Trigger group status while storing the rifle?

[Maury Krupp]

The feeling was that with glass bedded match guns, storing with the trigger group unlocked helped save the glass and prevented loss of downward pressure exerted by the stock in most accurization schemes.

I still don't see any benefit

Whatever is being squeezed between the receiver rails and magazine floorplate, whether it's straight wood or bedding compound or a combination of the two, is as squeezed as it ever will be the first time the trigger guard is locked.

None of these materials are sponges. Unlocking the trigger guard won't cause them to expand like one. You can't "un-crush" wood fibers. The same goes for modern bedding compounds like MarineTex and I suspect the older ones as well.

Leaving the trigger guard locked doesn't exert any additional pressure. Once the distance between the two clamping surfaces has been closed that's all the pressure there will ever be.

I say the less yanking, tugging, twisting, etc on an M1 the better.

Maury

[mousegun]

I've gotten into the habit of storing the rifle with the hammer down and the TG unlocked after doing a major stripdown/cleaning. With the TG unlocked I can return to the rifle at any time and apply additional cleaning, lube, adjustments, tilt testing, etc. without undue wear on the TG lugs. It's wear on the lugs that makes the stock fit loose. Once I'm ready to shoot again or for dry fire practice, the TG is locked down. "Settling in" rounds are fired making the rifle ready for score. Afterwards the rifle is cleaned and then stored with the TG locked and the hammer down. The TG stays locked until the next major stripdown/cleaning or repairs must be made.

[Griff Murphey]

I think the difference here is that the match accurization of most of those guns involved using fixtures during glassing that resulted in serious downward pressure on the forend. The Air Force armorers were famous for making the M-1's so tight you had to use all of your body weight to close them. I know with the M-14 types a lot of home-made jobs were done using GI socks to hold the stock in a downward attitude. Wood can certainly warp, under pressure, over time. Whether you agree or not, it is a fact that the military did store a lot of match guns with the TG's "popped" and I can promise you that the old-time armorers in the 60's-70's certainly recommended it. I'd say: "Do what you want to do." I will say that the "match" 7.62 M-1 I stored popped for 25 years seems to possibly be the most accurate M-1 I have, FWIW.

[Maury Krupp]

Hmmm, for *long term* storage of a competition rifle opening the trigger guard may make some sense. If it's opened enough to relieve the downward pull exerted by the Lower Band.

On the other hand if the wood is going to warp maybe it would be better for everything to be locked up so it doesn't warp in some weird can't-get-it-back-together way

But for routine *short term* storage or storage of a Service Grade rifle when the concern is "...compressing the wood..." I still think the wood gets compressed as much as it ever will that first time the TG is closed. Any subsequent unlatching and relatching doesn't do anything but shift the receiver around in the stock and cause unnecessary wear on the TG lugs and stock bearing surfaces.

It's all probably angels on the head of a pin anyway so "Do what you want to do" sums it up nicely

Maury

[da gimp]

the armorer who built our match M1A, told us to leave it latched till the end of the season, with only bore & gas system cleaned after each shooting session.

After each season, return to him, & he'ld skim coat the bedding after HIS thorough breakdown & cleaning each year. Cost, 2 six packs of cold beer/ or some fine sipping whiskey.

I'm with Maury, hammer down, trigger group latched.

da gimp

OFC, Mo. Chapter
NRA life/Endowment

[Capt Quahog]

Is sitting on the wall collecting dust considered to be storage? If so, then the guards stay locked in place where the Garand Gawd intended them to be. If the stock gets warped or some springy dingy thingy gets de-sprung in 15-years. . . I don't care. Will likely be dead then anyway.

[tom gray]

Interesting thoughts. I think the idea that match rifles are different
from service rifles & should be unlatched may be the way to go.
Tom

[jmoore]

I use Dan Shapiro's method on rifles that need force to close the guard, match or otherwise. If it's not tight, then just closed and decocked. Wood does expand and contract depending on the environment, and yes, it actually is rather spongelike on a microscopic level- enough that continued stress will have an affect over time- Ever wonder how nails get loose in old construction? (just a random example)

[Devil Dog]

I think Griff has got it right. The reason to un-latch the guard is to maintain the SAME downward pressure the stock ferule/middle band has on the barrel. This downward pressure is important and the stock will eventually warp and loose this pressure. Many M1's do NOT have this downward pressure, therefore, leaving them locked will change nothing. If your lucky enough to have one with nice downward pressure, you can only help preserve it by un-latching when storing long term.
As far as "compressing" the wood in the trigger guard area..... The tight trigger guard "lock up" is very nice to have, but a tight receiver to stock fit is far more important. A lot of shooters think that just because their trigger guard needs two hands or a mallet to close it, they are good to go. A tight lock up will not correct an ill fitting or loose stock. Or, will a latched or un-latched T.G. make any difference with the receiver to stock fit.

[Joe W]

Talking about a tight trigger group