Storing Rifle With Snap Cap

[Maine-iac]

I just installed some ejector upgrade kits from SSS. Man what a huge improvement. Couldn't be happier. My question is should I store my rifles without a snap cap closed in the chamber? I guess I am questioning whether doing so would compact the springs behind the extractor/ejector and overtime will shorten their life or weaken them some? Other than my three Savage 14's all my other bolt rifles are CRF mauser types so I hadn't given it much thought until I installed the upgrade kits.

[Zero333]

I prefer not to have any springs compressed unless absolutely necessary. Therefore I always make sure the triggers are not cocked.

Dry fire them before storage or if you don't like the idea of dry fireying (like for rimfires) I press the trigger while closing the bolt at the same time and it de-cocks the trigger that way. Or for semi-auto rimfires, I close the action half way, press trigger and then close action all the way.

[foxx]

^^^^yep. I see no reason to have a snap cap in there.

[BillPa]

I am questioning whether doing so would compact the springs behind the extractor/ejector and overtime will shorten their life or weaken them some?
No. Springs loose their tension as the result of being compressed-decompressed so it makes no difference in which state they're stored. As a matter of fact the ejector, extractor and firing pin springs are pre compressed to their rated weight when assembled.

Bill

[samven]

I made the mistake of leaving a snap cap in my double barrel shotgun once. When I went to use the gun again I had spots of rust in the chamber. I dont know if it was plastic outgasing or condensation trapped between the cap and chamber wall but I have never chanced it again.