# Not using gun?



## K_M (Apr 19, 2009)

Sorry for all the new questions, but I don't know much if anything about guns, and am avoiding the which brand which cal questions for now. So, how long is ok to have a gun sit loaded without firing? 6months- 6 years- indeffinately?


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## Guest (May 3, 2009)

As long as it has been properly cleaned and lubricated and kept in a low humidity environment, indefinitely. 

Scott


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## K_M (Apr 19, 2009)

Cleaned and lubricated, is that something that needs to be done on occasion even if the gun hasnt been fired?


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## PhilR. (Apr 25, 2007)

There are many firearms in museums that are many hundreds of years old, but will still function if given the chance. So as Scott mentioned, they can last indefinitely if the proper care is taken.

Ammo is another matter to some extent. Modern cased ammo will still function after many decades, and I've read about instances where late 1800's cased ammo still functions when fired. However, no one really knows how long cased ammo will last, since it's only been around since the latter part of the 19th century.


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## K_M (Apr 19, 2009)

*21?*

I have been looking at the 21. Here is my criteria. I would like a 45 that can sit locked in a safe under a bed for 5 years and know 100% that it will fire in case of emergency? Any of you guys with multiple guns levae a glock for a long time without firing then go shoot it- no prep or anything?


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## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

If you plan on doing that, without praticing, then I wouldn't recommend a firearm at all. This probably isn't what you want to hear, but that would be my feeling on this...


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## PhilR. (Apr 25, 2007)

K_M said:


> Cleaned and lubricated, is that something that needs to be done on occasion even if the gun hasnt been fired?


Cleaned - no. But occasional lube once every several years would be a good idea. Even more frequently would be the need for application of a rust-proofing agent (many of which are cleaner/lubes anyway), particularly the bore and any areas of rubbing where the protective factory finish is wearing.


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## js (Jun 29, 2006)

K_M said:


> I have been looking at the 21. Here is my criteria. I would like a 45 that can sit locked in a safe under a bed for 5 years and know 100% that it will fire in case of emergency? Any of you guys with multiple guns levae a glock for a long time without firing then go shoot it- no prep or anything?


practice, practice, practice... That gun isn't going to do anything for you if you can't hit a target. Now, add the adrenaline rush if someone is threatening your life. Practice and confidence is something you want on your side.


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## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

The OP never said that it's his only gun, although it would be good to practice on the particular gun you're putting your life on. Also, a gun locked in a safe under your bed isn't going to be very accessible in an emergency.

KG


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

Leaving an automatic unused, un-oiled, unmaintained, and expecting it to work flawlessly after 5 years? Please.

FYI, threads merged. No need to have the same general question all over the forum.


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## K_M (Apr 19, 2009)

Thanks guys, that all makes sense


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## K_M (Apr 19, 2009)

Todd said:


> Leaving an automatic unused, un-oiled, unmaintained, and expecting it to work flawlessly after 5 years? Please.
> 
> FYI, threads merged. No need to have the same general question all over the forum.


I dont know these things. And thanks for merging, I wasnt really thinking how sim the question was.


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

Any weapon needs to be cleaned and lubed now and then no matter if it's been used or not. Dirt has a way of getting into things and many gun lubes will fade away at some point.

AS *BeefyBeefo* said if you're not planning in getting the thing out and practicing you don't need a firearm..
.....You need a security guard.

AS *js* Pointed out.. A weapon is only as useful as the person holding it. If you don't 100% know that you can use the weapon correctly it's just a paperweight. One that might well get you or your family into a bigger jam than you would be in without it.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

K_M said:


> I dont know these things.


Think about it this way. A gun is a mechanical object. Would you trust your life to the operation of any mechanical object that had not been maintained? I wouldn't.


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## unpecador (May 9, 2008)

If I was looking to purchase a handgun for self defense that I planned on neglecting for long periods of time while expecting it to function properly at any given moment, I would be looking for a 38/357 revolver made by a reputable manufacturer.


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## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

i dont know about anyone else here, but i dont want to own a gun i dont shoot! :mrgreen:

hope you'll take the right precautions/training and safety measures prior to getting a gun!


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

rccola712 said:


> i dont know about anyone else here, but i dont want to own a gun i dont shoot! :mrgreen:
> 
> hope you'll take the right precautions/training and safety measures prior to getting a gun!


+1
A weapon without training is a truly dangerous weapon.


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## BigNic (Feb 17, 2009)

As it's been pointed out, without some practice and a little maintenance, it's just sitting under your bed giving you a false sense of security.


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

K_M said:


> I have been looking at the 21. Here is my criteria. I would like a 45 that can sit locked in a safe under a bed for 5 years and know 100% that it will fire in case of emergency? Any of you guys with multiple guns levae a glock for a long time without firing then go shoot it- no prep or anything?


To be completely fair, you really can't be 100% sure with any semi-auto. When you load up the magazine, you've got a spring under pressure. It is normally reccomended that you change magazines frequently, unloading one and loading up another, to spare the life of the magazine spring. Mostly because after that long a period of time, you've probably broken the tension on the spring and it won't feed correctly. You'll blame the gun, of course, because most do. But in actually you've asked too much of one spring.

All of us here will suggest you practice, too. Let me give you this idea. Get someone in your house to help you. Load up a paintball gun and put it where you would keep your gun when you get it. Give your helper a target and tell them some random night, at around 3:00AM when you are fast asleep, they have to sneak in and put the target up in some random spot. Once they've done this, they are to wake you by blowing an airhorn right by your head. At that point, you jump up, grab the paintball gun, and try to hit the target. After that, you'll hit the range a few times. I promise.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

SuckLead said:


> Get someone in your house to help you. Load up a paintball gun and put it where you would keep your gun when you get it. Give your helper a target and tell them some random night, at around 3:00AM when you are fast asleep, they have to sneak in and put the target up in some random spot. Once they've done this, they are to wake you by blowing an airhorn right by your head. At that point, you jump up, grab the paintball gun, and try to hit the target. After that, you'll hit the range a few times. I promise.


