storing firearms, firing pin question

[genbrad]

Ok, I've read many of the articles regarding this and due to the fact that I have an FFL and lots of firearms locked up, is it better to store them with the firing pin/bolt cocked or not? I would just like to hear some of yall's opinions on the matter.

[nva_panzer]

I don't store anything cocked. Compressed springs long term not a good idea.

[Ray Meketa]

Uncocked. Springs can and do change over time, more so when cocked. The late, great, Jeff Cooper even recommended having more than one pistol magazine for each handgun and alternating them, keeping one unloaded and one loaded.

Of course, if the guns are not intended to ever be fired, it probably woluld not make much difference.

ray

[Oldstuffer]

I unset all firing pins and hammers for storage.

[jjk308]

In point of fact what wears out springs isn't the load but cycling them. I once read a story about a 1911A1 stored loaded in a drawer for 40 years. The magazine, after 40 years of compression, functioned perfectly.
Regardless I don't store them cocked even though the dry firing probably causes more wear than the storage.

[ukrifleman]

Definately uncocked, some springs can get a "memory" if left under tension for extended periods of time which will affect their performance.
ukrifleman

[jdowney]

In point of fact what wears out springs isn't the load but cycling them.

Agree 100%, if the spring is designed to hold a certain load indefinitely, it will do so. Overloading springs will cause changes in their properties however, so I could see a cheep crappy mag or weapon having a problem with it, if the designer did not specify heavy enough springs for the job. Best not to depend on such mags or guns in any case. Even in the case of an insufficient spring for a given use, I would not expect the spring to "wear" from just holding a load. It would still become weaker through repeated motion fatigue or after a single gross overload.

Car springs don't wear out from sitting with the weight of the car on them, they wear through metal fatigue - there are numerous other examples if one takes the time and trouble to look for them.

[Interloper]

...The late, great, Jeff Cooper even recommended having more than one pistol magazine for each handgun and alternating them, keeping one unloaded and one loaded...

Ahhh but Cooper also wrote about an MP-40 that sat loaded for 40 years and how the magazine functioned perfectly; concluding that leaving a spring compressed will not affect it's function.

In point of fact what wears out springs isn't the load but cycling them.

[chasdev]

Springs degrade from over compression (or coil binding), repeated cycling and overheat (as long as the steel is high quality)....

[GUNHEEP]

In point of fact what wears out springs isn't the load but cycling them. I once read a story about a 1911A1 stored loaded in a drawer for 40 years. The magazine, after 40 years of compression, functioned perfectly.
Regardless I don't store them cocked even though the dry firing probably causes more wear than the storage.

i read the same article, but it was a box of ww2 45acp mags (12) stored away for 65 years...they checked the springs for tension and length..the measurements were so small and insignificant,they ment nothing... the mags functioned flawlessly...
i still store all my mags unloaded and guns de-cocked (bolts open on bolt guns, closed on semi's)...better safe than sorry...i keep a revolver loaded instead....no harm there..

andy

[SLACK]

Upon sighting in the rifles before deer season this year , my friends Weatherby just went click. Light primer strike. He had left the bolt cocked after cleaning from the prior season. I hate seeing guns in store racks with the bolts cocked and that "REQUIRED" trigger lock preventing its release.

[Clyde]

Upon sighting in the rifles before deer season this year , my friends Weatherby just went click. Light primer strike. He had left the bolt cocked after cleaning from the prior season. I hate seeing guns in store racks with the bolts cocked and that "REQUIRED" trigger lock preventing its release.

Probably not a weak striker spring - more likely congealed oil or other crud in the FP channel. Bet disassembly of bolt, cleaning, and re-assembly would have taken care of it.

That said - i generally store mine other than the night table gun or an auto i'm carrying (or the carbine that is a house gun) with relaxed springs. Certainly doesn't hurt them any to do that, eh? Even if it isn't truly necessary.

[SLACK]

No it was the bolt/ firing pin spring. It was replaced and all was good. The rifle is a mid 70's vintage Weatherby.

[Clyde]

No it was the bolt/ firing pin spring. It was replaced and all was good. The rifle is a mid 70's vintage Weatherby.

That is also known as a striker spring. If the spring was actually at fault, more likely the problem was from many cycles rather than storage cocked/compressed.