[Powersauce]

Dry-firing...is this bad for the gun/firing pin? I've heard yes and no. I've heard it's bad on some guns but not all. I've also heard if you do dry fire you should only dry fire with snap caps.

 

[Ducman]

on .22 its usually bad because the pin hits the breach face

I use snap caps when I dry fire

 

[Janq]

Yeah, don't do this on a rimfire gun.
But otherwise a modern pistol can handle it no problem, in general.
Myself though for years I've been using 'Snap-Cpas' and just a few weeks ago ordereed new ones from Pachmayer in .45.

- Janq

 

[Ben]

Ruger Mark III 22's have a firing pin stop and can be dry fired, that's the only rimfire I know of specifically that can, there's probably others though. Check your owners manual to be sure.

 

[jamz]

Yeah, it's pretty funny, most people will say that any modern gun (exception being a lot of rimfires) can dry fire all day long for years with no problem. Yet the very same people say they use snap caps because it's cheap insurance.

I am guilty of the same thing.

If you don't have snap caps, worry not and dry fire to your heart's content.

Next time you have 8 or 9 free bucks, pick up a snap cap or three.

 

[Scirion]

I just want to know how these "snap caps" work, and what the main purpose of them is? Is it just so you can dry fire your gun, or what?

 

[Adler]

The problem with dry firing is that it can break firing pins in some guns, enlarge the firing pin hole and jam the pins in others.

Its the worst in rimfire guns but I have seen SxS shotguns and centerfire rifles suffer from problems as well.

Basically the snap cap gives a stop for teh firing pin so it doesnt travel all the way forward and made the pin hole stop it. If the breechface is softer than the pin it can enlarge the hole like in Stevens 311 SxS shottys, or if the pin is softer/brittle it can snap the pin like in teh CZ52.

Newer handguns are sometimes neccessary to dry fire to takedown but a snapcap never hurts just incase.

 

[Janq]

Agreed Jamz, they are uber cheap insurance.
Additionally it's nice o have a few on hand to practice combat loading and FTF drills.
I'll mix in a few snap caps amongst several mags when at the range and though I know they're coming I won't know which magazine.

Snap caps for the coin are a win.

- Janq

 

[Shad]

Newer handguns are sometimes neccessary to dry fire to takedown

Personal experience on that one. Springfield XD series pistols need to be dry fired to complete the takedown. Before you can even take the slide off of the lower, you have to disengage the sear by dry firing them. Kind of wierded me out the first time I tried to clean my XD, but as soon as I did it, I realized why it happened. I'm sorry if this post doesn't seem that articulate, but I'm kind of drunk right now. I've spent the last 4 hours at a bar a few blocks away from my apartment trying to flirt with the bartender. Kind of a bar foul (I know this simply because I now make my living bartending) but I was making good progress, so I continued. Ok, this is the only post I'm going to put up tonight, as I've caught myself giving a slow, drunk-ass rant on a forum.

--T3h Shad has spoken
(which means you shouldn't listen)

 

[Adler]

My Steyr needs to be dry fired as well to take her down.

Thats why I like the loaded chamber indicator on those, they arent just a extractor/indicator but a solid pin on the bck like the p38/pp walther had. Much easier to feel than the other types like on Beretta, Taurus , and so on.

 

[jamz]

I just check the chamber on my glock 4 or 5 times, OCD-style before I pull the trigger to dissassemble. I am also pointing it in a place that would not be too disastrous if it were to recieve a bullet.

 

[ldivinag]

screw that...

all my pistols and handguns get snap caps...

just gotta order the 50bmg ones....

 

[97whitesi]

can you use an empty brass as a ghetto snapcap?

 

[fatcat]

Only if its a .22 because the fireing pin impacts on other places, on a center fire it would not work.

 

[DaButtKraken]

I never dry fire my Colt Gold Cup.
I dry fire my Glock 26 reguarly.

 

[Mach5]

Additionally it's nice o have a few on hand to practice combat loading and FTF drills.

They work really good for this. Everyone should have a few of these. I've used them at work on the range for years. You can also sneek them in a mag to look for recoil anticipation. If a shooter is jerking the trigger...i'll see it with a snap cap in.