Dry firing

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Otto
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Dry firing

Post by Otto »

Does anybody here do this? I was under the impression that it was an accepted training tool, especially with handguns. Apparently there are those here that disagree.
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Modoc ED
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Modoc ED »

There'll be different opinions here but I don't like to dry fire my guns except for the occasional time when I've cycled a bolt and want to store the gun un-cocked. If I were to constantly dry-fire a gun, I would use a snap-cap.
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Otto
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Otto »

Modoc ED wrote:There'll be different opinions here but I don't like to dry fire my guns except for the occasional time when I've cycled a bolt and want to store the gun un-cocked. If I were to constantly dry-fire a gun, I would use a snap-cap.
The objection was safety-related, not an issue of damage to the gun.
Last edited by Otto on Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by kimwcook »

The only time I've ever broken a firing pin was because of dry firing. I would use a snap cap as Modoc said if I were to practice dry firing a rifle. My 1911's get dry fired all the time and I've yet to ever have a problem.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by El Chivo »

I read about a situation where a guy was dry-firing at home, pointing the gun at his friend. One time the gun was loaded and he killed his friend. It only takes once to make that mistake.

I think the more you do it, the greater your chance of an AD. But it IS good practice. So it's up to you.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Otto »

El Chivo wrote:I read about a situation where a guy was dry-firing at home, pointing the gun at his friend.
Um, I would never point, let alone fire, any gun at anybody, ever.

Well, unless they started doing it first, if you know what I mean.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Modoc ED »

Otto wrote:
Modoc ED wrote:There'll be different opinions here but I don't like to dry fire my guns except for the occasional time when I've cycled a bolt and want to store the gun un-cocked. If I were to constantly dry-fire a gun, I would use a snap-cap.
The objection was safety-related, not an issue of damage to the gun.
THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT!!!!!

Your sentence; "I was under the impression that it was an accepted training tool, especially with handguns." does not conjure up SAFETY -- at least as far as I'm concerned. That would depend on who/circumstances, etc..

And then as far wear and tear on a gun, it doesn't matter whether it's for safety, wearing in a trigger, or whatever -- dry firing can be hard on a gun.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by kimwcook »

I read the question as to whether it was okay to dry fire the weapon.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by J Miller »

I will answer from both stand points.

Safety:
1: Treat all guns as if they are loaded always.
2: Keep your finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot.
3: Make sure of your target.
4: Make sure what's beyond your target.

Alright, dry firing by it's nature requires you to violate rule #1 at least. And as long as you can totally control the situation I suppose that's OK. But I believe it was Bill Jordan or maybe Skeeter Skelton who told the story of how he was practicing his draw in his room with an unloaded gun. He finished his practice, loaded the gun and walked away. Then later had a brain fanny burp and tried just one more practice draw. Shot himself right in the mirror.

My guns are always loaded. Seriously, as I sit here the gun closest to me, IJ, is loaded. When I pick it up I know this. ZERO dry firing. NO, NEVER, NYET, NOT, NINE ........ all those words for DON'T DO IT!

In my opinion based on reading and experience I no longer dry fire my guns for practice. I use live ammo at the range. How is it I can still shoot like I posted with my then newly rebuilt IJ, well, I've been doing it for 35 years. I'm rusty, but still decent.


Gun Damage:
I've dry fired many Smith & Wessons with their hammer mounted firing pin with out incident. I've dry fired my Rugers to a much lesser extent. I DO NOT DRY FIRE my lever guns unless I'm testing for function, and then I do it very little.

Many summers ago I bought a Win 94 SRC. An early 1900s gun. The firing pin had been broken and repaired but caused no end of pierced primers. I was told it was most likely due to dry firing it.
SO I DON'T.

About the early 80s I bought a brand new Interarms Virginian Dragoon. It had a frame mounted firing pin. IIRC the owners manual stated it was OK to dry fire it, well not long after getting it, but after a lot of dry firing the firing pin broke.
I quit dry firing revolvers with frame mounted firing pins.

