The double-stack design of some Glock magazines has made these very popular handguns. Glock pistols like the G17 and G19 offer excellent standard capacities and are paired with a versatile cartridge that’s equally viable for competition and defensive applications.
But let’s not make light of the fact that often you get a gun with only one mag from the manufacturer (or seller).
If you have only one Glock mag, take care of it. Here’s what you should know.
Break-In
All magazines, not just Glock mags, will require a period of break-in before they feed and function smoothly.
There’s nothing special you need to do here, though. The straightforward way to break in a Glock mag is just to use it.
Load it and unload it a few times using a speed loader, charge the empty mag into the gun and drop it a few times (unloaded, of course).
This will help wear the mag spring and create a smooth juncture with the mag catch that will enable smoother mag drops and reloads.
Alternatively, you could just shoot through a few (~20) loaded mags at the range, in succession. Use is really all that’s required to break in a mag.
Glock Mag Basic Maintenance
Glock mags are easy to clean and maintain because they have a very basic, straightforward design.
It’s also critical to keep them clean, as dust, fouling, and other particulate matter will accelerate wear on the mag surfaces.
Cleaning the mag is pretty straightforward. Remove the base plate and insert, take out the spring and follower, wipe them down to remove any dust, fouling, or grease, and reassemble.
Glock mags are predominantly polymer; they do not need to be lubricated or protected against corrosion. Clean the spring and give that a very light coat of oil (only to protect against oxidation) but not the rest of the mag.
Other than that, you’re pretty much good to go.
Clean only as needed. If the mag looks clean and loads, feeds, and drops smoothly, you don’t need to break it down. That just gives dust and dirt a chance to get in.
Can You Store Glock Mags Loaded?
Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually not a bad thing to store mags loaded. Springs don’t fatigue from remaining compressed. They fatigue from repeated compression/decompression cycles.
So it’s actually fine to store your Glock mags loaded. (This is not a substitute for break-in, though).
If you do store your Glock mags loaded, here are some good pointers:
- Store them somewhere safe.
- Never store them anywhere that would cause damage to the ammunition they contain. High moisture and high temperatures will both break down primers and propellants (and can cause corrosion of brass). If you store mags loaded, keep them somewhere cool and dry.
- Keep them somewhere covered. You don’t want your mags out anywhere that dust will settle on them. Otherwise, dust will work its way inside the mag through the top or through the round-count indicator holes, get inside the mag, and make it gritty. Plus, whatever dirt gets inside a mag will eventually find itself inside your Glock’s action – and you don’t want that.
I Need New Glock Mags
Here not because you have questions about how to break-in/clean/store Glock mags but because you need new ones
We hear that. One from the factory is just not enough. Get a few spares over at Bucking Horse Outpost. They offer competitive prices and sell them in bundles, too, so it’s never been easier to add a few spares to your range bag.
Get a speedloader while you’re at it so you can spend more time shooting and less time thumbing rounds into your mags.
