How much harm happens from not releasing the pressure in a rifle. does the spring wear out faster or somehting.

Probably not. But it can weaken the spring.But, thereare much more practical reasons for carrying your rifle with the firing pin down.... Safety being first and foremost. I've never seen an accidental discharge from a weapon with the firing pin down. In my camp no one is allowed inside a 50 yard perimeter with their firing pin cocked. If I look at someones weapon and see the hammer down I know its a safe weapon.

Another reason is to prevent "Hang-Fires". Hang fires occur when you pull the trigger and there is an excessivedelay in locking time (going boom). This usually occurs due tocorrosion, dirt, or ICE. Yes ice, when hunting in foul weather it is overly important to carry with the hammer down. If you carry with the hammer back and ice forms in the mechanism the firing pin will not fall or will at the least be slowed. If ice forms with the hammer down, when you cycle the bolt the mechanical force of camming the bolt will break up any ice that has formed.

Its funny how many questions get asked on this forum, that my dad covered the first time I touched a weapon. Good ole dad.

With modern metallurgy dry firing is not a problem. I have done it hundreds if not thousands of times with some of my match rifles.

LOL If it was harmful tot he 700's mine would have been dead a week after I got them. I have done it literally thousands of times.

dry fireing your gun is never good no matter what they say your better of not doing it. I found that purchasing snap caps for your gun is a good investment because it keeps the gun performing all throughout the year

well the dry fire can have pin whear but all u do is buy dummy rounds for like a 2 bucks each

Being in the military and dealing with weapons all the time this was a common question; so I talked personally to several firearm specialist and the answer was the same. DRY FIRING your weapon will NOT do ANY DAMAGE; in the factory after they are made they are dry fired and cycled several hundredtimes on purpose to test them, it will do no harm as far as modern weapons are concerned now old weapons...probably not a good idea.