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34" Scale 5-String
Picture of bronicabill
posted
The manual for my Ruger AR-556 discusses putting the rifle on "safe" after clearing it and readying it for storage. Nowhere does it mention anything about dropping the hammer to relieve the tension on the hammer spring for long-term storage, so my assumption is Ruger doesn't think there is any harm in storing with the weapon cocked.

Hence my question... how many of you store your AR with the weapon cocked and the safety "on"? Or do you dry-fire the rifle before putting it in the safe like I have been doing in the past? Just curious...


Bill R.
North Alabama
 
Posts: 4551 | Location: Madison, AL | Registered: December 06, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
Picture of RogueJSK
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There's no harm in storing the rifle with the hammer cocked, just like there's no harm in storing a loaded magazine. Springs wear from repeated cycles, not from extended periods of compression.

(Also, an AR can't be put on safe with the hammer down. You can only engage the safety if the hammer is cocked.)

I don't bother dry-firing/decocking any of my rifles before storage.
 
Posts: 32430 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
With bad intent
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I dry fire mine....just because.


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Posts: 7912 | Location: One step ahead of you | Registered: February 10, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Slayer of Agapanthus


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Dry fired here. I am genuinely puzzled by the alternative.


"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye". The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, pilot and author, lost on mission, July 1944, Med Theatre.
 
Posts: 5952 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: September 14, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
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Although it’s not the same as actually checking the chamber to ensure it’s empty, if the hammer is uncocked, the safety cannot be moved to the safe position, and there are times when that’s enough confirmation. I can’t think of any reason to leave the hammer cocked, so I don’t.




6.4/93.6

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— Plato
 
Posts: 47366 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Go ahead punk, make my day
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I store my ARs cocked, on Safe, with an empty chamber - my ready AR15 has a full magazine inserted as well.

If needed, the charging handle is used to load the weapon and it is on safe already.
 
Posts: 45798 | Registered: July 12, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Administrator
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I store on an empty chamber, hammer down.

While I do shoot my AR, I'm not an Active Shooter Wink
 
Posts: 17733 | Registered: August 12, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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I dry fire mine and store with hammer relaxed. Side note, my ARs are only for stopping active shooters.
 
Posts: 3041 | Location: Pnw | Registered: March 21, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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Just as a matter of habit I never store any of my rifles cocked, AR's or bolt actions.
 
Posts: 934 | Location: WV | Registered: May 30, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
For real?
Picture of Chowser
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quote:
Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
I store my ARs cocked, on Safe, with an empty chamber - my ready AR15 has a full magazine inserted as well.


This is how it's setup in our policy at work so I do my personal rifles the same way so training is the same for all.



Not minority enough!
 
Posts: 7993 | Location: Cleveland, OH | Registered: August 09, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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if we are talking real 'storage' and not 'ready', 'standby' etc. I use the exact same protocol for everything...remove mag, check chamber, point in safe direction and drop the hammer/striker, on safe if possible (not on an ar), store it. I can't see any other system being better or safer or more universal. It certainly won't hurt an AR to be stored with the hammer cocked.


“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.”
 
Posts: 10974 | Registered: October 14, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
If you're gonna be a
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Picture of Todd Huffman
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My bolt action rifles are stored uncocked and empty, no mag. My AR's are stored cocked and on safe with an empty chamber and a full mag inserted. All other rifles are stored cocked, on safe and empty chamber and no mag.




Here's to the sunny slopes of long ago.
 
Posts: 3633 | Location: Morganton, NC | Registered: December 31, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Old Air Cavalryman
Picture of ARMT Guy
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quote:
Originally posted by LDD:
I store on an empty chamber, hammer down.

While I do shoot my AR, I'm not an Active Shooter Wink


Same here.

I store my ARs, ( loaded or unloaded ) with an empty chamber, safety 'OFF' and the hammer released. For loaded ARs kept at the ready, it's a simple means of racking the charging handle back and the rifle is instantly ready for use.