I have an OM Ruger Super Single-Six that had a problem when I got it. The firing pin bushing was pushed out of the frame and was rubbing on the back of the cylinder. This was caused by it's previous owner(S) dry firing it.
I DON'T.

My IJ Cattleman does not have a firing pin bushing, so if I dry fire it the impact of the firing pin will displace the metal around the FP hole and cause problems.
I DON'T

I used to own a really nice Colt Government Model .45 Auto made in the 1930s. I dry fired it incessantly. Then one day I noticed the firing pin was not retracting properly. The spring had collapsed. I also noticed the rear end of the firing pin was peened over. After replacing those I reduced the ammount of dry firing to a minimum until after one IPSC match when I found the firing pin retainer cracked from top to hole, and partially from the hole to the bottom. Had the FP retainer fractured I would have lost the firing pin, it's spring, and maybe the extractor.
I QUIT dry firing it.

Over the years I've seen much damage done from dry firing, and personally witnessed the excess wear caused by it. So for one last time, I'll simply say:
I DON'T DRY FIRE my guns now other than to function test them.

Joe
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Re: Dry firing

Post by JimT »

I have Single Actions that have been dryfired for 30 years or more ... have to be in the hundreds of thousands of cycles. It has not hurt them. I know some CAS shooters who claim over a million dryfires with their guns. As long as proper precautions are taken it's a valid learning aid.

"The single largest problem of dry-firing is what is known as the "One-More-Shot Syndrome". This affliction usually befalls the dry-firer at least once in his life. Basically it is caused by the repetition of the same action over and over during an extended period of time. The synapses in the brain get "locked" into doing something the same way and if a completely different action is not undertaken, the person will perform that same action unconsciously, even if consciously not intending to. While most times it results in no harm, it is potentially deadly."

from "PISTOLWORK" ... http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/pistolwork.htm
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Re: Dry firing

Post by JimT »

J Miller wrote:
About the early 80s I bought a brand new Interarms Virginian Dragoon. It had a frame mounted firing pin. IIRC the owners manual stated it was OK to dry fire it, well not long after getting it, but after a lot of dry firing the firing pin broke.
I quit dry firing revolvers with frame mounted firing pins.

I have an OM Ruger Super Single-Six that had a problem when I got it. The firing pin bushing was pushed out of the frame and was rubbing on the back of the cylinder. This was caused by it's previous owner(S) dry firing it.
I DON'T.

My IJ Cattleman does not have a firing pin bushing, so if I dry fire it the impact of the firing pin will displace the metal around the FP hole and cause problems.
I DON'T

I used to own a really nice Colt Government Model .45 Auto made in the 1930s. I dry fired it incessantly. Then one day I noticed the firing pin was not retracting properly. The spring had collapsed. I also noticed the rear end of the firing pin was peened over. After replacing those I reduced the ammount of dry firing to a minimum until after one IPSC match when I found the firing pin retainer cracked from top to hole, and partially from the hole to the bottom. Had the FP retainer fractured I would have lost the firing pin, it's spring, and maybe the extractor.
I QUIT dry firing it.
Joe - the above examples can be covered by using Snap Caps and also by proper fitting. My Uberti's don't have a firing pin bushing in the frame. I noticed the peening from dryfiring so I fitted the hammer/firing pin properly so that the hammer face impacts fully on the frame without the firing pin actually hitting anything. I have dryfired it for years now with no problems.

The Ruger Single Six is designed to be able to be dryfired with no damage if it is properly fitted. Ruger set one up at an NRA Show on a machine that cocked and snapped it rapidly. They ran it the entire show with no problems. My OM Single Six was made in 1960. We still shoot it and never have had a problem from dryfiring. But if they are not fitted properly there can be problems.

