Despite the general consensus here, I will continue to store my guns with their mainsprings in an uncompressed state.

It is well known that springs under compression lose strength over extended periods of time. Gun magazine springs become weaker when left fully loaded, and may begin to cause feeding problems. Leaf and coil springs in vehicle suspensions definitely begin to sag over time. Valve springs in engines stored for long periods will show a measureable difference in uncompressed height, and the eventual loss of strength can lead to valve "float" at high rpms.

https://idcspring.com/spring-lose-tension-when-compressed/

None of my guns is likely to have spring failure because I have fired them the tens of thousands of times required to exceed the maximum average number of compression/extension cycles before failure. For almost all of us, the greatest threat to our springs is incorrect polishing and tempering during manufacture (generally beyond our control), and stress risers that occur due to corrosion. In other words, a rusty spring is more likely to break than a spring with a clean polished surface. I'm pretty sure that a real metallurgist who knows a bit about springs and heat treatment would agree.


A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.