10-25-2012, 19:59
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#1
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: PA
Posts: 109
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Oil Magazine Springs?
I wanted to know if anyone here has oiled their magazine springs? I'm interested in protection from moisture/rust. Or what do you think about silicon spray? Thanks!
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Gold Eagle is offline
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10-26-2012, 04:51
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#2
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RIP Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: The Ozarks
Posts: 10,072
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I clean and maintain magazines the same as any other part of the weapon. We learned when I was working at Wpns Branch that malfunctions would usually be a magazine problem.
Still use Break-free.
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Dusty is offline
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10-26-2012, 18:35
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#3
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,826
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It is a good idea if you want them to collect dust.
Most mag springs are chrome silicon or stainless, which means they are naturally rust free.
If yours are rusting, go ahead and oil them if you feel better, but they will be attracting a lot of dust after you do, and require more frequent cleaning.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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10-26-2012, 21:15
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#4
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BANNED USER
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,751
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TR
What do you think of the idea of releasing the spring from the housing during long periods when the mags will be stored empty? The "letting the spring rest" idea?
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Dozer523 is offline
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10-26-2012, 22:00
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#5
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,826
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dozer523
TR
What do you think of the idea of releasing the spring from the housing during long periods when the mags will be stored empty? The "letting the spring rest" idea?
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If the mags are stored empty, there should be very little load on them, so I wouldn't bother. There are BAR mags out there that are almost 100 years old and are still working, and metallurgy today is better than it was back then.
I would consider having plenty of spare mags and extra springs though. Mags today are made to be disposable. No point in having a bad $10 mag keeping a $1000 rifle from being reliable.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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10-27-2012, 07:18
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#6
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RIP Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: The Ozarks
Posts: 10,072
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
It is a good idea if you want them to collect dust.
Most mag springs are chrome moly or stainless, which means they are naturally rust free.
If yours are rusting, go ahead and oil them if you feel better, but they will be attracting a lot of dust after you do, and require more frequent cleaning.
TR
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Next to this advice from a proven SME, my post looks ignorant; I need to clarify in order to not appear misinformed (stupid). 
When I say maintain the magazines the same way as any part of the weapon, I'm concurring with TR's advice, e.g. disassembing the mag during "PMCS", when the weapon is disassembled. I wipe all parts dry after cleaning, and reapply enough lube to rails (or whatever part needs lube depending on the environment).
Down South, I left a light coat of Break Free-more than I would in a desert environment-oxidation being a problem in the jungle.
The point was supposed to be that the magazines should receive no less attention than any other part of the system, IMO.
Did I crawdad out of this one?
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"There you go, again." Ronald Reagan
Last edited by Dusty; 10-27-2012 at 07:22.
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Dusty is offline
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10-27-2012, 08:26
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#7
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
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We lightly oiled and then wiped nearly dry in the tropics and European/North American forests, cleaned and bone dry in the desert and Arctic, constantly cleaned and lubed with CLP for MAROPS.
Richard 
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“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - To Kill A Mockingbird (Atticus Finch)
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Richard is offline
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10-27-2012, 09:26
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#8
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: DFW Texas Area
Posts: 4,741
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dozer523
TR
What do you think of the idea of releasing the spring from the housing during long periods when the mags will be stored empty? The "letting the spring rest" idea?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
If the mags are stored empty, there should be very little load on them, so I wouldn't bother. There are BAR mags out there that are almost 100 years old and are still working, and metallurgy today is better than it was back then.
I would consider having plenty of spare mags and extra springs though. Mags today are made to be disposable. No point in having a bad $10 mag keeping a $1000 rifle from being reliable.
TR
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty
Next to this advice from a proven SME, my post looks ignorant; I need to clarify in order to not appear misinformed (stupid).
When I say maintain the magazines the same way as any part of the weapon, I'm concurring with TR's advice, e.g. disassembing the mag during "PMCS", when the weapon is disassembled. I wipe all parts dry after cleaning, and reapply enough lube to rails (or whatever part needs lube depending on the environment).
Down South, I left a light coat of Break Free-more than I would in a desert environment-oxidation being a problem in the jungle.
The point was supposed to be that the magazines should receive no less attention than any other part of the system, IMO.
Did I crawdad out of this one? |
Magazine Springs will generally retain their functionality whether they are compressed or relaxed. What wears them out is cycling i.e. loading, unloading or radical/repetitive thermal changes. I have several P35 mags that I carried in RVN 40 years ago and have been used numerous times since, that still function flawlessly and are never left empty for very long!! I do keep my mags lightly oiled (almost appear dry) with either LPS2 or 3. LPS meets a Mil-Spec Fingerprint neutralizing requirement that is not found in many "Lubricants". I have a Citori that I shot competively down on the Texas Gulf Coast, that I wiped down with LPS2 after every outing. While the Gold is worn off of the trigger, there is not a spec of oxidation on the rest of it!!! Sweat, constant moisture, etc. and it is rust free!!
Any questions please give a shout!! Also...............forget wd40!!!!!
Dusty...................that was a very good Mud-Bug Scramble!!
Martin
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Martin sends.
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Ambush Master is offline
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10-27-2012, 09:00
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#9
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BANNED USER
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,751
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty
Next to this advice from a proven SME, my post looks ignorant; I need to clarify in order to not appear misinformed (stupid).
Did I crawdad out of this one? |
Don't sweat it! We're used to it. 
Nope.
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Dozer523 is offline
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10-27-2012, 09:08
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#10
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Fayetteville NC
Posts: 3,533
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The big thing is lightly oil, wipe dry. Do not allow oil to get on the rounds themselves during use. You will create a hydraulic pressure problem when the case expands the oil causes channels to form in the brass.
Believe it or not, I have seen oil placed in the mag with rounds in the mag. This is a problem waiting for the first couple of shots.
My 2 cents.
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Hold Hard guys
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Author - Richard.
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Author unknown. 
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longrange1947 is offline
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12-03-2012, 07:54
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#11
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: PA
Posts: 109
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
It is a good idea if you want them to collect dust.
Most mag springs are chrome moly or stainless, which means they are naturally rust free.
If yours are rusting, go ahead and oil them if you feel better, but they will be attracting a lot of dust after you do, and require more frequent cleaning.
TR
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So Silicon is not OK? Thanks!
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Gold Eagle is offline
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12-03-2012, 08:58
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#12
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: central Florida
Posts: 352
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FWIW - I just disassemble & check them once a year, or if they're grossly dirty; otherwise wiping down seems to suffice.
m&c
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D-8450-L
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medic&commo is offline
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12-03-2012, 20:55
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#13
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,826
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gold Eagle
So Silicon is not OK? Thanks!
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Sorry, chrome silicon is a better metal for magazine springs if they are kept in a clean, dry environment.
In the real world, they rust much faster than the stainless steel springs, and thus have to be maintained.
I would take the stainless ones over the chrome silicon. Then all you have to do is to wipe them off occasionally to keep the dust and dirt out of the mags.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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12-05-2012, 09:39
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#14
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: PA
Posts: 109
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I was thinking the spray type silicone bought at China Mart and auto parts stores for rust protection.
Last edited by Gold Eagle; 12-10-2012 at 19:13.
Reason: Can't Spell
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Gold Eagle is offline
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