[BlackBirdCD]

Forgive me if I've missed this in a general FAQ (looked, didn't find it).

I've stored my new Kimber in its lock case - with the slide open and one of those "through the magazine slot" locks in it. Should I be concerned about recoil spring compression problems if I leave it this way for a long period of time?

Thanks for your consideration.

 

[CounterMeasure]

You will have some spring tension loss, same as if you left a magazine fully loaded for a long period of time.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless you left it that way for years. But then you if do that, you have bigger worries about lack of maintenance. If you don't shoot it at all, but take it out now and then to oil it and keep it rust free, I would change the spring every year or so just for good measure. Springs are cheap, and then you don't have to worry about it at all.

 

[BlackBirdCD]

Hey, thanks for the tips. This is the first handgun I've ever owned - so it's going to be shot quite a bit at the range .

I'll likely pick up some extra springs, just for good measure, and keep my eyes on how it's holding up.

 

[eljay45]

Leaving magazines loaded for long periods of time does not hurt the springs, loading and unloading is what wears them out. I would assume the same would apply to your recoil spring.

 

[CounterMeasure]

If you shoot it a lot, then I wouldn't worry about at all. You will be due for a spring from shooting far sooner than spring fatigue caused by storing it with the slide locked back.

Personally, I really don't like those types of gun locks. The one Kimber included has never been out of it's bag. If someone is breaking into my house, there is no way I will be able to get the key, get it into the keyhole, get that lock off, pull it through, put in a mag and then get the slide forward in time, and all this while coming out of a good sleep and in the dark.

I personally leave the slide forward, but the gun unchambered for in-home defense duty. I have a 6 year old in the house that I have spent much time teaching about guns and gun safety already, but you can never be too careful. He doesn't have the strength to cycle the slide to load it, but he does have the strength to find a key, but it in the keyhole, stick a mag in it, and then have access to an easy to chamber weapon at the push of the slide release.

 

[CounterMeasure]

Leaving magazines loaded for long periods of time does not hurt the springs, loading and unloading is what wears them out. I would assume the same would apply to your recoil spring.

I have to disagree based on past expriences. I have had springs that were compressed for quite awhile measure out at a significant less coil pressure. Even Wolff says they will fatigue if they are compressed for extended periods of time.

http://www.gunsprings.com/Resources/FAQ.htm#5

 

[BlackBirdCD]

If you shoot it a lot, then I wouldn't worry about at all. You will be due for a spring from shooting far sooner than spring fatigue caused by storing it with the slide locked back.

Personally, I really don't like those types of gun locks. The one Kimber included has never been out of it's bag. If someone is breaking into my house, there is no way I will be able to get the key, get it into the keyhole, get that lock off, pull it through, put in a mag and then get the slide forward in time, and all this while coming out of a good sleep and in the dark.

I personally leave the slide forward, but the gun unchambered for in-home defense duty. I have a 6 year old in the house that I have spent much time teaching about guns and gun safety already, but you can never be too careful. He doesn't have the strength to cycle the slide to load it, but he does have the strength to find a key, but it in the keyhole, stick a mag in it, and then have access to an easy to chamber weapon at the push of the slide release.

I have a six year old in the house as well. Honestly I was on the fence about using this gun lock. It seems to me that the locked case, with an unloaded pistol, would be sufficient - especially since she has exhibited what I would call "anti-interest" in the pistol.

I agree there's no chance of getting to the pistol quickly with this lock setup. I haven't even bothered with a practice run.

 

[gibby9]

My .02:

Children + Unlocked Firearms = Bad Combination

And even if you trust your children, they may have other less trustworthy kids over from time to time. And even the most responsible children are still vulnerable to doing child-like things (such as "playing" with firearms).
I'd recommend some type of system to lock the pistol up, perhaps one of those safes that opens with the press of a combination. If nothing else, it will buy you peace of mind when you're not home but your kids are, along with your pistol.

 

[Chuck S]

I use the blue Kimber cable lock to secure the spare tire to my little boat trailer. Not as recognizeable name as Smith & Wesson but maybe a bit of intimidation factor nonetheless.

Padlocking your handgun makes it unuseable as a weapon for everyone, including you. One of the simple 4 button lock boxes sold at all the gunshops will let you secure the pistol and still get to it.

-- Chuck

 

[BlackBirdCD]

My .02:

Children + Unlocked Firearms = Bad Combination

And even if you trust your children, they may have other less trustworthy kids over from time to time. And even the most responsible children are still vulnerable to doing child-like things (such as "playing" with firearms).
I'd recommend some type of system to lock the pistol up, perhaps one of those safes that opens with the press of a combination. If nothing else, it will buy you peace of mind when you're not home but your kids are, along with your pistol.

I entirely agree - I already have a lockbox for it. The Cable Lock was an added measure.

 

[Greyson]

Forgive me if I've missed this in a general FAQ (looked, didn't find it).

I've stored my new Kimber in its lock case - with the slide open and one of those "through the magazine slot" locks in it. Should I be concerned about recoil spring compression problems if I leave it this way for a long period of time?

Thanks for your consideration.

To get back to the original question. The issue seems to be in doubt
so I will put my two cents in. Once while attending a gun school I was
between drills, waiting in line; when I had my empty 1911 in it's holster
with the slide locked back. Don't really remember why I did it.

But I do remember an instructor, who is actually a Glock guy, and a very
well known gunsmith, and the best pistol shooter I have personally seen,
actually drop himself out of a drill and trot over to me just to politely
admonish me about putting very much undue stress on my recoil spring,
and then trot away.

Being a fragile-ego-ed newbie at the time, I just wanted to dig a hole and
jump down in it and die. The embarrassment was all in my head, really.
But I will never do that again.

But here is the logical argument to this issue. Why don't gun stores just
keep all of the actions locked open on the display cases? I mean it would
make it a lot easier to see if a weapon was cleared and safe.

"Things that make you go Hmmmmmm." --Arsenio Hall

Regards,
Greyson

 

[redneckdan]

speaking from a phyiscs basis. Cycling a spring is what weakens it, not being compressed or extended, unless the fatigue point is reached. Realistly, I don't know because I've only had my 1911 for about 3 months.

 

[medic7]

I don't know about that. Cycling may be what weakens a spring as far as the force required to induce failure in the metal, but it seems to me that a spring functions by returning to the shape it was formed into. Storing a soft metal spring in a compressed fashion for long periods of time should therefore shorten the length to which it returns when the load is removed. This may not lead to increased breakage or failure but I would expect that it will certainly impair the functioning of the spring at the point of greatest extension. That is, when a slide is traveling forward, the spring will "give out early" and now you have a pistol that fails to load. Additionally it could lead to a delay in full spring pressure being applied to a rearward moving slide when firing the weapon. I don't know whether that would affect wear/felt recoil or not. Just my thoughts on the subject. All you old salts feel free to disagree! On the original subject of cable locks. I keep my BP 10 beside the bed, with a full mag (13 rds!), an empty chamber and the slide forward. I have a lockable box which opens by key or combo. I keep the box unlocked only at night. Every morning I lock the box and take my key with, every night I unlock and open the safe. It becomes a habit quickly.

 

[Gunmetal]

if you leave 1200lbs of stuff in a pickup truck's bed, say 4 months, does the tail sag eventually from spring wear...

leave a 1911 mag fully loaded for a year - it still may be functional, but the weight of the spring will be lighter

leaving a semi locked open for any long period of time, will weaken the recoil spring - don't think so - try it

i did by mistake - just a couple of weeks - but there was noticable difference