I believe it's a slight bit safer to have the hammer uncocked and sticking up inside the BCG. With the hammer inside the BCG, it provides a fair amount of resistance on keeping the BCG from cycling and possibly inadvertently clambering a round if the rifle were dropped/rough handled, etc.

This happened enough in the Army, ( weapons on SAFE, hammer cocked, empty chamber with loaded magazine inserted, ) when Soldiers accidentally dropped their weapons in this condition and failed to inspect the rifle, a round sometimes ended up being chambered without the Soldier realizing it. NDs often occured when the Soldier took the magazine out, took the weapon off of SAFE, ( to do a function check or whatever, ) and ended up firing a round.




"Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying who shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I, send me."




 
Posts: 7464 | Location: Georgia | Registered: February 19, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of sourdough44
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quote:
Originally posted by WARPIG602:
I dry fire mine....just because.


I do the same, often stored for a while. I agree no harm either way.
 
Posts: 6132 | Location: WI | Registered: February 29, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Wait, what?
Picture of gearhounds
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Either way is fine as long as the weapon is cleared before storing it. Personally, cocked and on safe makes the most sense. When you need it, rack it, and the safety is already engaged.




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Posts: 15501 | Location: Martinsburg WV | Registered: April 02, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
34" Scale 5-String
Picture of bronicabill
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Okay, pretty good mixture of responses here, so now that I have those, I'll give what I do and why...

I don't do any "long term" storage of my AR as I consider it something I want to be ready-to-go at a moment's notice, any time I feel it may be needed! So, it is always kept in the safe with a full mag inserted, and at least two more mags on the shelf right above it (30-rounders as I'm in a free state).

Regarding the cocked and locked w/ empty chamber vs uncocked question... I keep mine uncocked out of habit, as all of my other firearms in the past have always been uncocked! Since I'm going to have to give the charging handle a pull to chamber a round anyway, which will then cock it, why bother leaving it cocked all the time?

The only possible reason I can come up with for that scenario, and one "Chowser" may be able to provide confirmation on, is that without having the rifle already cocked and on "safe", when you first chamber a round, you then have a condition 0 rifle which must be manipulated to get the safety on, whereas if the safety was already on there would be less chance for an AD. Not a bad reason for changing my way of doing things, now that I think about it... Eek


Bill R.
North Alabama
 
Posts: 4551 | Location: Madison, AL | Registered: December 06, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
34" Scale 5-String
Picture of bronicabill
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by gearhounds:
Either way is fine as long as the weapon is cleared before storing it. Personally, cocked and on safe makes the most sense. When you need it, rack it, and the safety is already engaged.

You typed your short response while I was thinking and typing my long one. LOL

Basically saying the same thing though! Big Grin


Bill R.
North Alabama
 
Posts: 4551 | Location: Madison, AL | Registered: December 06, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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quote:
I don't do any "long term" storage

from your original post
quote:
relieve the tension on the hammer spring for long-term storage

Color me confused... When I 'store' something long term its not ready to go on a moment's notice. in fact it may be anything but ready to go due to lube and preservative. But I would like the hammer at rest. FWIW>


“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.”
 
Posts: 10974 | Registered: October 14, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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My HD AR is ready to go; loaded, chambered, and on safe.

The extras in the safe, offhand I don't know (or care). They are unloaded and either cocked and on safe (if I was dry firing it perhaps?) or hammer down on empty chamber.

I clear or chamber check every weapon I touch each time, so it isn't a safety issue which is which.

Army arms rooms typically drop the hammer before putting them in the rack under the weak spring theory. I don't personally care about that particular myth.




“People have to really suffer before they can risk doing what they love.” –Chuck Palahnuik

Be harder to kill: https://preparefit.ck.page
 
Posts: 5043 | Location: Oregon | Registered: October 02, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Be not wise in
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Picture of kimber1911
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"Active Shooters"




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Posts: 5267 | Location: USA | Registered: December 05, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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