I think you should be fine. I don't know about years, but I leave several of my Glocks chambered for weeks at a time with no issues.

 

It's the constant stretch and compression of the spring that makes it weaker so I don't see how letting it sitting static for long periods of time will render the glock useless.

 

The it is in the cocked and loaded function, the firing pin spring would be in full compression. I’m concerned it will weaken the pin strike. That being said I have stored my Glocks that way for years.

 

There is almost no differences internally in a GLOCK whether it has a round chambered or not. The only difference I know of would be the slight pressure put on the extractor spring. The RSA and the striker spring have the same amount of tension whether a round is chambered or not. The only potential problem would be in harsh environments where the metal of the round casing could react to the chamber and cause corrosion causing a failure to eject of feed after firing the chambered round.

 

Something to worry or obsess about that I don't,given good ammunition they just go Bang at least for me for the last fifteen years. SJ 40

 

Many uniformed Law Enforcement Officers leave their service weapon loaded for a year at a time - the once a year range date gets it shooting, then back into the holster for another year. At the end of tour you put it into your gun locker and carry your off duty home.
I would not worry about it at all.

 

It's said you can load a revolver and could pretty much leave it alone for years sitting in a drawer and it would still work fine since it's not cocked and all springs are at rest. Can the same be said about a Glock kept in a clean dry environment?

Could you chamber a round and leave a Glock in that condition and expect it to work after sitting for months or even years?

I have several friend and family members that don't shoot much or hardly ever and leave their guns loaded in bedside safes for extended periods sometimes even a few years at a time without touching them.

Thanks everyone!

I did have a Sig P220 and a S&W 629 in dry storage for years.
I pulled them out and the Sig was bone dry.
After the first shot I'm not sure it would have cycled.
The S&W revolver functioned perfectly like the day I put it in.

I know Glocks are supposed to run dry, but bone dry?
The springs will be fine, it's lubrication that will eventually become an issue.
And at some point the ammo itself may get old.
Although I've heard of many years old ammo working.
I think two years or so for SD ammo
and your supposed to go ahead and shoot it.

Bottom line, for a few months you're fine.
A few years, maybe a lot of years? Not so much....
You may be fine.
But I think there may be some level risk involved when you go beyond two years.

 

Many uniformed Law Enforcement Officers leave their service weapon loaded for a year at a time - the once a year range date gets it shooting, then back into the holster for another year. At the end of tour you put it into your gun locker and carry your off duty home.
I would not worry about it at all.

I have a 26 and a 19 that are house guns,the 26 hasn't been shot in several years(mags get rotated)I took it out last Friday and aired it out and it shot fine!!!

 

Dude with a proper lubrication before storage...pretty sure you could leave a round chambered for a hundred plus years and it would still go bang...as for reacting with the barrel an corroding....you are wrong too.

 

No issue. My guns stay loaded until I shoot them. Never had an issue.

 

I have fired ammo dating back to WWI, and I routinely shoot 30-06 and M-1 Carbine with LC 72 headstamps. That would now be 40 years old. Stored properly, ammo lasts a long time.
The worst thing for ammo is leather. It will start to corrode and develop verdigris, and should not be shot. But inside the gun is not a problem unless it is exposed to penetrating oils.

 

Striker fired guns cock as you pull the trigger. So you are leaving it loaded but no more tension on the gun than when it is stored unloaded.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e_3Ihpq9T4"]Link[/ame]

 

Striker fired guns cock as you pull the trigger. So you are leaving it loaded but no more tension on the gun than when it is stored unloaded.

Link

thanks!!!!

 

thanks!!!!

I guess I should give an amendment to my statement. The mag and trigger spring will both be under tension. Neither should ever wear out though.

 

Striker fired guns cock as you pull the trigger. So you are leaving it loaded but no more tension on the gun than when it is stored unloaded.

Link

Sorry, but I have to disagree. The firing pin spring is always held under tension (to about 30% spring power) by the spring cups and the firing pin firing pin spacer sleeve, even if the trigger is pulled. Now, when you rack the slide, the gun/firing pin gets pre-cocked to ~65% because the rear end of the trigger bar holds the lug of the firing pin back when the slide travels forward. The remaining 35% come from the trigger pull. So yes, the firing pin spring of a pre-cocked Glock is under a higher tension than a the spring in a uncocked Glock. You can clearly see that in your video.

To the OP, don't worry leaving your gun loaded. It won't wear out the firing pin spring nor any other parts in your gun. Only cycling a spring many many times will wear out the springs in a Glock. Order some spare springs for yours. It's always a good idea to have spare parts especially springs on hand and costs only a few dollars.

