Springs

[Wapato]

Since decokers don't seem to be a popular feature of shotguns, I'm curious about their springs.

Are they fine sitting in a closet while under tension? It would seem that would be a good way to have a gun go "click", possibly after a decade of tension in a closet mixed with time at the range or field.

And unlike springs in a pistol magazine you might not get a bunch of good shots before trouble, nor warning signs at the range before the thing finally is just too weak to set off the primer.

If the springs don't like being under tension, and you don't have a decocking model, it seems like you'd have to make some comprimises for reliable storage.

I don't have a shotgun yet, so what say you more experienced folks?

 

[Dave McCracken]

The 1950 made 870 here has been kept loaded and locked since at least 1980. About once a year I take it to the range, shoot it,including the ammo kept in the magazine. Then it goes home, gets cleaned, reloaded and put back where I keep it.

No probs yet.....

 

[Sam Cade]

Are they fine sitting in a closet while under tension?

Short version:


Springs don't get tired.


Springs only wear by being cycled.


Springs only take a set by being pushed (or pulled) beyond their working limits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_(device)

 

[Drail]

Assuming we're talking about quality springs that are not being overworked (as in a lot of high cap magazines). In that case they certainly can go dead from just being fully compressed over time. With poor quality springs all bets are off. If you don't know the origin or age of your springs replace them with Wolff or ISMI and you will head off a lot of problems.

 

[Virginian]

Modern coil springs of proper design only get weakened by cycling, not by being kept compressed. Leaf springs will usually take a set from being kept compressed. That's because the stresses in leaf springs are much higher. That's why coils springs were invented.

 

[Wapato]

Thanks for the information guys!

Poking around, I found some people who go to some lengths, like dry firing into the empty chamber, to release tension prior to storage. But perhaps they're just misinformed.

 

[Virginian]

I use snap caps and dry fire the gun after cleaning and just before before putting it away with ALL my guns. When I take it out of the safe I remove the snap cap. Just a habit I like. If I get home and don't have time to clean the gun right away, that snap cap sitting there reminds me.