[Delija]

Is there any harm in leaving a pistol (any pistol) with the slide locked back for any significant length of time?

Does this "wear down" the recoil spring?

Yes, I realize that this is a potentially dangerous way to leave a gun if children or even adults that are unfamiliar with handguns happen to find the gun. The slamming forward of the slide can cause very serious injury to people young and old.

But aside from safety issues for people, is there any reason not to leave the slide locked back as far as the "health" of the gun goes?

Thanks.

Peace,
D.

 

[manygunner]

Leaving the slide locked back is supposed to affect the set and tension of your recoil spring over time. One of my instructors actually recomended that as a fix to a new owner who had a hard time pulling the slide back. I have never done this experiment though and can only post second hand information. I never leave my slide locked back, I drop the slide and dry fire after unloading for storage. I see no reason to leave a slide locked back on my weapon. I only lock it back at a range when I have more then one gun out at my station, guns down on the counter, muzzle towards backstop, slide locked back to show clear. When I leave I drop the slide forward, dry fire at backstop and case the gun. I can get away with that at my range anyway, not sure what your range has for rules.

 

[mulder]

I havent heard if locking the slide open will cause damage but why would you want too? I have heard of a 1911 that was cocked, Locked and loaded and was left that way for 70 years I think it was and it still functioned normally. I read it in a American Handgunner book if you were wondering.
mulder

 

[Delija]

Thanks for the prompt responses.

I see no reason that I would want to store or leave the gun with the slide locked back. But I notice that a lot of the photos people post of their guns are in the locked back position. I guess they do it because it looks cool? (I guess it does look cool).

I asked because I bought my XD used, and it did not come with anything other than one magazine. I saw a sign at the Sheriff's sub station (in the local shopping mall) that they were giving away free gun locks. So I asked for one and it's the same kind of cable lock that comes with the XD.

It was easy enough to figure out how to use it....but to do so requires first locking the slide back. Out of curiosity, I looked at the on-line user's manual at the SA website (I did not get a printed manual with the gun) and they tell you to put the lock on and to then ease the slide forward. They do not say "why". But common sense says that the slamming forward could hurt someone.

So then out of further curiosity, I checked out the ILS (integrated locking system) on my 1911 SA .45.

I found that the lock will only engage (key turn) with the slide forward and the hammer down.

As far as the range I shoot at, they have never to my knowledge stated any rules about how to keep a gun that is tabled. No signs, nothing. In the store itself it seems as if the guns that are put on the counter generally are placed with the slides locked back.

There are quite a few bullet holes in the walls of the store. According to the owner and also to the sales guy who sold me on the XD, most of the ADs that occurred happened with Glocks. They did not tell me this because Glock is their competition. They sell Glock pistols and they sell more of them than any other brand.

Which just goes to show.....brand name recognition goes a very long way!!!

When I got my XD Sub, that day was the very first day I had ever even heard of the XD.

I wonder how the XDs and the Glocks would sell in that store if they had a steady inventory like they do of Glocks. As it is now, they have very few XDs in stock at any given time. I do notice because I have been going to shoot on average better than twice a week. (Subject to change if they do not get more reasonable with their ammo prices) http://www.floridashootersnetwork.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4694

Peace,
D.

 

[one-eyed-fatman]

I locked my slide back for three days just for the hell of it. Didn't do any good and it didn't do any harm.

 

[[TASF]Overkill]

I think it's Don who usually chimes in on this... But I hear he's trying to revive his significant other with a vinyl patch kit, so he may not be around for a bit...

Supposedly... ONLY cycling a spring can wear it out. Compressing it and leaving it just doesn't do anything. You have to keep compressing and expanding.

 

[Frenchy]

Ye ole ********* makes a good point!...Not about Don, that is! :lol:

 

[schorched]

If for no other reason, I wouldn't leave my slide locked back other than tabled at the range of course, simply because it leaves it open for a lot more dust and debris to get into it.

 

[manygunner]

I think that the reason most people post pictures of guns with slide locked back is that we are trained to do this to show clear and safe. Just like when handing a gun to a person, it is considered polite to check the gun is clear and to hand it over to them with the slide locked back for their inspection. The military does this with the "Inspection Arms" command and action in the manual of arms. It is an important gun safety and gun handling behavior. Remember, lots of people are injured or killed by "unloaded" guns, it is better to check that the gun is clear and never assume that the gun someone handed to you is empty either.