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Supernova Dry Fires


MGA 1028

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I've recently purchased a Supernova. I've always believed that is was bad to dry fire. Now Im being told it's best to dry fire for storage to release spring tension. Does long term compression weaken the spring? Does dry firing damage the pin? Which is worst? :confused:

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I've recently purchased a Supernova. I've always believed that is was bad to dry fire. Now Im being told it's best to dry fire for storage to release spring tension. Does long term compression weaken the spring? Does dry firing damage the pin? Which is worst? :confused:

 

 

I've heard both. If your worried about it. Keep an empty hull around, pop the primer out, and stick and eraser in the primer hole. Or go get some snap caps. I don't think you can hurt the springs but someone else might. I leave my Novas Safety on, chamber open. Have since I owned them.

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No, spring tension will not weaken a spring, it is the compression/expansion cycle that weakens a spring.

 

Dry firing should not harm the Nova.

"Spring tension" will not weaken a spring, BUT, a spring being constantly under tension will. That is why the military, and some LE agencies advise that you only load your magazines to 90% of capacity when they will be loaded for a long period of time. I keep two "full sets" (3 mags each, Glock 22) that I swap out every 28 days, when I go from the day shift to the night shift, to keep the springs in the mags from taking a "set". It works the same basic way with all springs, if it stays under tension, it will eventually "take a set" and reduce the effectiveness (power or strength) of the spring. Most modern firearms, have a high quality steel in the firing pins, and firing pin springs and it will not harm them to be dry fired, as in releasing tension on the firing pin spring for long term storage of a center fire cartridge weapon, BUT it will damage a rim fire weapon, as it will "peen" the edge of the chamber where the firing pin strikes it.

Edited by GENELEO
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"Spring tension" will not weaken a spring, BUT, a spring being constantly under tension will. That is why the military, and some LE agencies advise that you only load your magazines to 90% of capacity when they will be loaded for a long period of time. I keep two "full sets" (3 mags each, Glock 22) that I swap out every 28 days, when I go from the day shift to the night shift, to keep the springs in the mags from taking a "set". It works the same basic way with all springs, if it stays under tension, it will eventually "take a set" and reduce the effectiveness (power or strength) of the spring. Most modern firearms, have a high quality steel in the firing pins, and firing pin springs and it will not harm them to be dry fired, as in releasing tension on the firing pin spring for long term storage of a center fire cartridge weapon, BUT it will damage a rim fire weapon, as it will "peen" the edge of the chamber where the firing pin strikes it.

 

 

Incorrect, and you are wearing your springs by loading/unloading them. A spring under pressure will not lose strength. A spring cycled will. By swapping rounds out you are cycling them. Same goes for under-loading them. There is no need for this. Engineers design a spring/magazine setup with at LEAST a 10-15% "margin" before you change the spring's position beyond it's operating parameters (which WOULD damage the spring after only 1 occurance).

 

LE agencies want their officers to change out ammo for PLENTY of reasons...corrosion of ammo, exposure to heat/cold cycles quite often, constant vibration in a cruiser. Maybe they hope they will SHOOT it to change it out and actually go to the range more than 1-2 times a year to qualify, lol.

 

Either way, there is plenty of scientific fact debunking the myth that a spring is weakened by being left compressed. For example, if an engine sets up but is cranked once a week, thing will last FOREVER, but if it is run 150K miles hard in 1 year, those valves might start floating. Springs are weakened by relaxation/compression cycles. Not being left in 1 state or the other (unless heat is applied).

 

You are correct about a lot of rimfires though. Dead on. Since almost everyone started with a .22, this "DONT DRYFIRE! is ingrained in our heads.

Edited by Unobtanium
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Uhhhh, I've ALWAYS heard that springs wear from compression and release. The constant movement is what wears them and breaks them.

 

A spring even under compression does not wear out.

 

It's the constant movement. Like bending a piece of metal back and forth, it weakens and breaks.

 

A few dry fires prior to storage won't do any harm. But I believe constant practice dry firing may enlarge the firing pin hole cause it has no resistance from a primer and may go to it's fullest travel.

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Incorrect, and you are wearing your springs by loading/unloading them. A spring under pressure will not lose strength. A spring cycled will. By swapping rounds out you are cycling them. Same goes for under-loading them. There is no need for this. Engineers design a spring/magazine setup with at LEAST a 10-15% "margin" before you change the spring's position beyond it's operating parameters (which WOULD damage the spring after only 1 occurance).

 

LE agencies want their officers to change out ammo for PLENTY of reasons...corrosion of ammo, exposure to heat/cold cycles quite often, constant vibration in a cruiser. Maybe they hope they will SHOOT it to change it out and actually go to the range more than 1-2 times a year to qualify, lol.

 

Either way, there is plenty of scientific fact debunking the myth that a spring is weakened by being left compressed. For example, if an engine sets up but is cranked once a week, thing will last FOREVER, but if it is run 150K miles hard in 1 year, those valves might start floating. Springs are weakened by relaxation/compression cycles. Not being left in 1 state or the other (unless heat is applied).

 

You are correct about a lot of rimfires though. Dead on. Since almost everyone started with a .22, this "DONT DRYFIRE! is ingrained in our heads.

After 22 years in the military, and now 20 years in Law Enforcement, I have heard the very same thing, that magazine springs will take a set. A friend of mine found a loaded .45 Colt mag that had belonged to his dad, that had supposedly come home from WW2, it was loaded in a dresser drawer. After removing the top 2 rounds from the mag, the remaining rounds fell out, and the spring remained collapsed inside the magazine. I have purchased several semi-autos of various makes that were "police trade ins", and after comparing free lengths of used springs to new springs, the used springs were shorter, they had "taken a set". They were shorter, thus weaker, thus worn. I just measured my 5 year old springs from my Glock 22, and compared them against a set of new spare springs, and they are the 1/8 inch shorter. I swap the mags every 28 days. I'm satisified.

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