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Points well taken.

You can take your ammo out and clean the gun ever so often and shoot the ammo so you put new back in the weapon.

As for as staying cocked all the time I would refer you to the police or military that stay locked and loaded all the time.

I think the locked and loaded posture is not going to hurt your weapon at all but if it concerns you have new springs put in every couple of years or so! Cant hurt it.

I don't worry about springs, based on my reading. I'm not an expert, so don't take my word for it.

But ask yourself, how long does a good mechanical wristwatch last if it is not broken by force?

This topic is discussed endlessly in rec.guns, and people have referred to actual scientific research there.

- Jim

I hope shooting off my ammo every now and then is not the only option... I pay almost $1.25/bullet for the stuff!

TheYoungGuy wrote:I carry a .40 S&W, 4" Springfield XD, and other than while I'm reloading clips at the range, it is always cocked and locked. Is this a bad thing?

How do you cock and lock an XD? It has no hammer

I have 2 1911's that stay cocked and locked year round. About every 3 months I field strip and re-lube. I check the OAL of the round that was in the chamber and if it is within 5 thousands or so of the others I put it back in the chamber. If I feel it is getting too short I leave it out and just shoot it at the range on my next trip. If I was not a reloader and could not check the OAL I would probably just use the round from the chamber at the range.

I'm pretty new to 24/7 carry myself and wrestled with some of those same questions. I did a LOT of reading and researching online. Just casual stuff i guess, but i read up on it for about 2 weeks straight during my free time.

my conclusions are as follows.

1) your gun is fine doing that. If you're really concerned about it have your springs replaced every 3-5 years or so, but if you use your gun regularly as you should anyway, you'll notice when problems come up. Also don't over-oil your gun or get lube on the ammo. It sounds like the worst thing you have to worry about is magazine springs. So long as they're feeding ok you should be fine.

2) Your ammo should be fine. It's designed for years of storage anyway. I would blow the one round you have chambered every few months, but most folks don't think it's necessary.

3) it's more of a safety issue than a hardware issue. Make SURE you carry in such a way that your stuff will NOT go off with accidental trigger pull. That's one of the reasons I don't carry a glock like that. If something catches that trigger and you're loaded you're gonna shoot something. I intentionally found a gun that was comfortable to carry, shoot and had a thumb safety i was happy with.

I carry in condition 1 as well, but there are much more knowledgeable folks around here to model. Who's the greater fool? the fool or the fool that follows him? :)

LedJedi wrote:3) it's more of a safety issue than a hardware issue. Make SURE you carry in such a way that your stuff will NOT go off with accidental trigger pull. That's one of the reasons I don't carry a glock like that. If something catches that trigger and you're loaded you're gonna shoot something. I intentionally found a gun that was comfortable to carry, shoot and had a thumb safety i was happy with.

Great thoughts, LJ. As for the above mentioned "safety issue", I assure you that issue is why I DON'T carry a Glock. I think they are unsafe. My XD, some would argue, is only differentiated by a grip safety similar to the traditional 1911, but that safety makes a world of difference, IMHO. I practice drawing with a firm, ready grip yet with a cautious trigger finger. I also make extra sure that I holster and/or re-holster with my thumb over the back of the slide to ensure that IF for some crazy reason my trigger were to "grab" onto something, my grip safety would not be engaged; thus preventing a ND.

TheYoungGuy wrote:

LedJedi wrote:3) it's more of a safety issue than a hardware issue. Make SURE you carry in such a way that your stuff will NOT go off with accidental trigger pull. That's one of the reasons I don't carry a glock like that. If something catches that trigger and you're loaded you're gonna shoot something. I intentionally found a gun that was comfortable to carry, shoot and had a thumb safety i was happy with.

Great thoughts, LJ. As for the above mentioned "safety issue", I assure you that issue is why I DON'T carry a Glock. I think they are unsafe. My XD, some would argue, is only differentiated by a grip safety similar to the traditional 1911, but that safety makes a world of difference, IMHO. I practice drawing with a firm, ready grip yet with a cautious trigger finger. I also make extra sure that I holster and/or re-holster with my thumb over the back of the slide to ensure that IF for some crazy reason my trigger were to "grab" onto something, my grip safety would not be engaged; thus preventing a ND.

100% agree

if i ever do own a glock (would like to at some point), I will pay the $150 to have a gunsmith put in a thumb safety for peace of mind.

TheYoungGuy wrote:As for the above mentioned "safety issue", I assure you that issue is why I DON'T carry a Glock. I think they are unsafe.

?????
Glocks are unsafe?!?
One of the safest pistols on the market shows the research from Guns and Ammo Magazine. The internal mechanism is completely disabled until your finger is ON the trigger. And it has been mentioned SEVERAL times before in this forum: "Guns do not discharge on their own". Glock lovers back me up a little here and throw in your thoughts and experiences.

And B.T.W.
Why would your finger be on the trigger anyways unless you had the intention of shooting it?

razoraggie wrote:

TheYoungGuy wrote:As for the above mentioned "safety issue", I assure you that issue is why I DON'T carry a Glock. I think they are unsafe.

?????
Glocks are unsafe?!?
One of the safest pistols on the market shows the research from Guns and Ammo Magazine. The internal mechanism is completely disabled until your finger is ON the trigger.

not true AT ALL. It is disabled until AN OBJECT is on the trigger. Fingers are but one object that can fire the weapon. ;)

razoraggieAnd B.T.W. wrote: Why would your finger be on the trigger anyways unless you had the intention of shooting it?

because with a Glock one must press the trigger to break it down for cleaning. (which is a serious flaw, IMO)

txinvestigator wrote:

razoraggie wrote:

TheYoungGuy wrote:As for the above mentioned "safety issue", I assure you that issue is why I DON'T carry a Glock. I think they are unsafe.

?????
Glocks are unsafe?!?
One of the safest pistols on the market shows the research from Guns and Ammo Magazine. The internal mechanism is completely disabled until your finger is ON the trigger.

not true AT ALL. It is disabled until AN OBJECT is on the trigger. Fingers are but one object that can fire the weapon. ;)

man... as much as you're rough around the edges... i have to love a guy who tells it like it is :)

I owe you a beer for that one. well said, well said and you beat me to it.

if it had some fancy way of knowing MY finger or my wife's finger from someone else's finger or a misc unwanted object on the trigger i'd own one in a heartbeat.

So then you believe that they are unsafe, Txi? Or that the safety of a firearm soley depends on the discipline and catiousness of the carrier? That was the point of my post.

razoraggie wrote:So then you believe that they are unsafe, Txi?

It is an inanimate object, without being safe or unsafe on it own. ;)

Or that the safety of a firearm soley depends on the discipline and catiousness of the carrier? That was the point of my post.

Being around guns and people shooting guns as much as I have been, I have learned that people do dumb things with firearms, even well trained people, but guns don't act alone.

I agree with you mostly.