Question about cable locks.

[2117]

Is it okay to leave my pistol locked like this for an extended period of time? ie: days and/or weeks straight

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/248/g17lockedmc5.jpg

Thank you for any advice. :)

[J Osh10]

free bump cause I dont know

[propellerhead]

Sure it is.

[2117]

Sure it is.

Thanks.

This is my first firearm and for some reason I thought that with the spring being compressed all the time it would ''wear out'' faster. :o

I have a trigger lock but when it's locked onto the pistol it will not fit in the case.

[Strychnine]

Thanks.

This is my first firearm and for some reason I thought that with the spring being compressed all the time it would ''wear out'' faster. :o

I have a trigger lock but when it's locked onto the pistol it will not fit in the case.


Shooting will put a lot more stress on a spring than storing it locked open (compressed).

Springs are designed to operate within a certain range of travel. Locking the slide is certainly not exceeding that range, so the metal never passes it's yield strength point. The cable lock won't hurt anything... unless you need to use it quickly ;)

[2117]

Shooting will put a lot more stress on a spring than storing it locked open (compressed).

Springs are designed to operate within a certain range of travel. Locking the slide is certainly not exceeding that range, so the metal never passes it's yield strength point. The cable lock won't hurt anything... unless you need to use it quickly ;)

Oh ok, makes sense.

[That_Is_My_El_Camino]

Springs are designed to operate within a certain range of travel. Locking the slide is certainly not exceeding that range, so the metal never passes it's yield strength point. The cable lock won't hurt anything... unless you need to use it quickly ;)Does the same apply to leaving a magazine loaded at full capacity or near full capacity?

[srt-4_i_swear]

unless you do insane amounts of shooting or are using a low quality aftermarket magazine you should be fine. I wouldn't leave it compressed for too many months at a time though. Also why not just leave 3-5 rounds in it.

[Strychnine]

Does the same apply to leaving a magazine loaded at full capacity or near full capacity?


It should. There are three modes of failure that are very important to spring design. Material strength (yield), fatigue and creep.

On material strength, you need to know the max stress on the material when the spring is fully compressed. That needs to be less than the yield point of the material (when it goes from elastic deformation to plastic/permanent deformation). Keeping it below the elastic limit will ensure that the material will always return to its original state.

Next is fatigue. Springs in guns (I would guess) are subject to high-cycle fatigue (loads do not exceed the elastic limit). If they are designed to keep the stresses below the fatigue threshold, springs can be designed for "infinite fatigue life"

Lastly is creep. Lots of people will tell you that springs slowly weaken with time when compressed. In reality, spring steel has a very high resistance to creep when not overloaded. Creep generally comes into play when you get into high stresses and temperatures.


In short, if a manufacturer is worth their salt and puts any thought into their designs, it shouldn't be a problem.