[cal45]

I know repeated and constant dryfire is never any good for any pistol but my question is geared towards the times you are unloading the pistol for safe storeage. I do not keep the pistol with a round chambered when not carrying it. So, when I drop the mag, eject the live round (and check at least twice), I then pull the trigger to release the "cocked' action.  I always assumed this was fine to do without any worry - but after hearing about some recent firing pin breakages on the new Ruger LCP  http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/108107891  , it has now got me thinking if I really need to release the cocked action after unloading the pistol. What do fellow members do regarding this?

Thanks in advance

 

[artimus_prime]

1. Buy snap-caps and leave the snap-cap in the chamber for storage once the hammer has been "decocked"

or

2. use the end of a Papermate type ball point pen down the barrel to place against the breech face.

 

[JFB]

to Unload
I release the mag
rack the slide
catch the round
rack and inspect chamber and well
release the slide and that is IT

Besides when I pull the trigger, I expect a bang. I don't like snap caps for that reason.

 

[jerry]

im confused.is the hammer at a cocked position when you rack the slide?mine is still in a forward position untill i pull the trigger.

 

[adamsesq]

It has never occured to me to leave any of our multiple P3ATs unloaded, but if I had to I would eject the round and leave it just like that.  It's sitting in the same "condition" (spring wise) as it does every day of carry it just doesn't have a round in it.  I think that you are under the impression that the weapon is somehow cocked when the slide is racked and that is not true with the P3AT. It is NOT cocked until you pull the trigger. It is double action.

I agree with JFB on the use of snap caps - they definately have some positives, but a huge negative in teaching bad habbits that there are sometimes that you pull a trigger and it does not go bang.

-Scott

 

[cal45]

I do not leave the P3AT unloaded, However I do unchamber the rd when I have it home and stored. I rely on other weapons for home defense.

So, from some of the responses here - leaving the trigger in the ready position (or how I stated "cocked&quot for extended lengths of time without working the action does not do any harm to the P3AT? I guess I'm thinking Glock, where there is a internal cocking taking place when the slide is racked.

 

[JFB]

As far as the terminology confussing matters, I'm guilty of calling the normal hammer position "half cocked", I guess the more correct would be the "hammer is in the trigger reset condition"

 

[Sangueffusor]

As someone has once said here, and I don't remember who, when at the ready position, the hammer is really only 1/8 cocked, as the hammer spring is hardly stretched at all. So call it "eighth-cocked" if you like. The large majority of the "cocking" action happens when you actually pull the trigger.

 

[RAT76]

I think to refer to the hammer resting on the hammer block as any flavor of cocked is what is causing this confusion. In the P3AT or any of the KT pistols, except maybe the PLR, the hammer is never cocked. When the trigger is pulled the transfer bar pulls the hammer back until it slips off the bar and falls forwrd under spring pressure and ignites the round. At this point the slide cycles carrying the hammer back & then forward again until it rests against the stop. In the case of the P3s & PF9 this stop is the hammer block.