[Man In Oregon]

After shooting the last round the bolt is locked to the rear. I remove the mag and am done for the day. Is it a bad idea to leave the bolt locked to the rear stored away in its carrying case? The reason I ask is, it is faster to leave it locked back so when I insert a fully loaded mag all I have to do is draw back on the bolt and let it fly shut and it's ready to shoot. This is if time is of the essence!

If it's not a good idea to leave the bolt locked back, is it hard on the firing pin to fire it without a cartridge?

 

[45K20E4]

Personally I would not leave the bolt locked to the rear...it can be hard on the spring.

Technically dry firing is "bad" for the weapon, as it allows the firing pin to hit the inside of the bolt. As it wears over time from dry firing, the firing pin protrudes more from the bolt. Eventually it could get bad enough to puncture a primer. In the military, protrusion is measured during semi-annual gauging, and will deadline a weapon if it fails.

NOW, having said all that....you will need to dry fire your weapon a helluva lot to start damaging anything...so I would not worry about it. I have only seen a small number of weapons in the Cav that failed due to FP protrusion.

 

[dave_g]

Agree with 45K20E4.

That said, I often leave my bolt back. The spring is pretty heavy duty, and it would take a long time for it to be noticeably affected. Even if it is, it's reasonably cheap and easy to replace. Not a bad idea to have a spare anyway. Guess what I'm saying is I don' think it's a big deal either way.

 

[bonnie]

I agree with 45K20E4. Drop the hammer on an empty chamber. It is done all the time. Won't hurt a thing. You then know the weapon is empty, safe, and springs are not compressed needlessly.

If time could be of the essence, drop the hammer on an empty chamber, then insert the loaded magazine. If needed, pull back and release op rod, loading the rifle. This is normally how it is done. Rifle is kept empty, safe, but ready immediate use if needed.
Some fully loaded magazines are hard to insert and lock into place when the bolt is forward. Simply remove one round from the magazine, then insert and lock into magazine well.

 

[COBrien]

If you plan to use the rifle in a home defense situation (which is what I'm assuming you mean by "time is of the essence"...:lol, I see no reason to not leave the bolt locked back.

Minis are over-gassed and over-sprung. You're not going to hurt anything.

I have stored my Mini with the bolt locked open since I bought it new in 2008, and have never had a spring-related malfunction. Ammo- and magazine-related? Sure. But never due to the spring.

Like the guys above have said -- dry firing isn't going to do any damage until you've done it thousands of times.

FWIW, if you do decide to store your rifle with the bolt closed and hammer down, and are worried about dry-fire damage, do this: Hold the op rod back, about 1/2" from full recoil position and pull the trigger. This will allow the hammer to fall a shorter distance and not strike the firing pin. You can then ease the op rod forward, and everything will be at rest.

 

[Man In Oregon]

I very much appreciate the replies. Some very good advise!

 

[xcpd69]

Matter of personal preference, mostly. I, for instance, chose to keep "ready" long guns magazine loaded, chamber empty, hammer down and safety off.(Safety off is required on some firearms, if hammer down. Won't engage unless cocked.) With pump shotguns, some call this "Cruiser Safe."

Whatever method you choose, BE CONSISTANT. In a stress situation, you likely don't have time to figure out what to do to ready the weapon.

 

[TxQuail]

Leaving the bolt locked back is not hard on a spring. Cycling the gun is what kills springs.

A spring can stay compressed as long as it below it yield limit. Everytime a spring is operated, it generates some heat and stress. This is what kills a spring.

 

[woodyp]

I'd worry more about keeping it stored in a case.............unless it's dry as a bone, stored in a dry place, and oiled well.........and checked often.

 

[Man In Oregon]

Leaving the bolt locked back is not hard on a spring. Cycling the gun is what kills springs.

A spring can stay compressed as long as it below it yield limit. Everytime a spring is operated, it generates some heat and stress. This is what kills a spring.

This is what I've heard the most.

Again, thanks for the welcome and comments.

 

[K1500]

One problem with leaving the bolt open without an empty magazine inserted is the fact that a small bump on the butt of the rifle or a bump on the charging handle will send the bolt flying home. This could pinch fingers, etc.

Although you did not say you wanted to do this, storing the gun with the bolt locked back and a loaded mag inserted is a very bad idea, as a small bump could cause the rifle to 'load itself'. I personally would store with the bolt forward and practice inserting a loaded mag with the bolt down.