Keeping the carry gun loaded

[lovemywoods]

The other end of the spectrum

There is a caution for the extreme other end of the spectrum about keeping your firearm loaded. This is about the people who NEVER unload their weapon and never check/clean it. Carry pieces will accumulate fuzz, grit, and dirt. They are exposed to our sweat.

It's a good idea to occasionally unload your firearm and check it and clean it if necessary to make sure it is ready at an instant's notice.

 

[chachi73]

At first i thought this was a silly question. but i learned something valuable because of it.....i never thought about top round in pipe getting pushed back into casing from over chambering it. proves the point we've all heard before - no question is a dumb question! thanks INGO'ers!

 

[Jay]

Any kids in the house? Thats cause enough to never keep a loaded gun around, yet alone chambered.

This would be a valid cause for concern, but not valid enough to prevent keeping a loaded/chambered carry gun. My sons were educated early about firearms, and I never had any concerns about keeping a chambered carry gun. By definition, my carry gun is NOT left laying around, it's carried. Therefore, it's under my control and not left out for anyone else to encounter.

Education of family members
Responsible control of firearms
Situational awareness

= safe, chambered carry gun

 

[cce1302]

Jay is right.

I think the most important part is to teach everybody in the house safe gun handling. at a young age, that might start out as "don't touch daddy's guns. If you want to hold one of them, just ask."
It worked for me and my brother growing up. It works for our kids now.

 

[Josh Ward]

Jay is right.

I think the most important part is to teach everybody in the house safe gun handling. at a young age, that might start out as "don't touch daddy's guns. If you want to hold one of them, just ask."
It worked for me and my brother growing up. It works for our kids now.

+1

Thats the way I was brought up and the way I'm doing it now

 

[Jay]

Added note......

I just stripped down an old pellet pistol, and left the harmless frame laying around. At around age 4 or 5, one of the boys picked it up and asked about it. I responded with a 30 second or so reply, and that was the extent of the first encounter. Time passed, questions got more complex, and each time, I tried to tailor my responses to their attention span. Then they wanted to go to the range, and now they've got their own firearms, and children, and they've both asked to borrow "the old junk pellet gun". Works for me.

 

[menzzer37]

Leaving springs compressed does cause stress relaxation. Point dislocations can shift and elasticity is lost. This is why people change mag springs and leave them unloaded when not in use. A mainspring is the same situation. Over time it will relax; however, it's not a major issue.

 

[Cygnus]

Thanks again for all the replies. No young kids in the house. The one who visits knows gun safety and has been tot he range with dad.

I did learn something about the top round though. It'll be interesting when I shoot that mag. ...I have been keping that in mind though.

Remember there are no stupid questions. Only stupid people who ask questions.....

Witht hat in mind how many cycles of chambering do think it would take to pusha bullet back far enough for concern?

Or should I just line it up next to other rounds and compare?

 

[Cygnus]

Leaving springs compressed does cause stress relaxation. Point dislocations can shift and elasticity is lost. This is why people change mag springs and leave them unloaded when not in use. A mainspring is the same situation. Over time it will relax; however, it's not a major issue.

OK. Now I get an answer that contradicts all the rest.

What gives peoples?

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

Cygnus -

I've heard it both ways... that said, I rotate mags AND shoot the stuff that's in my carry gun every month or so (two months max). So it's always ready to go and so am I. LCP here - so that's pretty similar to yours. I don't have any scientific knowledge to back things up one way or the other.

As for kids around, I agree with the above - also I have quick touch type safe.


Lastly - Glad to see a fellow Neil Peart fan around here. Although I suspect that there's a lot of closet Rush fans around. Thinking man's Rock and Roll...

 

[JetGirl]

I have it on a good authority that leaving mags loaded doesn't do a thing to weaken springs.

 

[Dryden]

I'm in the camp that advocates leaving one in the chamber. If you really are worried about bullet movement, just rotate the first round or two once in awhile.
OR, buy a revolver and skip this debate.

 

[Jay]

Leaving springs compressed does cause stress relaxation. Point dislocations can shift and elasticity is lost. This is why people change mag springs and leave them unloaded when not in use. A mainspring is the same situation. Over time it will relax; however, it's not a major issue.

If you have some scientific source, I'd be real interested to see it. I've been shooting for over 40 years, and I personally have fired issue-free rounds from magazines that had been fully loaded for decades. I have heard both sides of the issue, but as a toolmaker for 18 years, I've never seen a spring (of any configuration) damaged, or made to be non-functional simply due to static compression..... UNLESS the spring has been compressed beyond it's rated maximum, on the spring is damaged, rusted, or of inferior material.

Regards

 

[Malcom R]

Always loaded & never had a problem

 

[ATM]

OK. Now I get an answer that contradicts all the rest.

What gives peoples?

Here's an article that normally gets posted to this question which debunks the spring wear myths:

Magazine spring madness: 'creep' to your 'elastic limit' to un-earth the urban legend of 'spring-set' | American Handgunner | Find Articles at BNET

 

[Jay]

Here's an article that normally gets posted to this question which debunks the spring wear myths:

Magazine spring madness: 'creep' to your 'elastic limit' to un-earth the urban legend of 'spring-set' | American Handgunner | Find Articles at BNET

Outstanding... thank you for posting that..... repped

 

[jason867]

ditto

 

[JetGirl]

Ditto²

 

[HandK]

By all means keep it loaded, like was said before a striker fired pistol is a relaxed spring you pulling the trigger cocks the hammer or striker thus putting tension on the firing pin spring other wise they remain at rest, a 1911 with the hammer back and safety on will keep tension on the spring but most double action or double/single action pistol the spring will remain in a relaxed position.

 

[menzzer37]

4 years at the best engineering school in the country.