Firing pins can break if you do not use snap caps. I broke a firing pin on my FA 454 dryfiring it. I called the factory. They said "Dummy. It says not to dryfire it without snap caps" and then replaced the firing pin for me.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by win92 »

dry firing a rimfire will flatten the firing pin or damage what is behind it.
I am quilty of dry firing many differant guns but I shy away of rimfires, guns with flat springs. and generally the more expensive guns. And a really good piece of advice is to refrain from dry firing someone elses gun. (it might not be As dry as you would like)
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Re: Dry firing

Post by JReed »

win92 wrote:dry firing a rimfire will flatten the firing pin or damage what is behind it.
I am quilty of dry firing many differant guns but I shy away of rimfires, guns with flat springs. and generally the more expensive guns. And a really good piece of advice is to refrain from dry firing someone elses gun. (it might not be As dry as you would like)
Yes never dry fire an unknown gun. As far as dry firing being safe or not it is only as safe as the nut behind the but. Personaly I never touch a weapon with out clearing it that includes a chamber check and droping the mag ( or whatever the source of amunition maybe). When I dry fire I always use snap caps this has a 2 fold purpose 1 it saves wear and tear on the gun 2 it forces you again to check the weapon for live ammo when you load the snap caps.

Many a bad guy has died on my TV due to heavy doses of 45colt snap caps. Be safe and enjoy.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Otto »

JReed wrote:Many a bad guy has died on my TV due to heavy doses of 45colt snap caps. Be safe and enjoy.
That is the exact activity I was talking about. Some seem to think this is particularly reckless, regardless of the details.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by JReed »

Otto wrote:
JReed wrote:Many a bad guy has died on my TV due to heavy doses of 45colt snap caps. Be safe and enjoy.
That is the exact activity I was talking about. Some seem to think this is particularly reckless, regardless of the details.
It all comes down to do you feel comfortable enough with your handeling practices to make it a safe proposition. Is there an odd chance that I will shoot my TV yes but the odds are low in my case. I never leave my guns loaded in the house I never even cycle live rounds in my guns to test for function. I have lots of well marked dumby rounds for my guns that I use for function checks. The only time my guns see live ammo is at the range or out in the hunting fields. This doesnt stop me from checking my guns multiple times every time I handle one. I have seen to many times instances where Marines thought they had fully unloaded their weapon only to have a round eject when they go to hand it off to someone else so it has made me a bit paranoid when it comes to clearing my own guns.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Otto »

JReed wrote: I have seen to many times instances where Marines thought they had fully unloaded their weapon only to have a round eject when they go to hand it off to someone else so it has made me a bit paranoid when it comes to clearing my own guns.
Hey, two words: National Guard
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Re: Dry firing

Post by JReed »

OH yes I have had dealings with them also :shock: Nothing like being flaged with a 249 SAW while eating in the chow hall to ruin a good meal. :evil:
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Re: Dry firing

Post by JimT »

win92 wrote:dry firing a rimfire will flatten the firing pin or damage what is behind it.

From the Ruger Owners Manual for the New Model Single Six:

"DRY-FIRING: Going through the actions of cocking, aiming, and pulling the trigger of an unloaded gun is known as “Dry Firing.” It can be useful to learn the“feel” of your revolver. Be certain the revolver is unloaded and that the gun is pointing in a safe direction even when practicing by dry-firing. The Ruger New Model revolvers can be dry-fired without damage to the firing pin or other components."
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Otto »

JReed wrote:OH yes I have had dealings with them also :shock: Nothing like being flaged with a 249 SAW while eating in the chow hall to ruin a good meal. :evil:
That wasn't me. They don't trust me with a SAW.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Bartman »

Hi, fellas a newbie from the land down under I would like to relate a story that happened to me. I was out hunting with my 92 winchester carbine in 44.40 left things a bit late and was in a hurry to get home from the bush so the gun was still loaded when I got home, unloaded the car and packed away the meat then went to clean the gun and put it away. I cycled the action and ejected 4-5 live rounds and cycled the action several times more seemed empty then I pulled the trigger to put the hammer down instead of lowering with my thumb as usual, you can guess the rest "BOOM" there was a cartridge stuck that had popped out and I did not notice it, it went through the wall of my shed through the door that was opened against the shed across the driveway through the outside then inside walls of my daughters room and went through the pelmet and curtain rod and smashed her front window! Needless to say it scared the s--t out of me the thought that I could have killed my girl, now I only ever pull the trigger on a live round when I am about to shoot paper or game, dry firing is dangerous.
Regards Bartman levergunner nut from the goldfields of Western Australia. P.S. Hi D Bateman.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Cimarron Red »

