I definitely keep my magazines fully loaded just in case. I also keep one in the chamber. Doing this has loosened up a bit my 15 round, double stack Shield Magazines for my Glock 48, and my 15 round, double stack magazines for my Hellcat Pro. It is still a trick sometimes to get that 15th round in the magazine, even with my speed loader. I must admit it is sometimes hard to rack and load with 15 rounds in the magazines. With 14 I have no problem.
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My Department had gym mats on the floor. We could shoot and drop our mags with no worries regarding damage. The rangemasters sought to reduce unnecessary thought patterns.
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I keep all my magazines for all my semi auto rifles and pistols fully loaded, all the time, and all my revolvers loaded, all the time. As others have said, it’s the cycles on the springs that wear them, not the compression. Engines sit for years with valve springs compressed. Compressing a spring is not a big deal.
Why f around with an unloaded magazine or revolver? All guns ready, all the time.
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Because some people have enough magazines that loading all of them is wholly unnecessary. 
That’s the only good reason I have.
Like, I don’t need to have 100 loaded AR mags. Nothing wrong with those who do, though.
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So if the prosecutor asks why did you reload you can say “I never did!” 
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Thank you 
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I posted this on another magazine thread in more detail but the short version is I did an experiment with several Glock 19 magazines and a couple of cheap Korean mags. Loaded them fully and put them in a box for over a decade. Pulled them out and they all worked just fine. I’m still using them all regularly as practice mags without issue.
I prefer to keep my pistol mags fully loaded because with the limited effectiveness of pistol rounds I want every round I can carry. I do download my rifle mags as this seems to be recomended by many military and LEO folks and it does make them noticeably easier to load than a full mag. I feel pretty good about being able to solve most of the problems I am ever likely to encounter with 28 or 29 rifle rounds and a spare mag or two just in case.
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My math for this is simpler, at least for me. If I have 10 mags for one of my handguns, and they are all loaded and used in rotation at the range, then what I have is 10 used mags. OTOH, if I load only 5 and use them in rotation then I have functional mags and 5 new mags. And yes, before I place any new mag into service it gets a thorough inspection and functional checkout.
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So… the question is:
Is it better to have 10 tested and functional magazines in rotation or 5 tested and functional in rotation and 5 unused new one? 
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I think that might depend on how much use and abuse they all get. I do like to have some unused mags on hand as potential replacements in case any of the ones I am rotating have an issue.
Though you could just get 10 to use in rotation and another 5 or 10 to store for future use and then you are fully covered either way:)
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That is a good question.
For me, personally, in the context of concealed carry handguns, my minimum tested and proven in rotation for carry is 3. I’m basically never carrying even 3 total mags let alone more than that. So, that’s all I need.
But remember I don’t use those at the range once they are tested and proven to work, other than on occasion to rotate ammo.
So, better number, my minimum in rotation for a pistol is six. Three for carry, three for the range
But, in practice…I have more than that. Because minimums are minimums, more is better lol.
In practice, I do have 100+ AR style mags and 50+ Glock magazines. And other non AR non Glock firearms. So. Many of mine are unopened.
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I think this math works both ways - as long as you have enough magazines that makes you feel safe.
Everything is about the system learned and keeping it consistent. The worst is to change the habit.
So I like to have all my magazines in rotation until I find problems and then deal with it. Others like to keep new / spare magazines and use them once old is not functioning anymore.
As we can see - both methods works as long we keep it the same and don’t try to experiment. 
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I may have under reported my actual mag count. Me bad!
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Exact amount is not important… Some of us has 100 of them… some only 2.
We just must be sure they are fully functional and have engraved habit to check them and fix if needed.
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One problem I have encountered is that the servicable life of a pistol may well exceed the availability of new magazines (and other parts as well! Try to find a replacement recoil spring for a Sig P250 SC, for example). Having replacement parts is not guaranteed, unless you get them before they become obsolete.
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What caliber?
Even P250 has been discontinued it takes spring used for other models.
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Solved problem. Sold gun. 
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Sig Sauer Recoil Spring Sig Sauer P239 250SC 357 Sig/40 S&W P245 Sig (midwayusa.com)
sig reuses a lot of the same springs. just incase you hadnt sold it lol
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