Storing my 1911 loaded

[WWJBD]

I like to keep my Springfield Trophy match loaded in my nightstand.

But a "friend" of mine was arguing with me that I shouldn't keep it cocked and locked...something about wearing the springs out keeping it cocked. (Sounds like Bull**** to me)

I have always kept it fully loaded with a Wilson 8 rounder, 1 in the pipe, hammer cocked, safety on....

What do you guys do?

[raziel52000]

It is bull. Springs wear out from repeated cycles and not from steady state compression. You have nothing to worry about.

[WWJBD]

It is bull. Springs wear out from repeated cycles and not from steady state compression. You have nothing to worry about.

Ya that's pretty much what I thought.

I have kept it that way for a couple of years now, and i have yet to have a malfunction with it, or any problem whatsoever.

1150 rounds and counting.

[raziel52000]

Ya that's pretty much what I thought.

I have kept it that way for a couple of years now, and i have yet to have a malfunction with it, or any problem whatsoever.

1150 rounds and counting.

Glad everything is working good for you. It is a common misconception about springs that I like to nip in the bud whenever possible (usually people bring it up with keeping magazines loaded).

I've been lurking around these 1911 forums a lot lately and still have yet to pull the trigger on buying one. I'm leaning pretty heavily towards a Sig Sauer Tacops TB whenever I finally get around to it.

[Spiffums]

Wont hurt a thang! I keep all mine that are off body in Condition 3. That way if anyone in the family needs a gun all they have to do is grab one and run the slide. Glocks and HK LEM and my TLE.

[glock2740]

I have always kept it fully loaded with a Wilson 8 rounder, 1 in the pipe, hammer cocked, safety on....

What do you guys do?
This. Just as the good Lord intended. :cool:

[Unk]

Whether its on your hip or nightstand, your pistol and its springs don't know... or care.

Chambered, cocked, safety on.

[WWJBD]

This. Just as the good Lord intended. :cool:
:cheers:

[MajorD]

there have been cases of people finding 1911's in condition one stored in such a way that it is likely they were in that condition for decades, and they functioned perfectly.
not going to hurt a thing to keep it loaded and ready all the time.

[juanblaze]

:agree:

[Ruggles]

Agree. At worst slap a new spring in it every five years or so, cost all of $6-8 and takes 5 mins :)

[1911Tuner]

In 1991, I was personally involved with a Colt Commercial Government Model that had been stored in an attic fully loaded in Condition One since the death of its owner...in 1929.
After clearing the chamber and giving it a cursory check, I reloaded it and fired it 7 times to slidelock.

[bac1023]

There's no problem levaing it C&L.

[MStarmer]

I used to be concerned about these things but it's just not worth the effort. In fact I was shooting with a friend that hadn't had his Ruger P90 out in over a decade. Both mags fully loaded, gun pretty much bone dry and it ran like a top. The only problem that arose was the warning stickers on the magazines were bunched up and wouldn't allow them to go into the gun before peeling them off. I keep a couple of old 1911 mags loaded with 230gr ball in addition to what I carry with the gun stashed in the car, nightstand etc... Mags are cheap, buy lots and throw them out when they don't work.