Storing a shotgun with shells in the magazine.

[yella yelper]

Load her up and leave it.  It'll last a while and IF they do wear out, just get new springs.  I don't know about yall, but I don't jack up my truck every night to relieve the pressure on the springs. 

[deerbasshunter3]

Load her up and leave it.  It'll last a while and IF they do wear out, just get new springs.  I don't know about yall, but I don't jack up my truck every night to relieve the pressure on the springs.

You bring up a good point about the truck springs.

[surehuntsalot]

I have 3 shotguns, 2 SKS's with 30rd magazines, 1 AK47 with a 40rd magazine, and 3 9mm pistols that are loaded 24/7 in my house

an empty gun is and expensive baseball bat and just as useless when you need it

[kjnengr]

Load her up and leave it.  It'll last a while and IF they do wear out, just get new springs.  I don't know about yall, but I don't jack up my truck every night to relieve the pressure on the springs.

You bring up a good point about the truck springs.

All springs are designed differently.  Some are designed so that they can be fully compressed, others will set if overly compressed.  Truck springs are designed to have the weight of the truck on them at all times. If you want the gun for home defense, I would buy an additional spring and just monitor the one in your gun to see when it needs to be replaced.  I have never stored a gun with the magazine spring compressed so I don't know how long it takes or if it ever weakens the spring.

[cuppednlocked]

Magazine springs are weakened by compression cycles or overloading, not by leaving them compressed.

http://www.nationalgunforum.com/semi-auto-handgun-discussion/24400-spring-tension-loaded-pistol-magazines-2.html

[WV TURKEY THUG]

keep it loaded with a backup also. ive got guns hid throughout the house thats easy to get to if i need it. i unload them when i expect kids to be around.  a good k9 will deter alot of intruders.

[FullChoke]

If time is critical, I wouldn't waste my time with trying to take a sock off of a gun, just shoot through it.

I would also practice getting to the gun and getting ready. Perfect practice makes for better results for you.

Good luck.

[Spitten and drummen]

all I can say is I have guns that have stayed loaded to the hilt with one in the pipe for several years. I take them and shoot them and load them back up. I haven't had a issue with feeding due to a weak spring as long as I can remember.

[surehuntsalot]

all I can say is I have guns that have stayed loaded to the hilt with one in the pipe for several years. I take them and shoot them and load them back up. I haven't had a issue with feeding due to a weak spring as long as I can remember.

that is the way a firearm is suppose to work

[30_06]

Can't say I have had a problem leaving the magazine full. As mentioned above a unloaded gun is an expensive bat....I prefer guns to bats for defense.

[g8rvet]

When seconds count, the police are just minutes away. 


Not a knock on the police, it is just geography. 

[Phire Phite]

I believe the "wearing out" of springs takes quite a while.  I'll gladly spend a few bucks for some springs once a year at worst so I'm not trying to load a magazine in the dark, after just being woken up, with lots a adrenaline flowing, with someone in the house with my kids....

[deerbasshunter3]

Regardless of whether it is loaded or not, it is locked in a safe, away from my child, so it would probably take too long to get to it anyways.

[turkey buster]

An unloaded gun is useless

[Phire Phite]

An unloaded gun is useless

Unless it's a desert eagle...could take out a water buffalo pistol whipping it