Keeping it cocked

[FFES]

I wanted to know how long a person should keep a pistol loaded and cocked. I was thinking the firing pin spring might get weak and when you went to fire the gun, it wouldn't be strong enough to set the round off. I don't know how many people uncock and unload their pistols at the end of the day. This is probably a simple question, but I always try to prethink things that could go wrong. Sorry

FES

 

[M29since14]

I wouldn't be too concerned about that with an M&P. I'm always more concerned about the dangers of loading and unloading, and leaving a loaded gun unattended.

IMO if you use the gun regularly and replace the springs according to the manufacturer's recommendation you should be fine.

 

[chuckster57]

My 9c is my regular carry and home defense handgun. It always has one in the chamber and all you have to do is pull the trigger. DW has a hard time with the slide so I leave it that way, and haven't had a single issue at the range in the 3 years I've had it.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I wanted to know how long a person should keep a pistol loaded and cocked. I was thinking the firing pin spring might get weak and when you went to fire the gun, it wouldn't be strong enough to set the round off. I don't know how many people uncock and unload their pistols at the end of the day. This is probably a simple question, but I always try to prethink things that could go wrong. Sorry

FES

You realize your Shield isn't "cocked" until the trigger is pressed all the way to the rear, don't you?

 

[Bob O]

You realize your Shield isn't "cocked" until the trigger is pressed all the way to the rear, don't you?

The striker is under spring tension, ready to "drop" after the slightest pull of the trigger. 90% of the tension is always there, the remaining 10% comes from the slight angles in the sear and striker leg. The movement of the sear does the last bit of "cocking."

I leave mine fully loaded and "cocked" during the work week, but I unload everything on my days off. My EDC never gets unloaded except for shooting and cleaning.

 

[GrayGhost99]

I think we need to clarify the gun, my barber until 2000 was fond of carrying a combat commander colt cocked and locked every day. About the time he a as going to retire he offered it to me for sale once he closed doors for good. He offered a very fair price even though he knew its value, it was a 38 super, but he knew I wanted one too.
He met me at my range on the day after his retirement, literally pulled holster and all off his belt and handed it over, with a smile I clicked off the positive safety and just got a light thunk.
Wait the safe time and drop the magazine and eject the round, just a very light dimple. Sure enough it had been c and l for almost a decade and killed the mainspring. Common sense would have remedied that, or just shooting what you carry occasionally.

 

[Pef]

If the spring is properly designed for the gun, the spring in the cocked position will not exceed the stress limits of the spring design. Storing a helical spring cocked and locked will not damage the spring, provided the stress limits are not exceeded (which they should not be for a properly fitted spring).

 

[RobzGuns]

Leaving a spring Compressed (cocked), does not weaken it. Springs wear out after prolonged use (repetitive compression & decompression).

If your pistol is not for self defense and you feel better unloading it, pulling the trigger, then locking it away, that's your call... But make sure that you check the chamber, double check it, then check it again and make sure it's pointed in a safe direction, before you pull the trigger.
Or... simply unload it and lock it away.

If it's for Self/Home Defense, leave it loaded and lock it away.

 

[McE]

You realize your Shield isn't "cocked" until the trigger is pressed all the way to the rear, don't you?

That is incorrect.

 

[Muss Muggins]

That is incorrect.

I understand the function of the pistol. I'm just telling you how Smith and Wesson classifies it to allow it to be called DAO . . . .

 

[OKFC05]

Sure enough it had been c and l for almost a decade and killed the mainspring.

I was shown a misfiring S&W 63 that had a "killed mainspring." I opened it up. The mainspring was full of dried oil and gunk from being repeatedly lubricated but never cleaned. It was easier to just change the spring than get out the dried mess.

 

[McE]

I understand the function of the pistol. I'm just telling you how Smith and Wesson classifies it to allow it to be called DAO . . . .

If you actually do understand the function of the pistol, and you understand that the striker spring is fully compressed in the gun's normal ready state, then how could you possibly claim that it isn't fully cocked until the trigger is pulled?
The trigger on an M&P does no cocking. There is no way that anyone who understands this would say what you did.

Also, where does it say the gun in question is a Shield?

 

[Pef]

I wanted to know how long a person should keep a pistol loaded and cocked. I was thinking the firing pin spring might get weak and when you went to fire the gun, it wouldn't be strong enough to set the round off. I don't know how many people uncock and unload their pistols at the end of the day. This is probably a simple question, but I always try to prethink things that could go wrong. Sorry

FES

I store my Shield 9mm and my XDS Mod 2 .45 in their holsters, "cocked." When I am not carrying them they are in the safe.

