Colt Series 80 Government Model

[Jay D]

Hey I just purchased a new series 80. It's the best gun I have ever owned. I have a question in regards to using the gun as per home defense. Is there any problem with leaving the gun loaded in a "cocked and locked" position, with the slide stop safety on for an extended period of time? I got mixed reviews from two different gunsmiths, one said it puts stress on certain parts, and the other one said it didn't matter. Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Jay D

[John]

You can safely do it, without any undue stress. What if you were carrying the pistol like that?

[stans]

As long as you don't leave it in this condition for more than about, oh, 200 years, I think you'll be just fine. Coil springs do not wear out by keeping them compressed, they wear out due to fatigue caused by repeated compression and decompression cycles.

[hunt janin]

I'm glad you like your new Colt (I love mine, too) but it occurs to me to ask why you want to keep a cocked and locked 1911 in the house. If you live in Iraq, OK, this might be a fine idea but I assume you live in a less dangerous part of the world. What happens if kids, visitors, the local plumber, etc. begin to play around with it when you aren't there? Is there perhaps a question of legal liability in a worst case scenario? Woudn't it be safer, if you must keep a loaded gun in the house, just to keep a full magazine in the 1911? Chambering a round usually does take two hands but not more than a second or two of time.

That said, I must confess that I'm of an extremely conservative and safety-conscious school of thought. I remember reading about an Irish lady who was getting ready for a bicycle trip, alone, from Europe into the Middle East in about the 1950s or even earlier. She wrote: "I put a pistol in my luggage, somewhere where it would be hard to reach." (She never had to reach for it.)

Best,

Hunt