Is this a normal night at Casa de SuckLead? :smt033


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

Todd said:


> Is this a normal night at Casa de SuckLead? :smt033


No, thank God. But it is exactly what I tell new shooters who think they can buy a gun, never practice, and shoot really well under a lot of pressure with a lot of andrenaline rushing through them.


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## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

Todd said:


> Is this a normal night at Casa de SuckLead? :smt033


hahaha, interesting idea though


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

SuckLead said:


> No, thank God. But it is exactly what I tell new shooters who think they can buy a gun, never practice, and shoot really well under a lot of pressure with a lot of andrenaline rushing through them.


So you get to say that a lot, then.


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## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

SuckLead said:


> To be completely fair, you really can't be 100% sure with any semi-auto. When you load up the magazine, you've got a spring under pressure. It is normally reccomended that you change magazines frequently, unloading one and loading up another, to spare the life of the magazine spring. Mostly because after that long a period of time, you've probably broken the tension on the spring and it won't feed correctly. You'll blame the gun, of course, because most do. But in actually you've asked too much of one spring.


It's been mentioned several times in other threads that leaving a mag loaded won't hurt the spring. It's cycling that wears it out, so loading and unloading it repeatedly like that would wear it out quicker. You have springs under pressure in all sorts of other equipment without them losing tension...windows, cars, watches, you name it.

KG


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

Todd said:


> So you get to say that a lot, then.


Yeah, we can say it is well practiced.


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

kg333 said:


> It's been mentioned several times in other threads that leaving a mag loaded won't hurt the spring. It's cycling that wears it out, so loading and unloading it repeatedly like that would wear it out quicker. You have springs under pressure in all sorts of other equipment without them losing tension...windows, cars, watches, you name it.
> 
> KG


Well, I personally don't agree. I've gone through wracks of magazines too many times for people who left ammo sitting in their magazines for a few years and suddenly they go shoot and the gun isn't feeding. But it seems to clear up with the new magazines.


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## PhilR. (Apr 25, 2007)

Agree or not, it's very well known how metal wears and how things break, and metal things break by wear and cycling. Loading and unloading mags will wear springs faster, which is essentially the opposite of what you are saying.

But hey - it's a free country, and you can believe whatever you want....


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## K_M (Apr 19, 2009)

I do plan on going to the range occasionally, but time really does seem to fly sometimes.


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## K_M (Apr 19, 2009)

oh and the intruder air horn practice would really piss my dog and wife off, but still hilarious


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

SuckLead said:


> Well, I personally don't agree. I've gone through wracks of magazines too many times for people who left ammo sitting in their magazines for a few years and suddenly they go shoot and the gun isn't feeding. But it seems to clear up with the new magazines.


You're right to the extent that setting a loaded mag for years can cause a spring to fail rather from dirt getting in there or the fact that it's sat FOR YEARS.

kg, NO a loaded mag wont hurt it if it sits a while but if we're talking years then I'm not trusting that mag until I at least take it apart and see if the spring is toast for sitting compressed - for years.

It looks like both of you are talking about two different things though really. You can let a mag sit for say..A month or so and it should be OK if it's been in a clean dry place but if it sits there for too long there are just way too many variables that can comer into play that can cause a mag to fail. Even a mag that was in your trunk for a couple/few months cna fail pretty easy. A lot of crap finds it's way into things that are not payed attention to.

True though the person that loads and unloads and loads and unloads every day or even every couple days you are simulating the wear that it was designed to take and it will wear out faster than the mag that sits for a couple months in the safe loaded.


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## kg333 (May 19, 2008)

DevilsJohnson said:


> kg, NO a loaded mag wont hurt it if it sits a while but if we're talking years then I'm not trusting that mag until I at least take it apart and see if the spring is toast for sitting compressed - for years.


Fair enough, I wouldn't trust it either. I was just pointing out that the "does it wear out under compression or doesn't it" question has been beaten to death in other discussions.

KG


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

Sure it will, just like any other device that is worked back and forth. The more you use it the more it wears.


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## nky1129 (Nov 3, 2008)

I can't speak for anyone else, but this is how I feel: I've had a lot of mechanical, electrical, metal, plastic etc. instruments fail on me in my relatively short lifetime. From cars to bikes to blenders to televisions to really expensive cordless drills. I would never trust anything that I didn't inspect myself, especially something that had been sitting for several years. Granted, Glock's reputation for reliability is exceptional. That's one of the reasons that I own and carry a Glock 19. 

But if/when I'm faced with a situation where my life is threatened, I want to know that not only will my defensive tool of choice operate flawlessly in the manner in which it was intended, but also that I will be able to use it effectively. For me, that means that it goes with me everywhere. On my person when it legally can be, and in my nightstand or end table drawer
when I'm at home. I've spent the last couple of months practicing shooting it the range, drawing it from my IWB holster (unloaded, of course) at home, cleaning it, buying it dinner, telling it not to listen when a Kimber owner or wheel-gunner calls it ugly.:mrgreen: But seriously, it has become an extension of my person as much as an inanimate object can be. I know I wouldn't feel as confident in my self-preservation abilities if my Glock was serving five to ten in dark gun safe under my bed. Plus I'd miss it too much.


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## nailer (Apr 26, 2009)

You are one sick dude, but I agree. Gee, what does that make me?


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## stormbringerr (May 22, 2007)

if your gun is going to be locked up under your bed you may as well not even have it.certainly not for emergencies..


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