How do you store your handguns?

[Thad]

I know some people say do not dry fire rimfire, but centerfire is ok. Lets put this one to rest. When storing them unloaded, do you dry fire or not. What about your .22 handgun, any different? When cleaning them or showing them off do you dryfire any including your shotguns? At gun shops they always allow you to fire, I am guessing because it has no owner. How bad IS it? They sell snap caps for a reason, so please weigh in.

 

[bumm]

I like to store my guns with the hammer down. It probably doesn't really make a difference, but I just feel better with the spring "relaxed." If it's a centerfire, I just dry fire it. (If it's a gun that I dry fire A LOT, I keep a snap cap in it... again, I just feel better.) With a .22, if I can't ease the hammer down, I bring an empty fired brass case home and dry fire on that after cleaning and before putting the gun away.
Marty

 

[psyopspec]

For precision rifles and rimfire weapons, I only dryfire just before packing them up at the range. Handguns I practice with regularly see a lot of dryfire, and I've never had any problems. My HD shotgun I don't dryfire much, as I primarily practice with live ammo.

 

[10-Ring]

I found snap caps for all my guns so I can practice w/ them w/o actually firing them..

 

[DavidVS]

A .22 with a thin firing pin is NOT good to dry fire. The pin will impact the empty cylinder and will eventually wear badly. Except for lacking the color-cue an empty casing works as well as a snap-cap to prevent this damage.

I am not sure if the NAA mini-revolvers, with their thick firing pin "blade", are safe to dry fire without something in the cylinder. But then, they can be dry fired with the cylinder removed!

 

[lee n. field]

. When storing them unloaded, do you dry fire or not.

Most guns it does not hurt to dry fire. RT*M.

Mine are stored hammer (or striker) down.

 

[Black Majik]

Mine are dryfired and stored hammer/striker down/uncocked.

Rimfire stored the same, but not dryfired. I ease the hammer down on an empty chamber.

 

[Kali Endgame]

Loaded and placed around the house.

 

[Gator]

Darn, Kali beat me to it

 

[glockman19]

How do you store your handguns?

LOADED

 

[Cannonball888]

Loaded

 

[S&W620]

My revolver is stored loaded in the closet.

My .45 is cocked and locked on the nightstand.

 

[Im283]

All guns in my safe are stored with hammer down, slides or actions closed so as to reduce stress on springs. Probably does not really matter with that though.

Stored is defined by American Heritage as "to store or put away for future use." Guns should never be stored loaded IMHO. When I leave the house in the morning my nightstand gun is unloaded and put back in the safe. I assume if you all leave loaded guns around you are not really storing them but rather having them ready for immediate use.

Ruger claims their SAS New Model .22 is safe to dry fire, I do not know about any other .22' handguns. On my rifles that are rimfire I only dryfire them as needed for disassembly when cleaning.