Tube magazine left loaded?

[cbl51]

We have a Remington speedmaster and a Marlin 39 that are our main rifles. Weare rimfire shooters, and don't own a center fire gun. Will leaving the magazine 3/4 loaded hurt the spring. The speedmaster is in the bedroom and the Marlin is in the kitchen pantry, and both are for defense.

[LONGTOM]

Should not hurt them at all.

No disrespect but please be careful with loaded guns around the house if not secured as I am sure you are.

May I suggest getting a more suitable gun for self defence.
An inexpensive pump shotgun would be my pick.

Just a suggestion.


LONGTOM

[cwlongshot]

I also like to keep firearms "handi". Leaving them loaded around the house is a personal decision, only you can decide. Please be safe.

Modern springs should be just fine, But from a PP stand point I would want 100% reliability.
For what its worth, I would change to clip fed firearms. Two reasons.
One, they will not need to remain loaded. (Just keep loaded mags handi)
Two, clips/magazines are cheaper to replace. Buy a bunch and rotate loaded and empty.

 Personally, I like the 1911 for PP. I keep a half doz mags loaded all the time. But probably own 2dozen of them. I rotate the loaded mags every 6mo or so. I haven't found a problem, not  once. BUT like I said, if I'm staking my life on something its going to be 100%, 100% of the time.

[LONGTOM]

if I'm staking my life on something its going to be 100%, 100% of the time.

TRUER WORDS WERE NEVER SPOKEN!
Good answer CW!


LONGTOM

[S.S.]

even modern spring steel will weaken if left compressed long enough.
although it is much better than 20 or 30 years ago. I agree about getting
a clip fed weapon.

[Guy Pike]

12 guage pump for home defense. There is no other sound like it and that alone has been known to send an intruder packing.

[SHOOTALL]

Order a spare spring or two for each and change every so often !

[cbl51]

Thank you for all your replies. The better half and I were just a little worried about the guns left partly loaded.

There is no small kids around, we're an older couple with the kids grown and gone. Thank you for your suggestions for 1911's and pump shotguns, but for various reasons we'll stick with our .22's. It's what we're used to, what we grew up with. Money was always a little short, and the .22 was the only gun we could shoot a lot of. My wife has her K22 S&W that her father gave her for HS graduation, and I have my old Ruger standard model I bought for 39.95 new, way back then. Our kids all learned to shoot on these guns, and I met my wife on a public range 38 years ago, when I saw her shooting her K22.

Now my left hand is about 50% usable because of some issues with both arthritis and a tendon problem, and my wife has rumitoid arthritis and is on meds to help control it. So 1911's are out. It's no fun to shoot something that hurts you, or even have trouble racking the slide. But we shoot at least a brick of Federal Bulk box of .22's a week, and have a ball. Being retired, we love to go to the range at least once a week, sometimes twice in warmer weather. There's just no way we could shoot anything as much as our .22 rifles and handguns. And if something should go bump in the night, it may be better for us to grab a gun we were only shooting 48 hours before. Lets say we have extreme familiarness with what we have. We've been shooting some of the same guns for 40 years.

The original post came up as my wife asked me about the spring issue, and why we were leaving the tube magazines a few rounds short. I was worried about the pressure of a fully loaded mag on the spring.

 I figure an intruder will have both of us to deal with. We'll get by with our .22's.

[Keith L]

I figure an intruder will have both of us to deal with. We'll get by with our .22's.

I hope you are never in the situation to need them.

[pastorp]

CBI51, Like you I can no longer handle the recoil of a 45 auto, although I carried one most of my adult life. These young guys just don't understand constant pain and partial feeling that some of our medical conditions produce. I'm with you I do have a 32H&R mag I can still shoot. A 12 gague is out of the guestion so now I use a 410. These and several 22 rifles and revolvers are what I use, and I live in big bear country. A little common sence and a awearness of your sourndings are better than the 454s I used to carry.

CW, whats that your slogan says about a single shot rifle?

Under stress Its better to have your gun loaded. Now wheres that mag. Many folks can't even acomplish simple tasks under fire.

CB151 stick with what you know. With Gods help you will likely never need to use it anyway.

Oh concerning the tube spring. I kept a belgium made bar 22 fully loaded from about 1965 when I bought it until it began to become unreliable in about 1999. Thats about 34years I believe. Maybe you should invest in a new spring for each of your rifles. They should last the rest of your life.

[cbl51]

hello pastorp.

Yes, that's not a bad idea about buying a spare mag tube for each of our rifles. Can't be too costly. If yours lasted all that time, I doubt we'll have an issue.

It's funny how big a thief time is, and what it robs you of if you live long enough. When I was in the army, I was expert with the M1911A1. Now it's torture to shoot one for an afternoon. But then I used to be into backpacking as well, now I walk with a cane.

I hadn't thought of a .410 untill you siad something. I may have to try one. A .410 slug is still a .45 caliber ball moving at a good pace.

Take care.

[cwlongshot]

If you really want to go this route.

Mossberg made a great 410 defensive shotgun some years back. It has a front pistol grip and it short easily manuvered and handled.



http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3197/is_n3_v37/ai_12462187
http://www.endtimesreport.com/homedefense.html


CW

[pastorp]

cbl51, The mossberg would be a nice low cost 410 if you can operate the slide with your left hand. My 410 is a double barrel. I just like the doubles. It's a stevens 311 that I bought years ago. Not made today but there are several inexpensive doubles on the market new and you can find the stevens on the used gun market.

