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March 1, 2011, 10:45 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: October 3, 2010
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Not new to guns, but pretty new to concealed carry
I'm sorry to bother you all with amateur CCW questions but I'm just wondering what exactly you do with your CCW guns at the end of every day. So far I carry either a Walther PPS or a Kahr PM9, usually the PM9 because of the smaller size.
I have reservations about unloading the gun every day and loading the same rounds over and over again. Isn't bullet setback a concern when you do this? On the other hand it's not good to leave the gun sitting overnight in a holster you've been sweating against all day (I live in the South). Would you feel safe leaving the gun loaded and transferring it from the holster to another storage place where it can "breathe" overnight? Thanks for any help. |
March 1, 2011, 11:23 PM | #2 |
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My S&W Bodyguard gets put on the counter next to my wallet every night, always loaded. I also clean it pretty regularly.
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I'll keep my FREEDOM, my GUNS, my MONEY, my RELIGION, and you can keep the "CHANGE" ~ Hank Williams Jr. Ruger LCR, Ruger Mark III, Ruger P90, Taurus PT740, Taurus Model 608 S&W Bodyguard .380, Enfield .303, Marlin .22 |
March 1, 2011, 11:45 PM | #3 | |
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Quote:
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Look I like glocks. I've owned Sig's, HK's, 1911's, S&W, and other fine pistols but Glocks have been a favorite for me. Handguns without safeties are not dangerous. Idiots are dangerous. |
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March 2, 2011, 01:18 AM | #4 |
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dont bother loading and unloading unless its for maintenance....and a good magazine can be left loaded for a LONG time before spring wears down...
My carry guns ride with me until i drop my drawers and hit the sac and then it dont matter cuz i'm in a locked room with loaded pistols on my headboard |
March 2, 2011, 03:02 AM | #5 | ||
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Desiccant (which can come in "rechargeable" baggies/boxes) might be a good idea in your "storage place" to help dry out the entire gun. Not knowing your household (kids? guests?) you might want to consider some sort of small safe or lock box. |
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March 2, 2011, 07:29 AM | #6 |
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Unloading/loading every day? Huh? That would drive me kinda crazy... don't see the point. BTW, I'm no expert but I've read some testimony from science/engineering types who say that (long-term constantly compressed) "spring fatigue" in auto mags is basically a myth.
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March 2, 2011, 11:00 AM | #7 |
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I used to unload my guns when I took them off, but I don't anymore, unless its for longer-term storage. I found my auto's were really marking up rounds that would be chambered several times, and I guess I just got used to the idea of keeping them loaded/chambered.
I store mine in a quick-access safe, outside of their holsters. Alternatively, I might just leave it on my desk or dresser with my wallet for a quick-overnight until I put it on again in the morning. I can't carry all the time, due to my schedule taking me to "gun-free zones" so I lock it up some nights, not others. I live alone, though, so I needn't worry about others getting to it while its off of my person. When its not on my person, it may or may not be in the holster. If I'm wearing a holster that comes off easily, I usually just remove it with the gun still inside. If I have a holster where I have to take my belt off, I take the gun out and set it down, then take the belt & holster off and set it next to it. If I'm worried about moisture, I'll wipe the gun down and make sure its not in the holster. Most of the time, I don't worry much about that.
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March 2, 2011, 01:08 PM | #8 |
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As has been said you can keep a semi-auto mag full for a very long time.
If you have a problem with moisture, drop the mag, clear the chamber and wipe the gun down. Otherwise just leave it on the night stand. |
March 2, 2011, 05:31 PM | #9 | |||
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If you really want to keep chambering the same round a bunch of times, then you could try riding the slide gently back into battery instead of letting it slam forward when you reload (making sure that the extractor engages the rim properly). Quote:
My defensive pistol, for instance, is kept in a locked box shaped like a coffin with the inscription "The Holy Handgun of Antioch" and a lead cross on the lid. And when you open it, the underside of the lid says "You will fear no evil for I am with you." No, not really. However, it is kept in a small pistol safe so that my young nephew who lives with me can't get into serious trouble with it. |
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March 2, 2011, 07:33 PM | #10 |
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I carry an XDm 9mm and a P3AT. Both stay in a drawer when I'm not wearing them. I never unload them unless I'm going to shoot practice ammo through them.