 

Sorry, but I have to disagree. The firing pin spring is always held under tension (to about 30% spring power) by the spring cups and the firing pin firing pin spacer sleeve, even if the trigger is pulled. Now, when you rack the slide, the gun/firing pin gets pre-cocked to ~65% because the rear end of the trigger bar holds the lug of the firing pin back when the slide travels forward. The remaining 35% come from the trigger pull. So yes, the firing pin spring of a pre-cocked Glock is under a higher tension than a the spring in a uncocked Glock. You can clearly see that in your video.

Cocked by almost any definition used for firearms means ready to fire. A striker fired gun whether loaded or unloaded is not cocked till the trigger is pulled. Yes there is a small amount of tension on a spring but not enough to effect it.

 

Cocked by almost any definition used for firearms means ready to fire. A striker fired gun whether loaded or unloaded is not cocked till the trigger is pulled. Yes there is a small amount of tension on a spring but not enough to effect it.

Well, a Glock and a few other brands needed a few new words to explain better their revolutionary striker fire system and other relative new designs of a striker fired pistol, which includes the word "pre-cocked or pre-set striker". You can't compare a Glock to a traditional 1911 for example where there is only cocked and de-cocked and nothing else. The striker/firing pin of a Glock is pre-cocked/pre-set as soon as you cycle the slide.

I wouldn't say it's not enough to effect it because we talking about an 65-70% pre-set striker. If it wouldn't be enough to effect it, then the firing pin safety block (aka. drop safety) would be completely unnesasary in our Glock's.

 

Yes. The cycling of compression and relaxing of spring is what wears them out.

 

I always think about the trigger spring. When un-cocked it is "slack" (so to speak). When the gun is cocked the trigger spring is stretched out and I think that leaving it that way might stress the two little hooks at the ends. Not good for a carry weapon.

I generally leave mine un-cocked if not to be used tor a long time. I am trying the NY1 spring for my carry G26 so as not to have this problem. If I don't get accustomed to the NY spring soon, I'm going back to the OEM 5# spring cocked but replaced at regular intervals....

 

I always think about the trigger spring. When un-cocked it is "slack" (so to speak). When the gun is cocked the trigger spring is stretched out and I think that leaving it that way might stress the two little hooks at the ends. Not good for a carry weapon.

I generally leave mine un-cocked if not to be used tor a long time. I am trying the NY1 spring for my carry G26 so as not to have this problem. If I don't get accustomed to the NY spring soon, I'm going back to the OEM 5# spring cocked but replaced at regular intervals....

Once again I must point out that your Glock will function just fine with NO trigger spring installed. The only difference is that after a full mag with the slide held open it would need to be cycled to reset the trigger (with no spring). So you will get the full mag off before there is an issue, with NO trigger spring.
Take it out and try it yourself.
So don't worry, it is not an issue.

 

Dude with a proper lubrication before storage...pretty sure you could leave a round chambered for a hundred plus years and it would still go bang...as for reacting with the barrel an corroding....you are wrong too.

The barrel may not corrode but the brass most deffinitally will, I'm not sayin in a year or so but yes 2 different metals left in contact with each other long enough will start to Corrode, its called dissimilar metal corosion,

 

By design the Glock is meant to be ready to fire when the trigger is pulled whether sitting in a holster for a year or in a lock box / safe.

I know of a case reported on another forum - where a maritime unit armorer was performing annual maintenance and found that the mag springs (G23 IIRC) had corroded and broken. He posted closeup photos of the springs and breaking points. It was a real eye opener.

I would say that it's okay to leave them ready but make sure that they are maintained properly even if not used.

If the pistol is going to be stored long term and unloaded, lube it well then pull the trigger to remove the tension from the trigger and firing pin springs.

 

To ease my own mind, I use a tip picked up from Mas Ayoob. I uncock & empty the mag at Daylight Savings/Standard Time switch, let it "rest" for a few hours, then re-load (with different mag), and re-cock. Probably not needed, but peace of mind - right? Cheers.

 

Once again I must point out that your Glock will function just fine with NO trigger spring installed. The only difference is that after a full mag with the slide held open it would need to be cycled to reset the trigger (with no spring). So you will get the full mag off before there is an issue, with NO trigger spring.
Take it out and try it yourself.
So don't worry, it is not an issue.

I did not know that. Thanks! But I also thought I read somewhere that you had to invert the gun if that spring broke to cycle the gun, no?

 

Many uniformed Law Enforcement Officers leave their service weapon loaded for a year at a time - the once a year range date gets it shooting, then back into the holster for another year. At the end of tour you put it into your gun locker and carry your off duty home.
I would not worry about it at all.

:agree:

 

The barrel may not corrode but the brass most deffinitally will, I'm not sayin in a year or so but yes 2 different metals left in contact with each other long enough will start to Corrode, its called dissimilar metal corosion,

Nah, he said I was wrong so I left it at that. I figured his degree in the sciences was better than mine.