[Ghost]

I was curious if you could leave the Romanian 75 round drum mags loaded for an extended period of time like normal mags? The general consensus seems to be only for a couple for days then the springs start to weaken of take a set. Your opinions?

 

[Caligula]

I loaded my up at BULLETFEST 5 threw in a ammo can, and took it out to BULLETFEST 6, a year later and it functioned perfectly

 

[Dawg180]

People seem to get a little nuts about the whole "spring taking a set" thing. It is the number of cycles of the spring that wear it out, not having it compressed for a great deal of time (unless it is incorrectly made).

Some folks would pay $125 for a chinese mag just so they can release the srping tension. I personally will save the $45 and take a Romanian drum...hell for that price you are halfway to another one, or can have 5-6 30 rounds as a backup in case the drum should fail to feed!

 

[Hootbro]

The "spring" in a drum is more of a winding flat coil than a traditional round spring in a column stacked mag. The are more prone to take a set being compressed than wear from compression and release cycles. Soviet doctrine was to only have them kept loaded for only a few days maybe 3-4 max. I am sure Caligula had the experience as he described but I would lean it is more the exception than the rule. I have personally seen a Romanian Drum take a set in less than 4 months and the last 10-15 rounds fail to properly feed. Drums are expensive and can be hard to come by at times, why chance it?

Hootbro

 

[7.62x39]

Not loading it to full capacity can make a big difference too.
I wouldn't load more than say 70 rounds in it, if I was going for long term storage.

 

[Madtechcool]

Drum Springs

:neutral: The spring in a drum is just like the recoil spring on your pullstart lawn mower or the pull starter on the atvs. Ask yourselves, how long has your pull starter worked on the mower before it started to not pulling the rope back in? A couple of summers or? They will weaken from repeated use. Might give ya more to think about. Madtechcool

 

[BulletBait]

Can the spring in the Romanian drum be tightened if it gets weak?

 

[Hootbro]

Re: Drum Springs

:neutral: The spring in a drum is just like the recoil spring on your pullstart lawn mower or the pull starter on the atvs. Ask yourselves, how long has your pull starter worked on the mower before it started to not pulling the rope back in? A couple of summers or? They will weaken from repeated use. Might give ya more to think about. Madtechcool

Good points. It also needs to be said that magazines were looked at in most armies as a disposible item to be replaced at first signs defect or limited function. Only us civilians look upon them with the expectation they should last forever. That is the disconnect IMHO.

Hootbro