I see no reason to unload a self defense gun. If you have kids in the house, use a trigger lock or a safe you can get into in a hurry. Leaving your magazines loaded won't hurt them. I have GI 1911 mags that have been loaded constantly since 1972 and they work fine. Sometimes I don't use them for years at a time. They always work and I always reload them and put them away. I collect vintage trumpets and cornets. Some of my horns are 90-110 years old. The valve springs on the professional models have been cycled, literally, hundreds of thousands of times. One trumpet, a 1908 King "Master", was owned by a professional jazz player who wore the valves to the point where the horn leaked badly. When I bought it from him, he told me he'd replaced the felt and cork spacers several times, but the springs were original. If they made springs that good over a century ago, I wouldn't worry about your magazine springs. Leave your gun loaded. |
March 2, 2011, 07:46 PM | #11 | |
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March 2, 2011, 08:58 PM | #12 | |||
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Note that this is a conservative suggestion. The only other practical way to know without sacrificing ammo capacity would be to experiment with each type of magazine you use, and see how long it takes for the springs to fail when loaded at full capacity. Obviously for defensive purposes you'll want to stick with magazines from reputable manufacturers such as Mec-Gar (which produces OEM magazines for many firearms manufacturers)--that should give you a little more confidence, at least (if you're worried at all--I just load my magazines up full and keep them that way, and none of them have failed from staying compressed yet). Quote:
It was either that or "The Sacred Sidearm Sepulchre." |
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March 2, 2011, 10:49 PM | #13 | |
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Thanks for all the helpful answers.
I should've been more clear that I meant only clearing the chamber, not unloading the mag. I have never liked the idea of chambering a round repeatedly. I've been around guns long enough not to worry about leaving mags loaded. I'm just a CCW newbie. Quote:
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March 2, 2011, 10:54 PM | #14 |
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The only time I unload my carry gun is for an occasion cleaning.
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March 2, 2011, 11:26 PM | #15 |
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Well, I guess there are a few variables to consider.
--Do you have children or other unauthorized individuals in close proximity? --Do you have more than one carry gun? --Do you have a safe or other lockable storage? I have no little ones in the house. I have multiple carry guns. I have a safe. Whatever I carry during the day rests on my nightstand at night. When I decide to swap it for another, it goes into the safe. No unloading, no "administrative handling" (do a search ) |
March 4, 2011, 01:41 PM | #16 |
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A quick access safe is all the solution to this problem you need.
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March 8, 2011, 11:03 AM | #17 |
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^^^ Looking for one right now.
Another stupid question: Does the shaking and jostling of the gunpowder in your carry ammo that comes from walking and constant movement degrade the powder over time, like what would happen to your Corn Flakes if you shook the box for a while? Are there other good reasons to change out your carry ammo at certain intervals? What is the most time that you should go before changing out the rounds in your CCW? Thanks again. |
March 8, 2011, 11:51 AM | #18 | ||
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Although I should add I don't carry any more. |
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March 8, 2011, 12:29 PM | #19 | |
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Location: Colorado, United States of America
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Quote:
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Look I like glocks. I've owned Sig's, HK's, 1911's, S&W, and other fine pistols but Glocks have been a favorite for me. Handguns without safeties are not dangerous. Idiots are dangerous. |
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March 8, 2011, 01:19 PM | #20 |
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Then you take it home and you leave it in your house and it gets back to 68*. And if you do that every day than that will take it's toll on your ammo. I would probably want to shoot it off every 3 months. Otherwise once a year is more than enough and it gives you that warm fuzzy fealing that your defensive loads still work great.
+1 words of wisdom |
March 8, 2011, 03:56 PM | #21 |
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I have a bunch of .45 ball ammo that's packed in 20 round cardboard boxes marked "20 Cartridges, Pistol Ball, Caliber .45 M1911, Ammunition Lot W.C.C. 1032, Western Cartridge Company".
The headstamps are FA32, meaning this stuff was manufactured in 1932. It was given to me by a retired Army Major in the early 1970s. He'd stored it in his attic. In Tucson. Most of the time I've owned it, it's been stored in garages or attics in AZ, SD and FL. Temps ranged from -20 to +120 or more. Now to my point. In 2008, I ran 5 rounds through one of my 1927 Argentine Colts and chronographed the results. I got an average of 842 fps and a Standard Deviation of 12! Somehow I don't think leaving your ammo in the car for a few months is going to be a problem!! |
March 15, 2011, 08:53 AM | #22 |
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Alexander, I am glad you post your "dumb questions" because one, some of us don't even know to ask them. Or two, it means we don't have to ask.
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March 15, 2011, 11:27 AM | #23 | |
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Join Date: December 22, 2010
Location: Colorado, United States of America
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Quote:
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Look I like glocks. I've owned Sig's, HK's, 1911's, S&W, and other fine pistols but Glocks have been a favorite for me. Handguns without safeties are not dangerous. Idiots are dangerous. |
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March 15, 2011, 02:20 PM | #24 |
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Join Date: November 20, 2008
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I leave mine in the pocket holster and put it with my wallet and keys up on a shelf. I never unload it - just leave it fully loaded.
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March 16, 2011, 12:31 PM | #25 |
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holster sweated in ...
... all day.
If you have a holster that works for you; buy a second one and swap each day and may as well use a silicon impregnated rag on the exterior of the wapon. Don't mean to snark -- its just that I live in Texas and I've already planned for a spare holster so I can swap from one to another after going out for my regular daily walks in Summer (trippple digit days are routine in July/August). |
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