry about it a bit. Besides, those Xxxxx springs are *way* too strong!
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