Again, keeping a gun cocked will not harm the spring (provided the spring is the one designed for the gun, of course). Also, by keeping my gun loaded, I don't need to frequently unload and clear and then later charge it before I carry it. I'm far more likely to have a ND by loading and unloading than I am by just leaving my gun in the holster and putting it in the safe.

 

[Muss Muggins]

If you actually do understand the function of the pistol, and you understand that the striker spring is fully compressed in the gun's normal ready state, then how could you possibly claim that it isn't fully cocked until the trigger is pulled?
The trigger on an M&P does no cocking. There is no way that anyone who understands this would say what you did.

Also, where does it say the gun in question is a Shield?

It is not fully compressed. Close, but not fully. If it was, Smith could not claim this to be a DAO pistol. What you describe is a SAO pistol, which the Shield is not. Search the OP's posts. The Shield is the only pistol he talks about. He has several questions about it.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Whether a Shield or not, the M&P trigger and firing pin function is the same. The trigger trips the sear, which releases the firing pin from its rest position. The rearward movement is miniscule. For all intents and purposes, M&P is closer to the XD. Single action. The Glock is partially pre-cocked. The M&P is so close it is "splitting hairs" to say that it is not. There is no appreciable difference in the amount of spring compression from its rest position to its position at the moment of release.

As to original question, doesn't S&W recommend replacement of the FP spring every 5,000 rounds or so, at the same time as the mag springs, recoil spring and the trigger return spring (the little coil with the tampon inside)?

As a practical matter, I have never heard of one failing, although we read of plenty of failures to fire with the M&P. Whether those are spring-related or headspace-related is anyone's guess.

Check this out starting at 0:50. I see no discernable rearward movement of the firing pin prior to its release. It is cocked in the usual sense of the word, all ATF classifications aside.

EDIT: I went and looked, and the FP spring is not on the list to change every 5,000 rounds or 5 years, so apparently no real concern here.

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=syO0mPKOtnw[/ame]

 

[hardluk1]

I only carry striker pistol and no unneeded safeties and the only time there unloaded is when being cleaned or between mag changes at the range other wise is all ready to go .

 

[McE]

Guy is asking about leaving a spring compressed. The input that the striker moves a trivial amount rearward as a matter of sear geometry (probably the similar amount a 1911 hammer would ever so slightly shift back before release) is irrelevant.

That is unless you're making some kind of point that there's a significant difference between the spring's life if it's 99.5% compressed versus being 99.6% compressed.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Guy is asking about leaving a spring compressed. The input that the striker moves a trivial amount rearward as a matter of sear geometry (probably the similar amount a 1911 hammer would ever so slightly shift back before release) is irrelevant.

That is unless you're making some kind of point that there's a significant difference between the spring's life if it's 99.5% compressed versus being 99.6% compressed.

If you are responding to my post, pointing out that it is fully cocked is relevant to the question as the compressed or fully cocked spring might become weak, whereas if it were at rest, it seems less likely. One person said it was not fully cocked when ready to fire, and I believe it is, or that it is so close, that for all practical purposes, it is fully compressed.

As to answering the OP, I do not know if leaving it "cocked" for years on end will cause the spring to become too weak, thereby compromising reliability, but I did attempt to answer the OP's question by pointing out that it is my understanding that S&W recommends that its LE customers replace that spring at regular intervals. That tells me there may be a concern.

EDIT: I went and looked, and the FP spring is not on the list of parts to change every 5,000 rounds or 5 years, so apparently, there is no concern here about the FP spring being basically fully compressed over long periods of time.

I am sorry if I did not make my post clear enough.

 

[LazarusLong]

I have to laugh at people who constantly unload or otherwise cycle their guns because they "don't want the springs to get weak" when, in fact, loading and unloading or decocking and cocking weaken the spring MORE than leaving it under tension! There are plenty of guns over a hundred years old with the original springs in them that work fine and that's with the more primitive metallurgy of the day. With any modern handgun you aren't going to have to worry about springs, other than recoil springs if you shoot a lot, for an extremely long time.

If it helps you sleep at night just replace them every 5 or 10 years.. A new set of springs for most guns is less than 20 bucks.

 

[John R]

Only time my M&P gets unloaded is when I have to shoot for qualification shoots.
Other than that it stays loaded and cocked.