Easing the spring

Do you 'ease the spring' as a matter of routine?

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He is referring to Jeff Cooper's 4 basic rules of gun safety. Cooper always expected his readers to know them by number:

Rule #1- Treat every gun as a loaded gun.
Rule #2- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Rule #3- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
Rule #4- Be aware of your target, and what is beyond.

Worth noting that the Canadian Firearms Program adopted 3 of the 4 into their ACTS acronym, though I can never remember what ACTS stands for. I just live by Cooper's rules, to this day.
 
BattleRife said:
He is referring to Jeff Cooper's 4 basic rules of gun safety. Cooper always expected his readers to know them by number:

Rule #1- Treat every gun as a loaded gun.
Rule #2- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Rule #3- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
Rule #4- Be aware of your target, and what is beyond.

Worth noting that the Canadian Firearms Program adopted 3 of the 4 into their ACTS acronym, though I can never remember what ACTS stands for. I just live by Cooper's rules, to this day.
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That and ACTS is basically the same first 3 rules, 4th is a bit different. I figured it was something like that but wasn't sure.

I don't see pulling the trigger on a gun you personally cleared/ checked safe as a bad habit - pretty hard to dry fire practice without doing that.
 
Wendell said:
Yes, I was referring to the practice of lowering the striker while closing the bolt with your trigger pulled (simultaneously). Some people do it all the time.

I consider it to be a bad habit.
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Thanks for the clarification. I've been using that method for eons on most all of my guns, but always on an empty chamber. My hammerless shotguns get decocked using snap caps.
 
It has been my practice for many decades to close the bolt while holding the trigger back. Until I got some hammerless shotguns. I do not like the idea of "snapping" them with nothing in the chamber. I do not think I want to stow them with snap caps in the chamber. Then I read that a "spring" looses its strength from working it - not from sitting compressed - so those shotguns - side-by-side and over-under, have been "cocked" for several years. I could be taught otherwise about "springs" or how to stow a hammerless shotgun without cocking it - but I think is too long practice to try to change what I do when putting away a bolt rifle. Was a rule - forever - ALWAYS open the action when you pick up or are handed a firearm. I did that for circa 60 years, before I found one that a cartridge came out of that chamber.
 
Wendell said:
Yes, I was referring to the practice of lowering the striker while closing the bolt with your trigger pulled (simultaneously). Some people do it all the time.

I consider it to be a bad habit.
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I don't understand why anyone would consider it a bad habit. For 75 years, since I was 5 years old, I have always stored my bolt actions unloaded and firing pin in the fired position, my side by sides the same way. (no auto safeties) As you put it "eased"... I left my pumps and semi's unloaded and cocked as I couldn't "ease" them. Always opened and left the actions open when I picked them up. Never left a closed action on the bench or at the range anytime.

This has not harmed anyone, and has not been unsafe.
 
guntech said:
I don't understand why anyone would consider it a bad habit. For 75 years, since I was 5 years old, I have always stored my bolt actions unloaded and firing pin in the fired position, my side by sides the same way. (no auto safeties) As you put it "eased"... I left my pumps and semi's unloaded and cocked as I couldn't "ease" them. Always opened and left the actions open when I picked them up. Never left a closed action on the bench or at the range anytime.

This has not harmed anyone, and has not been unsafe.
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Denny ! Don’t be ridiculous! :rolleyes: :p. lol RJ
 
BattleRife said:
He is referring to Jeff Cooper's 4 basic rules of gun safety. Cooper always expected his readers to know them by number:

Rule #1- Treat every gun as a loaded gun.
Rule #2- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Rule #3- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
Rule #4- Be aware of your target, and what is beyond.

Worth noting that the Canadian Firearms Program adopted 3 of the 4 into their ACTS acronym, though I can never remember what ACTS stands for. I just live by Cooper's rules, to this day.
Click to expand...

ACTS and PROVE is a fairly recent thing when it comes to firearm safety rules. Sure it's probably acronyms that are 20 years old now but Coopers rules really are the best. I personally think #2 is the most important one. As an instructor, many times I have reinforced that you could ignore every other rule, be drunk, chamber loaded, safety off and finger on the trigger but if the muzzle is always in a safe direction nobody will get hurt.

(Not that I endorse being drunk with a chamber loaded, safety off and finger on the trigger) ;)
 
Potashminer said:
It has been my practice for many decades to close the bolt while holding the trigger back. Until I got some hammerless shotguns. I do not like the idea of "snapping" them with nothing in the chamber. I do not think I want to stow them with snap caps in the chamber. Then I read that a "spring" looses its strength from working it - not from sitting compressed - so those shotguns - side-by-side and over-under, have been "cocked" for several years. I could be taught otherwise about "springs" or how to stow a hammerless shotgun without cocking it - but I think is too long practice to try to change what I do when putting away a bolt rifle. Was a rule - forever - ALWAYS open the action when you pick up or are handed a firearm. I did that for circa 60 years, before I found one that a cartridge came out of that chamber.
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Springs wear from use- not being maintained compressed or not. So leaving a gun "cocked" for years is not much different than leaving it uncocked for years.
So you are all good! :)
 
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I once bought an old Brno semi auto 22. It was in new condition but had stood behind a door, cocked and loaded for many years. The hammer spring was so weak from being compressed for that long that it wouldn’t fire a round. The trigger pull was amazingly lite though. Had a hell of a time finding a tapered replacement spring for that rifle. Brno man in Cali had two, I bought both of them. Installed one and suddenly the the trigger pull was much harder. Gun functions now though.
 
I like Buck’s underdog angle.

Since we all get a guess, mine is the OP may, could possibly, or might be referring to having the bolt handle slightly lifted when you dry fire a bolt action. The firing pin wastes some energy closing the bolt the last bit, softening its landing. I could imagine this being called easing the spring in far northern parts of Saskatchewan with a lot of hard rock around.
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
And to stiffen yer spring, there be a "blue pill" fer that. :runaway:
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Tried one once SS and it got stuck in my throat, had a stiff neck for three days. I always hold the trigger back(ON AN EMPTY CHAMBER) and then close the bolt handle. Just how I was taught by an old gunsmith.
 
Dogleg said:
The installed length of a striker spring on a typical bolt action is a fraction of it's free standing length. Its already at very close to the same pressure un-cocked as it is cocked.
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This. Your firing pin spring is already very compressed even when the bolt is not cocked. If the thought is it puts less stress on the spring by "easing the spring", you're not doing anything.
 
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