Greetings to all from a newbie to the forum. Forgive me for asking a question that I'm sure has been asked a gazillion times, but I'm curious if it will damage the internal springs, or anything else in the firing mechanism, if I leave a round in the chamber on my 40 Shield (cocked and locked). I do have the thumb safety and am not really worried about accidental discharge because I do have a properly fitting holster (DeSantis scabbard), and am always careful to draw and holster properly. I understand the point about being ready to fire in a defensive situation, that's not the issue. I just don't want to cause extra wear and tear on the gun by having it hot all the time. Any and all opinions and suggestions welcome.

You are doing it the right way. Even with the models with no safety that is how they are carried. All guns have a safety it is between the users ears. Don

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

^^^^^ precisely!

Point to not, when it comes to firearms there are no accidents, only negligence. But maybe that's just my military instructors talking.

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the feedback, but maybe I'm not asking the question the right way. I completely understand the concept of keeping the weapon always hot and ready to fire. I'm just wondering if doing so indefinitely will damage or weaken the internal springs or other parts of the firing mechanism.

You won't damage the springs, including the magazine springs, by keeping the gun "cocked and locked". Basically springs are worn by being cycled and not by being held in a compressed position.

Thanks again, guys. I guess common sense would dictate that from a mechanical standpoint, it is okay to leave the weapon hot indefinitely. Obviously LEO's and military have to do so in the line of duty. Also, if the firearm were not able to maintain itself in this condition, that wouldn't say much for its quality. By the way, Don (Magload), I really like your comment about safety being between the user's ears. Very true.

You are welcome. It is not my saying but a good one to use.

The thing about spring wear is you will get two different inputs on this forum and by the same people. The first one is that springs only wear by use. Then they will turn right around and tell people with new guns to load the mags and let them sit for some time to make them easier to load. Then there is the one to leave the slide locked back on a new gun so to make it easier for a lady to rack it. I will say over time my rounds are getting easier to load and I can rack my Shield 40 with my thumb and index finger but I kind of expect that is because i shoot everyday and have gotten use to racking it. Don

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

Ain't it the truth. I have seen those posts. That's okay, though, I like reading them. One thing about this forum is that you can get such a broad array of information and opinions that one of them is bound to be correct, right? :-)

I have the Uplula speed loader from Maglula. That made loading the mag substantially easier and faster. Before, I was only able to get about 5 rounds in the mag using my fingers. There was no way my wife could do it so she has a 638 J-frame revolver as her CCW.

But alas, we are drifting off thread. Thanks again for your input. Happy shooting!

Wayne

V0OBWxZS16 is correct and you can put that into your memory banks for the future when it comes to any spring whether it is a recoil spring, magazine spring, mechanical watch spring or mattress spring.

So long as a spring is not over compressed or overstretched, leaving it in any condition does not wear it out, cycling a spring is what wears it out.

I keep my autoloading handguns, rifles and shotguns locked in the case with the slides locked back to ensure myself and anyone else that it is unloaded. This does not fatigue the springs at all.

Thanks! Makes sense. I really, really appreciate everyone's input. I'm no longer worried about leaving it ready to fire. Obviously we all hope we never have to be in a position to need it that way, but just in case...it'll be ready.

Coming from a racing background I've learned a lot about springs over the years. For the most part what has been said here is true. Springs wear from cycling. Over time, a spring that is cycled enough times will eventually lose pressure. Heat also plays a factor in a spring that is rapidly cycled for long periods of time but this really isn't an issue in firearms.

What does happen with a new spring is after a little use they will lose a little pressure. In racing the term used for this is "taking a set". After that initial slight loss of pressure they settle in and hold a consistent pressure for a long time.

Translating this over to firearms, it's my opinion from personal experience that both magazine and slide springs often do "take a set" where it becomes easier to load the mag or rack the slide. This doesn't mean that the spring is wearing out but it is more or less settling in for the job it has to do. I've got a couple mags that have been fully loaded for over 20 years now with no issues and I expect to get at least 20 more out of them.