Let’s argue/discuss- Storing cocked or not?

[hafejd30]

Who stores rifles cocked or uncocked?

Does it really help to release the tension?

I ask this in a modern day world where we went from “you shouldn't dry fire a rifle” to some rifles being dry fired more than shot

We went from not leaving magazines loaded to Magpul saying constant pressure on the spring won’t cause an issue

I know we have gun builders, armorers etc here as well as a lot of guys running guns I’m sure stored both way.

I leave mine cocked. Never had an issue. Was at my local custom shop the other day and any rifles handled were uncocked before storing

In modern times what’s the hide say?

How does the military store theirs in modern day for long periods of time? Semi and bolt platforms

 

[Genin]

I store mine uncocked/dry fired before it goes in the safe. My thought is why have any pressure on the spring, and modern rifles can certainly handle a single dry fire after every shooting session before storage.

 

[Rob01]

No real reason to leave them cocked. You don’t even have to dry fire if worried about it. Just hold the trigger in as you drop the bolt. That said dry firing has never hurt anything except for some .22RF.

 

[Edsel]

Fairly well - documented findings in springs left under tension, one of the failure mechanisms.

But the minutae may be as inconsequential as arguing between the use of 0W-20 and 10W-30 for engine longevity, for what we do.

We don’t fire 2,000 rounds straight in a salt - spray environment, and leave the rifles as such cocked.

 

[Tokay444]

View attachment 8759783

Fairly well - documented findings in springs left under tension, one of the failure mechanisms.

But the minutae may be as inconsequential as arguing between the use of 0W-20 and 10W-30 for engine longevity, for what we do.

Damn! I had better start lifting the cars up when we park them.

 

[cas6969]

Hmmmm..... the majority of my firearms can stored uncocked without dry firing them.


The internet gun world is loaded with spring experts, so we get repeated gospel that's wrong on both sides of the argument.

 

[Makinchips208]

Gas guns I clear and engage the safety.
Bolt gun I do the same.

No idea if it hurts it, it’s what I do. And I’m not any expert.

 

[TheJeanyus]

Damn! I had better start lifting the cars up when we park them.

The best way to do it is to completely disassemble the suspension when you get home every day so that everything is in a completely relaxed state.

 

[Terry Cross]

Who stores rifles cocked or uncocked?

Out of habit, if I take a bolt gun out of action for 6 minutes or 6 years, I lay it down with bolt down and uncocked.
No need to dry fire it to put it in that condition.

Not sure if leaving cocked would be a negative or not. I do know that there is zero negatives from leaving it uncocked.

Does it really help to release the tension?

Technically? . . . . . . . Yes.
Read your question LOL.

I ask this in a modern day world where we went from “you shouldn't dry fire a rifle” to some rifles being dry fired more than shot

Absolutely.
When running classes or giving advice (you have to be a F'ing caveman newbie to ask for my advice), we ALWAYS advocate a minimum ratio of 20:1 dryfiring. Preferably more. A lot more. . . . . . with every handgun and long gun you want to be proficient with.

When it comes to dryfiring causing damage, I think today's firearms are a different animal compared to older hardware. The metallurgy and spring technology has come a LONG way.

My opinion is that what little extra wear dryfiring puts on the system is offset by huge gains in how you run the gun.
Huge believer in dryfiring and I think it cannot be over-emphasized.

I very often point anyone that will listen to this vid as a good example:

We went from not leaving magazines loaded to Magpul saying constant pressure on the spring won’t cause an issue

How does the military store theirs in modern day for long periods of time? Semi and bolt platforms

Probably a loaded (hahahahaha, I kill me....) question. So many variables.

I have been having 5 custom springs made for years. BTW, the CAD modeling for a simple fucking spring is a bitch when you are a redneck caveman. I would rather model the whole damned space shuttle.
I found that the variety of spring steel material to choose from is crazy. Lots of different properties and compromises. Lots of OEM makers using different spring material for different applications.

Does their magazine design result in a 100% compressed spring stack when completely loaded?
Is the spring a flat leaf, single wire coil or multiple wire coil?

I think you are posing great questions but I believe the answer is elusive.
Any mags I have that are in actual circulation are loaded to the top but I store my cache mags loaded down -2.
I have no clue if that is actually beneficial.

Hope they don't find my bones with a "well fuck me!" look on my face because I only had one asshole left to kill and could have used the extra 2.

 

[Fx51LP308]

If we're talking only "rifles," then all of mine are stored "unloaded," action open in my locked "inventory" closet. Everything in that closet is stored unloaded and, therefore, uncocked.

Only my HD/SD plan pistols and my Mossberg Shockwave, are stored cocked and in "Condition 1," safety on. Of course, my SIGs in the HD/SD plan have no safeties so they are Condition zero. but are all locked up in quick access safes, along with my EDC (a P365) when I'm not carrying it.

Every now and then, I'll unload the HD/SD pistols, and then reload them, sticking the remaining round back in the mag for a full count. I guess this rotates the round that sits in the chamber.

 

[hafejd30]

No real reason to leave them cocked. You don’t even have to dry fire if worried about it. Just hold the trigger in as you drop the bolt. That said dry firing has never hurt anything except for some .22RF.

I wasn’t worried about the dry firing. Was just using it as an example of how things have changed over the years. Also I understand just holding the trigger and dropping the bolt to uncock the rifle

I’m mostly just starting a conversation as to the actual benefit of it and wether I should be doing it or not myself

Sparked my interest after seeing it the other day

 

[diggler1833]

I have quite a few old guns that are going to need to be dry fired to 'un-cock' unfortunately (side by side shotguns, Colt Woodsmans etc...). I try to use snap caps for those.

A few years ago I rescued a neglected Remington Model 11 from my in-laws that was made in 1909. AFAIK, my F-I-L hadn't shot it, so it had been at least 40 years since it had been fired. It was definitely stored cocked. I did take it out and fire a couple of shells through it once I got it lubricated again... worked great. Sample size of one however.

I definitely do my best to let the tension out of the springs of each and every gun that isn't in a utilitarian role when I put them away.

 

[TheOtherAndrew]

do what you want and quit giving so much influence to complete strangers because of an insecurity to believe in your own ability to make good decisions

 

[LuvDog]

I switched out the firing pins to all the guns at my house before I left

 

[roostercogburn98]

Everything loaded and on bang in the safe. Does me no good any other way homey

 

[6.5SH]

I switched out the firing pins to all the guns at my house before I left

 

[Supersubes]

I don’t know what bolt guns you own, but almost all of them cock on opening, so if you’re storing them action open, you’re storing them cocked(firing pin to the rear) . Some older bolt actions cock on closing, so I suppose it’s possible that these are the guns that you own.

If we're talking only "rifles," then all of mine are stored "unloaded," action open in my locked "inventory" closet. Everything in that closet is stored unloaded and, therefore, uncocked.

Only my HD/SD plan pistols and my Mossberg Shockwave, are stored cocked and in "Condition 1," safety on. Of course, my SIGs in the HD/SD plan have no safeties so they are Condition zero. but are all locked up in quick access safes, along with my EDC (a P365) when I'm not carrying it.

Every now and then, I'll unload the HD/SD pistols, and then reload them, sticking the remaining round back in the mag for a full count. I guess this rotates the round that sits in the chamber.