Releasing Hammer for Long Term Storage.....

[Squidly 0]

Hey gang,

 

I did a quick search about this, but all I found were threads on long-term storage for mags.

 

I'm fixin' to go away for a few months, and was wondering if releasing the hammer in my Saigas would be better than leaving them cocked over a period of a few months (to relieve tension in the spring). Is this a good idea, or does it really matter?

 

Thanks.

[Etek 32]

Tension does not hurt springs. Repeated tension/release (Working) wears springs.

The Israelis did a test on this some years ago. After 30 YEARS fully loaded magazines in cocked firearms worked flawlessly.

[ArcFault 4]

Tension does not hurt springs. Repeated tension/release (Working) wears springs.

The Israelis did a test on this some years ago. After 30 YEARS fully loaded magazines in cocked firearms worked flawlessly.

 

Interesting, and not the conventional wisdom either. I was gonna say, yes, release the hammer, why store the gun cocked? I always down-load my mags and never leave my guns cocked for this reason. You have a source or a link?

 

Squidly, you might consider not leaving your guns cocked as just a safety concern. This will force a chamber check any time you or someone else wants to dry fire. If you store your rifles locked and loaded, well, cant say I haven't, but its dangerous and in some states its illegal.

[jcfreak9901 0]

I personaly use a snap cap to de-cock the hammer and never leave mags loaded for a long time. As stated above, the conventional wisdom is to relax all things not in an immediate readiness state. The old military idea of only putting 10 rds in a 15 rd .45 mag for any , I guess, "medium" term usage/storage so as not to compress the spring too much for too long and weaken it. But I agree, if there is some info showing that springs are ok compressed for a while, I'd like to see it. I'll pack every mag in my safe!

[Gaddis 1,689]

Waddya need a snap cap for? Just hold it with your thumb and let it ease forward after pulling the trigger.

[Etek 32]

Tension does not hurt springs. Repeated tension/release (Working) wears springs.

The Israelis did a test on this some years ago. After 30 YEARS fully loaded magazines in cocked firearms worked flawlessly.

 

Interesting, and not the conventional wisdom either. I was gonna say, yes, release the hammer, why store the gun cocked? I always down-load my mags and never leave my guns cocked for this reason. You have a source or a link?

 

Squidly, you might consider not leaving your guns cocked as just a safety concern. This will force a chamber check any time you or someone else wants to dry fire. If you store your rifles locked and loaded, well, cant say I haven't, but its dangerous and in some states its illegal.

 

 

Arc,

 

'Conventional Wisdom' is often flawed. Certainly in the case of compressed springs of any type.

Your car sits on springs under compression correct? Let it sit 30 or 50 years and the ride height will be the same. DRIVE the car 5 years or drive it HARD 1 year and the springs will sag.

Do the springs actually 'wear out'? Nope; they 'grow'. Springs don't lose overall tension they just spread it out over time after having been worked.

Now overstressed or poorly designed springs develop fatigue and soon fail. The AK/Saiga twisted trigger spring is a decent design.

 

20 years with Ford Motor Co. taught me these observations and any decent engineer will tell you the same.

 

I hope these observations have been of some help.

Edited May 27, 2007 by Etek

[csspecs 1,987]

Don't you know, leaving air tanks full will make them wear faster!!!

 

NOPE, steel is weakened by bending or heat not by keeping a load on it. Have you ever bent a piece of metal back and forth to break it? Same thing happening with a spring.

 

I leave the hammer down and safety off so that I can see that the rifle is safe (looking in the side of the firearm you will see the hammer down).

Edited May 28, 2007 by csspecs

[Snoopdogg 0]

Your car sits on springs under compression correct? Let it sit 30 or 50 years and the ride height will be the same. DRIVE the car 5 years or drive it HARD 1 year and the springs will sag.

 

I am not an engineer, so I don't know.

 

If the car is sitting static on the springs, they are under light load with out traveling towards their compression max....they are not really being used. If you let the car sit for 30-50 years with enough weight on top of the car to compress the springs to their compressed-max (what they would see if the car was normally driven), I doubt the springs will be in the same condition as the unweighted vehicle. (????)

