Posted: 6/18/2011 3:01:33 PM EDT
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Some guns can have their firing pins damaged if you dry fire them over and over. The snap caps pretty much are just fake bullets with a spring loaded area for the firing pin to hit. Examples? My sig p220 and beretta m9 both say that you are not suppose to dry fire them. At least I think both of those say it. A bunch of other guns say it as well. It was my understanding that even guns that don't say to not dry fire will benefit from using them. |
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Some guns can have their firing pins damaged if you dry fire them over and over. The snap caps pretty much are just fake bullets with a spring loaded area for the firing pin to hit. Examples? My sig p220 and beretta m9 both say that you are not suppose to dry fire them. At least I think both of those say it. A bunch of other guns say it as well. It was my understanding that even guns that don't say to not dry fire will benefit from using them. Dry firing is a part of military training, I'm pretty sure. If you can't dry fire it, its more than likely not worth owning*. *Except for antique designs |
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Dryfire does not hurt every gun, but it's best avoided. I have a .22 rimfire I fucked up as a kid, chewed a hole in the side of the chamber & broke the firing pin. Bad juju.
Then, there's the CZ52, which has a cast(!) firing pin, which will break if you dryfire, even once. Ask me how I know. 
Generally, I try to avoid it with all guns, even those I know will be fine. Snapcaps avoid this. I prefer A-zoom, the dark brown aluminum ones with the rubber in the butt, over the name-brand snapcaps that are clear plastic. |
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I have a compact plastic container, like you might use for fishing lures - with snap caps for every caliber we own. .22/.25/.357/40/.45/5.56/7.62/9mm/.410/12ga/etc/etc Very handy to have for getting to know your weapon or just function testing. I suggest at least 3-5 of every caliber you shoot. |
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Quoted: Ah, the infamous "purple paralyzer bullets"- I've got some of thoseDryfire does not hurt every gun, but it's best avoided. I have a .22 rimfire I fucked up as a kid, chewed a hole in the side of the chamber & broke the firing pin. Bad juju. Then, there's the CZ52, which has a cast(!) firing pin, which will break if you dryfire, even once. Ask me how I know. Generally, I try to avoid it with all guns, even those I know will be fine. Snapcaps avoid this. I prefer A-zoom, the dark brown aluminum ones with the rubber in the butt, over the name-brand snapcaps that are clear plastic. |
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Another vote for A-Zoom.
A good product to have and use. Get several of every caliber you have. They do wear out. I like to use them dry firing at home as well as checking feeding/function and practice loading drills. Some older gun designs will break firing pins or batter the chamber or hammer. Colt SAA, S&W revolvers, Winchester levers, Marlin levers, Bolt guns(Krags, Enfields, 1903Sprg, 1917 Enfield, Mosins, etc.) Not bueno to dry snap them. Stuff like M1 Garands, AR's, etc can take dry fire. |
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Some guns can have their firing pins damaged if you dry fire them over and over. The snap caps pretty much are just fake bullets with a spring loaded area for the firing pin to hit. This and assuming they will cycle through a gun manually, they're a lot safer to use than live rounds for testing. |
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After making certain the weapon is clear, I load a magazine with 2 or more snap caps - chamber one, and test the safety. Then firing, ejecting, chamber next round... There are just some things you can't do without a snap cap for safety. Testing a safety with a "round" in the chamber is the best way to make certain that the trigger really works - or doesn't, as it should or shouldn't. They are a tool of a safe gun owner, and as such - an investment. They can be expensive but I believe they are worth it. Recently I bought a side by side .410 shotgun for my wife - and she was able to safely really get to know how it operated and without live ammo. |
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Great training aids. Mix them in with a mag of live ammo at the range and you have a reliable feeding example of a FTF. this Yep...I ran a two gun course a few weeks back...the instructor loaded our mags....and randomly inserted a dummy round to add a kink to the course. |
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Quoted: Another vote for A-Zoom. A good product to have and use. Get several of every caliber you have. They do wear out. I like to use them dry firing at home as well as checking feeding/function and practice loading drills. Some older gun designs will break firing pins or batter the chamber or hammer. Colt SAA, S&W revolvers, Winchester levers, Marlin levers, Bolt guns(Krags, Enfields, 1903Sprg, 1917 Enfield, Mosins, etc.) Not bueno to dry snap them. Stuff like M1 Garands, AR's, etc can take dry fire. Really? I never would have guessed. |
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Some guns can have their firing pins damaged if you dry fire them over and over. The snap caps pretty much are just fake bullets with a spring loaded area for the firing pin to hit. Examples? My sig p220 and beretta m9 both say that you are not suppose to dry fire them. At least I think both of those say it. A bunch of other guns say it as well. It was my understanding that even guns that don't say to not dry fire will benefit from using them. From Sig Sauer's website: It is safe to dry-fire our center fire pistols. You would want to use a snap cap or plug if extensive dry-firing is done. Always count your dry-firing in your live fire count to be sure all springs and pins are in top condition. DO NOT intentionally dry-fire any rim fire pistol such as the Mosquito, .22LR conversions or Classic Pistols. |
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Some guns can have their firing pins damaged if you dry fire them over and over. The snap caps pretty much are just fake bullets with a spring loaded area for the firing pin to hit. Examples? My sig p220 and beretta m9 both say that you are not suppose to dry fire them. At least I think both of those say it. A bunch of other guns say it as well. It was my understanding that even guns that don't say to not dry fire will benefit from using them. Dry firing is a part of military training, I'm pretty sure. If you can't dry fire it, its more than likely not worth owning*. *Except for antique designs No shit. There's the clearing barrel, but I'm not going to bother because I can't drop the hammer on an empty chamber. |
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What is it about .22lr pistols that makes dry firing them such a no-go? Is it the same case with rifles? If I bought snap caps for every caliber I have, I'd be making what I consider to be a significant financial expenditure.
Give me an idea of which of these is and isn't safe to dry fire (not all mine  ):Colt MkIV Series 70 CZ 85B (SAO Conversion) Rossi .38spc snub (unknown model) PSL Sig556 Remington 870 Ruger 10/22 Ruger 22/45 Ruger Redhawk S&W 629 |
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What is it about .22lr pistols that makes dry firing them such a no-go? Is it the same case with rifles?[div] It's for both rifles and pistols. It's due to the fact the .22lr is rimfire ammunition, meaning the firing pin strikes the rim of the cartridge, so it is not just .22lr, but any rimfire caliber. If you dryfire a rimfire chambered firearm, the firing pin will actually be hitting off the back of the barrel, instead of hitting a void as it would with a centerfire. Meaning possible damage to the barrel and/or firing pin. Zach |