For a .22 cal pistol is it bad to leave it loaded?

Question

For a .22 cal pistol is it bad to leave it loaded?

Answer 1

No it is only bad if someone accidentally gets injured or killed because it was left loaded.* Then you are in big trouble.*

Answer 2

It shouldn't harm the gun, especially if its a revolver. If its a semi-automatic I might not load the clip completely (say 5 rounds instead of 10) to avoid putting as much stress on the magazine springs. Even with a semi-automatic though, it shouldn't hurt the gun to leave it loaded.

However it might not be the safest course of action, especially if you have young children in your house. Generally speaking, unless you're considering using it for self-defense, firearms should be stored unloaded with the ammunition in a separate location to maximize safety (unless you have a gun safe).

Answer 3

I keep one loaded all the time

Never had any issues

Nothing irresponsible or unsafe about it

There are four rules to handling firearms

If all are heeded there is nothing unsafe about leaving a gun loaded

There is one grand rule about owning firearms

You are responsible to make sure it stays out of unauthorized hands

Also leaving a magazine loaded  no way weakens the springs

That old wives tale was put to rest years ago

Answer 4

Yes. Should be locked with some sort of security device when not in use. Our failure to use proper gun safety is the reason gun grabbers have success. If *some* gun owners weren't so stupid and irresponsible, the rest of us wouldn't be given the bad name a few have given us.

Answer 5

I have always been told to treat every gun you see as a loaded gun, so, I reasoned, if you're going to treat it as a loaded weapon, why not keep it loaded?  So, all my guns, pistols and rifles, including a .22 magnum pistol and a .22 magnum rifle, are loaded, with a round in the chamber when appropriate.  And, as "armohitm . . ." says, "Just leave the safety on".  I do that with all my weapons except a new .45 semi automatic pistol that has no safety on it, and, of course, my revolvers.  ALWAYS treat every weapon as a loaded weapon, and then you can leave them loaded so long as you keep them in a safe location.  God Bless you.

Answer 6

yes !!

Answer 7

For storage unload it. Not worth the risk. If for protection leave the saftey on but consider getting somthing more powerful. The only thing that can really hurt the gun itself id dry-firing

Answer 8

Its bad to leave any gun loaded when in storage. The problem is that the tension on the spring for the firing pin will cause it to loose its potential energy. In other words when you pull the trigger, the spring will not do its job because it will be bent in that position. If you close the action when you store the gun though, always pull the trigger so the tension will be off the spring. Plus that is irresponsible gun ownership to leave it loaded.

Answer 9

Never leave a weapon loaded anywhere! Stuff can and will go wrong when you not on top of your game.A question like that shows your not smart enough for a firearm!

Answer 10

just leave the safety on

Answer 11

Yes! Why would you leave it loaded anyway?? Thats an accident waiting to happen. Unless its for protection purposes, you should never leave a gun loaded.

Answer 12

Are you talking about an airgun or a firearm?

Most of the time when discussing airguns people use .22 cal or .177 cal, as that is proper terminology for those items...they don't have cartridges, or chamberings, only calibers.

For firearms, you should refer to the cartridge it is chambered for.  I am suspecting you mean .22LR, and hence my answer will deal with firearms.

It will do no mechanical harm to the firearm to be left loaded.  However, you must weigh the balance of having the firearm immediately available for self defense against the risk of an unauthorized user accessing it.  Personally, I have two handguns that are always left loaded, but they are kept inside of 'gunvault' safety boxes, that have a fingerpunch combo and a spring-action door.  For me, this is a good balance between having a firearm quickly available and keeping them out of the hands of kids.

I suggest you do NOT leave your pistol loaded, and store all ammo away from the pistol, and I strongly suggest getting a triggerlock, you can get them free at most police stations

Answer 13

Unless it's a 'carry' or 'home defense' gun , I'd call that

irresponsible handling.

It won't harm the weapon itself, but it's not a good idea.

(Some cheaper magazines will lose spring tension if left loaded

for long periods, but most won't.)