Brenneki makes a 3" slug for the 410. Thats what I use. There is also a buckshot shell that is loaded with 3 000 buckshot available although I have never used the buckshot load personally.

You said you owned the ruger standard auto. Is the speedmaster yours as well? Is the 39 your wifes? Those are nice guns. I have a Marlin 39M (mounty) The Marlin levers are great shooting guns. With your week hand disability the semi-auto probably is easier for you to use. I believe Remington makes their semi-auto in 410 if you like the semi-autos.

[Olschool]

cbl51
I wouldn't worry about the springs by leaving them loaded, sounds like you are doing enough shooting with them that the springs are not setting in one position very long LOL
Sounds like you and your wife know what your doing and have started your kids out right
Wishing you both many more years of happy shooting

[cbl51]

cbl51
I wouldn't worry about the springs by leaving them loaded, sounds like you are doing enough shooting with them that the springs are not setting in one position very long LOL
Sounds like you and your wife know what your doing and have started your kids out right
Wishing you both many more years of happy shooting

No, the guns do not sit more than 4 or 5 days in the winter or 3 days in warm weather before being shot. After a wipe down from the range, each gun is loaded with fresh ammo, and put back in it's spot. Handguns the same. The kids are all grown and gone, so no small children in the house.

[woodchuckssuck]

I, for one, would NOT rely on a .22lr for self defense. Its capable, for sure, but not a defensive round at all. Buy an inexpensive pump shotgun, or a .38special revolver. A gun shop near me has old colt police model .38's for $150-$250 depending on condition...But still a pump shotgun would be better.

as far as springs. Springs wear out for one major reason and one minor reason. Reason 1: use. Constant cycling of a spring will eventually weaken or break the spring. Replace them before they get this far. Reason 2: being stored BEYOND their intended compressed limit. IE: shoving 8 rounds into a mag meant for 7 rounds, etc. There have been loaded 1911 magazines from the earlier 1900s that have been loaded into a 1911 and fired without fault. One of the mags to my Colt Woodsman that my grandfather gave me had been left loaded since probably the 70's, still works fine. Though I should find replacement springs for them...

Now, if all I had was a .22lr handy would I use it for personal defense if needed? sure. better than pepper spray. But im not gonna limit myself, either. Id grab my (compound) bow first...

[slim rem 7]

 i got the shotgun but disagree that you need more than an 18 shot  marlin with hollow pts..especialy velocitors..man ain t nobody could live thru that if i wanted to lay it onum.. keep you scope off the one you using for home protection..its just in the way..ive seen it work..it could turn into a gun fight ,in which case you have the advantage over most any intruder .. you know you house ,he doesnt.. you got 18 deadly hits ..you dont believe it put velocitors in it an shoot an deer you find on the road,or something.. look at the exit wound.. best expanding rnd i may have ever seen.slim
ps to answer your question.. the tubular stays loaded now about 15 yrs i guess ..never any trouble..good luck

[bilmac]

I too think you have it figured out pretty good CB. If you are shooting the guns regularly and taking care of them and they always work, then I think that is the best weapon you can have in your hands. I killed a bull that was charging me with a 22, quick accurate repeat shots can make them deadly.

I think leaving your magazines a few bullets short of full is about as good as you can do, I do the same. If they worked the last time you had them out then the odds are very very strong they will work the next time.

Some tactical things to think about if you are using a long gun in a house, watch out going around corners. That snout is sticking out in front and will tell the bad guy you are coming, and he can even grab it if he is close enough. They taught us to put the stock on your shoulder as if you are ready to shoot and then lower the muzzle as low as you can when moving around in close quarters. Unnatural and even uncomfortable but it's quick and the barrel doesn't get too far ahead of you going around corners. Practice it a few times on the range.

If I was you I would hunker as far away from the door as possible behind some cover if possible and let the bad guys come to me. Watch out that you can't be seen from a window. Remember that even your 22 will be deadly after going through a couple layers of drywall, but maybe not if you hit a stud, so think about how your house is built. Make the house dark if you can. I have the doorway to my bedroom backlit with a little night light. Anyone coming through my bedroom door at night is going to be a big black target.

I would much rather face someone with the biggest baddest magnum made that he doesn't shoot much because bullets cost too much than you with your 22 that you shoot a lot.

[cbl51]

Thank you for all your relies, gentlemen.

I guess we'll get a new mag tube each for the rifles. It's not too expencive as both guns are still being made, even though we've had them for over 20 years.

These guns are not our bump in the night guns, but are another step in the home defense. If we're asleep in the night, and there's a problem, our practiced move is for us to roll out of bed on our respective sides. Katie has a Smith and Wesson modle 317 and her her old K22 under her side of the bed, and I have my old Ruger standard model I bought new for 39.95 back in the 60's. It's seen alot of use, but still shoots great. That gives us 23 rounds between us right there by the bed. Our cell phones are on the chargers right at the bedside, so we don't have to move. The Remington speedmaster is right there in the closet with another 15 rounds if we need it.

Since we go to the range twice a week in the warmer weather, we're as familiar with our .22 handguns as the rifles. We'd sit tight down on the floor by the bed, with the mattress and box spring giving us some cover, and any intruder having to make a 45 to 90 degree left turn to enter the bedroom.

Thanks for the answers.

[slim rem 7]

 you have a plan ,that most important.. i love my 20 g shotgun for home defense,but the marlin 60 would be just as effective with velocitors in it..i don t have close neighbors.... good luck ..slim