Like I said, I don't know the answer to my statement....but I was curious, so I asked the question.

Edited May 28, 2007 by snoopdogg

[Etek 32]

Your car sits on springs under compression correct? Let it sit 30 or 50 years and the ride height will be the same. DRIVE the car 5 years or drive it HARD 1 year and the springs will sag.

 

I am not an engineer, so I don't know.

 

If the car is sitting static on the springs, they are under light load with out traveling towards their compression max....they are not really being used. If you let the car sit for 30-50 years with enough weight on top of the car to compress the springs to their compressed-max (what they would see if the car was normally driven), I doubt the springs will be in the same condition as the unweighted vehicle. (????)

Like I said, I don't know the answer to my statement....but I was curious, so I asked the question.

 

As I stated before, working springs multiple times wears them. Simple compression does not.

 

Think of it this way. When you shut your lawnmower or any engine off, chances are one of the valve springs is fully compressed. You let it sit a year. When you start it up is that spring worn out?

Nope.

 

Many cars have springs in the door hinge to help keep them open. Shutting the door puts them under full compression. After sitting for even years are the springs worn out?

Nope.

 

Feel free to ask another engineer.

[KyleWeiss 0]

Waddya need a snap cap for? Just hold it with your thumb and let it ease forward after pulling the trigger.

 

That's pretty much what I was thinking...

 

...and do.

 

KW

[Gaddis 1,689]

Actually, most smart auto afficionados put their cars up on jack stands for extended storage sessions.

 

And the Military always says to download a magazine a few rounds if storing it too for max. reliability.

[mccumber1916 1]

i thought jackstands was for the sake of the tire... so they don't get a flat spot

[NoAim 0]

Actually, most smart auto afficionados put their cars up on jack stands for extended storage sessions.

 

And the Military always says to download a magazine a few rounds if storing it too for max. reliability.

 

The car is do you don't damage the tires. Rubber can take a set (round surface, flat floor, etc.). You see this on higher performance/softer compound tires.

 

For the military to download mags for reliability, this is not for storage. This is to ease use in a tactical reload. I.e. bolt closed, a 30rd. AR mag spring/follower does not have enough travel to easily insert and lock. If you download to 28, it is much easier.

[DevL 0]

Actually, most smart auto afficionados put their cars up on jack stands for extended storage sessions.

 

And the Military always says to download a magazine a few rounds if storing it too for max. reliability.

 

The car is do you don't damage the tires. Rubber can take a set (round surface, flat floor, etc.). You see this on higher performance/softer compound tires.

 

For the military to download mags for reliability, this is not for storage. This is to ease use in a tactical reload. I.e. bolt closed, a 30rd. AR mag spring/follower does not have enough travel to easily insert and lock. If you download to 28, it is much easier.

 

If the hammer spring wears out in 30 years from being cocked I think I might replace it THAT ONE TIME and then it should last untill I am dead. There is no need to download mags or leave your hammer uncocked. If you are that paranoid just replace springs every decade or two instead of every three.

[Gaddis 1,689]

Hmm, okay, guess I was wrong on both counts then...

[shaneman153a 39]

Actually, most smart auto afficionados put their cars up on jack stands for extended storage sessions.

 

And the Military always says to download a magazine a few rounds if storing it too for max. reliability.

 

The military does a lot of dumb shit with no rhyme or reason other than "that's the way we've always done it".

 

I remember this topic being argued before, someone had stated that whatever method they had of making mags way back when (Pre WWII) would wear out if it stayed compressed. I can tell you that my M9 mags didn't wear out after keeping them fully loaded for a year. It's still a good idea to empty and clean them every now and then though.

[shaneman153a 39]

For the military to download mags for reliability, this is not for storage. This is to ease use in a tactical reload. I.e. bolt closed, a 30rd. AR mag spring/follower does not have enough travel to easily insert and lock. If you download to 28, it is much easier.

 

That's the first time I've heard that one. Everytime some dumbass has told me to load down, their reasoning was compression. IMO, M-4's aren't all that tough to load on a full mag, and they have a LRBHO, so I'm just going to have to say......................