Specifically if you must break the rifle down to fit in the safe how do you relieve the hammer springs without dry firing once the rifle is disassembled? Is it a no no to drop the hammers on A-zoom snap caps, remove the forearm then break open and separate the barrels from the action? One method I tried and seemed to work pretty well was to shoulder the action and brace the cocking piece against a flat area on my pelican case as I pull the respective trigger (holding the action firmly with the other hand, against the pelican, in an effort to ease the hammer spring tension). I was able to easily recock using a reverse of the above technique. Comments welcome.

An update. Got my reloading gear and have fired the Merkel 4 times at work using RL15/500gr woodleighs. Have been very busy so havent been able to spend much time with her. As soon as work slows down, I get a load established and feel I can shoot her accurately I plan to go find a pig to smack! Yall will be the first to know once it takes place!

I store my rifles muzzle down in a dehumidified gun vault, down prevents any oil residue from penetrating the stock which can cause problems down the road especially with heavy recoiling rifle.
Dry firing the rifle is recommended and what you mentioned would work on a double. I have snap caps for those rifles that cannot have the firing pin relaxed without firing

My late father's side by side 12 bore shot gun was made for him in 1919 when he was twelve years old. It is still on the same set of "hammer" springs today as it was when it was made.

It has either been stored taken down in its case or put up in a gun cabinet. It has never had the springs let down, either by the method Mississippian describes or the other method of holding a coin on the breech face and pulling the trigger.

The only springs that have caused problems have been the top lever spring and one of the ejector spring bridles in the Westley Richards box ejector. "Hammer" V springs don't wear out in the way a coil spring might and keeping them cocked for ten, twenty, forty, sixty years plus does not increase the likelihood that they will fail.

Personally? I would not bother and it is not generally ever done in Great Britain. I don't think it is necessary and in fact not desirable.

I think that re-cocking actually causes more stress on the forend when replacing it. Or on the cocking dogs if you re-cock by pushing these against a doorpost!

For comparison, I owned a 1971 Jeep commando which I used occasionally during the summer for fishing and during the hunting season, at 10 years old it had just under 7000 miles on it. The vehicle had leaf springs all around and they lost their arch and where close to the rubber bottoming stoppers. The springs had to be replaced for two reasons, stored with the weight on it and probably equally for not being exercised. I now store all my vehicles which will be out of service with the weight off.

Hello,

With the Krieghoff cocking mechanism letting off the springs for the strikers, no problem !
Just my 2c.

Nitro450exp

I store mine under my pillow. We can keep each other warm and snuggly, while dreaming of taking each other out on another African date.

It doubles as an effective intruder warning system too!

On extractor guns I open the action, pull the triggers and close the action. Then you can break it down.

On an ejector gun I pull the triggers on snap caps, then break the gun down.

However I have a 20ga double that has remained cocked for 58 years, and it still works fine.

It has an automatic safety and I do not have any 20ga snap caps... I should probably get some.

I store all of my guns muzzle down, barrels wet with Break Free. Chair cups under the muzzle. I use snap caps in my hammerless doubles to unload the main spring.

Dave

I have seen several older top quality doubles rifle and shotgun that had in their cases a block of horn to use like a snap cap by holding it against the breach face to let down the spring tension when it was taken down.
Bill