A striker fired pistol- safe to leave loaded for extended time?

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

dgang

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2005
Messages
46
Location
colorado springs, co.
Just received a striker fired 9mm pistol from my family for Christmas. Up to now I have carried a 3" .357 revolver and just placed it in a safe place when at home. Can I do the same with the striker fired pistol, meaning a round in the chamber and cocked for extended periods of time. Not knowing, it would seem that in would be like keeping a crossbow cocked for weeks or even a month so and be hard and weaken whatever springs and mechanisms involved. Thanks for the input and a merry Christmas to all of you. Dgang
 
It shouldn't be a problem. The ones that do actually leave the action cocked all the way are set up to handle that condition, and many striker-fired pistols don't actually leave the striker fully "cocked" when the gun is in the ready condition. The trigger completes the cocking action.
 
dgang said:
striker fired pistol ... meaning a round in the chamber and cocked for extended periods of time ... and weaken whatever springs and mechanisms involved.
Click to expand...
No issue.

You see countless law enforcement officers carrying their Glocks chambered with striker "cocked" all the time for extended periods of time.

For Glocks, striker is actually "partially cocked" and when the trigger is pulled, the striker is pulled back further before being released.
 
Last edited:
As stated striker fired pistols are generally only partially cocked and the trigger completes the cocking actionn.

I have seen a failure to fire after a firearm was left fully cocked but the timeframe was 60+ years.
 
I don't have it anymore but I bought an XD-40 back in '07. While I did have other guns I carried during that time frame it stayed cocked & loaded from '07 until I sold it last year in '18. I sold it after I bought the M&P 2.0 Compact. I don't recall ever having a malfunction with it that wasn't ammunition related. FWIW XD's are Single Action which means the striker stays fully cocked.
 
dgang said:
Just received a striker fired 9mm pistol from my family for Christmas. Up to now I have carried a 3" .357 revolver and just placed it in a safe place when at home. Can I do the same with the striker fired pistol, meaning a round in the chamber and cocked for extended periods of time. Not knowing, it would seem that in would be like keeping a crossbow cocked for weeks or even a month so and be hard and weaken whatever springs and mechanisms involved. Thanks for the input and a merry Christmas to all of you. Dgang
Click to expand...
To answer your question, I would ask one of you.

How long do you think the average police officer leaves his duty gun loaded ?.

The answer I learned as an LEO/firearms instructor is ------------- many,MANY years ,or even decades !.
 
Received a Sig 365. Will go to the range tomorrow to try it out, maybe a good companion to my P226. Hope so. Looks like the overwhelming opinion is to carry like my revolver. Until proven otherwise will treat it the same. Thanks to all for the input.
 
dgang said:
Received a Sig 365. Will go to the range tomorrow to try it out, maybe a good companion to my P226. Hope so. Looks like the overwhelming opinion is to carry like my revolver. Until proven otherwise will treat it the same. Thanks to all for the input.
Click to expand...

It definitely will be!
 
Been stored cocked for a little over a century but I did finally replace the striker spring not too long ago. It had lost about a third of the original spring over the decades and so would sometimes give me light strikes.

standard.jpg
 
scaatylobo said:
To answer your question, I would ask one of you.

How long do you think the average police officer leaves his duty gun loaded ?.

The answer I learned as an LEO/firearms instructor is ------------- many,MANY years ,or even decades !.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming you mean the vast majority of the time loaded. Years carrying the same ammo, without cleaning and without qualification seems unlikely.
 
Cops do it for years at a time with breaks only for qualification and cleaning.

Glock, S&W, Springfield and the like.... I'd say, unreservedly, YES!

Todd.
 
Last edited:
While going through the safe about a year ago, I rediscovered my Davis P380. Yes, I own that. It was my first handgun and though a chromed "Zamak special", it is somewhat sentimental.

Anyway, I hadn't shot this thing in about 20 years and noticed it was still cocked (though not chambered and mag empty).

Submitting to nostalgia, I took it to the range a few weeks later while function firing a newly acquired Colt Government 380 and it fired about 40 or so rounds without issue.

So if a Davis Industries-source striker spring can stand the test of time while compressed, I think something of higher quality will do at least as well.
 
94045 said:
I'm assuming you mean the vast majority of the time loaded. Years carrying the same ammo, without cleaning and without qualification seems unlikely.
Click to expand...
Sadly,not really.
When "qual" time came around there were FAR too many who managed to skip yearly quals ---- for decades.

Was not my call,the brass let them go.
 
Not going to hurt the pistol. But I'm uncomfortable leaving a striker fired gun in the safe with a round chambered. Really any firearm. I have no issue carrying a Glock or any other similar gun with a round chambered. But if it is not stored in a proper holster with the trigger covered I prefer the chamber empty.

All of my pistols are stored in the safe with loaded mags and empty chambers. When the time comes to carry them a round is chambered before going in the holster. But that is just my system.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

N
  • Locked
Striker-fired pistols
Replies
13
Views
1K
Kilroy
K
G
  • Locked
Striker Fired question
Replies
9
Views
486
Just One Shot
J
wally
  • Locked
Firing pin (striker) block failure! SIG P320 X5
Replies
11
Views
2K
9mmepiphany
9mmepiphany
B
  • Locked
Kimber Solo9: DAO or S/A w/ 7 pound trigger?
Replies
15
Views
1K
Capp35
C
T
  • Locked
Gun design questions.
Replies
22
Views
857
Run&Shoot
R
Back
Top