From my perspective, dry firing as practice for off-hand shooting is indespensible. I do it with single-shot rifles and leverguns 4 to 5 times per week as training for BPCR and levergun silhouette shooting. Dry firing will give you feedback on how well you follow through after the hammer falls. In live fire practice this feedback is masked by the gun's recoil. It will also dramatically improve your holding and breathing techniques.

I always use a snap cap with two exceptions: with a rifle equipped with a set trigger, all you need do is set the trigger without cocking the rifle. Then break the trigger just as in firing with a cocked hammer. Next with rifles equipped with the much-maligned tang safety, engage that safety and drop the hammer against the hammer block. The hammer never touches the firing pin.

I have a Browning 1885 BPCR that I've dry fired thousands of times (in addition to more than twenty thousand full power BP rounds) and the firing pin looks like new. Likewise several leverguns have been fired repeatedly with a snap cap (one has a set trigger) with no ill effects on the firing pin.

As to the safety issue, common sense gun handling practices must apply. I understand that some shooters are not comfortable with dry firing, and they should avoid the practice. For others who want to improve their off-hand proficiency, dry firing is the way to do it.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by dbateman »

dry firing is a good way to learn triger control but always use snap caps or olr shell to stop the fireing pin
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Re: Dry firing

Post by TedH »

Depends on the gun as to whether or not there will be damage. I have noticed some peening on my Henry 22 rifle from just a few dry fires. My Glocks have done thousands of dry fires at the television with no ill effects.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Rusty »

I make my own snap caps by using an unprimed case and putting silicone caulk in the primer pocket. After the silicone has fully cured trim the silicone with a a razor blade so it's flush with the back of the case.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Wrangler John »

If'n you all dry fire without a snap cap be sure it's a rifle where parts are available. Them Browning Lever reproductions are becoming hard to get parts for - especially the '95.

I would not dry fire an original antique or collector's model.

I do not dry fire my Colt SA's.

I have boxes of Ruger single action parts - including firing pins and a bushing or two from my old Silhouette days. Parts for them are available - so snap away.

Handguns with a transfer bar usually are harmless to dry fire, the hammer is supposed to be arrested before it mashes the firing pin and return spring. I have had a Ruger transfer bar snap in half however, hence the parts mentioned above.

Some of my firearms came with the notification in the manual not to dry fire - both Wichita pistol models, for example.

I know a few top shooters who had targets on the wall and practiced for a period every day possible. They also squeezed spring hand exercisers and rubber balls, and hung dumbells at arm's length to strengthen their arms. So, I guess the answer is - it depends! :)
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Re: Dry firing; pelmet

Post by 2571 »

I gotta laud the guy for having the cojones to admit this misadventure.

Count the rounds put into a magazine/ count them coming out.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Freightman »

Friend was "practicing" dry firing his new 9MM carry gun at the "NEW" Plasma TV he bought for his wife, did it several nights in a row. Went and baught new TV for his wife after about a week. Wonder why?
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Re: Dry firing

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Bartman wrote:Hi, fellas a newbie from the land down under I would like to relate a story that happened to me. I was out hunting with my 92 winchester carbine in 44.40 left things a bit late and was in a hurry to get home from the bush so the gun was still loaded when I got home, unloaded the car and packed away the meat then went to clean the gun and put it away. I cycled the action and ejected 4-5 live rounds and cycled the action several times more seemed empty then I pulled the trigger to put the hammer down instead of lowering with my thumb as usual, you can guess the rest "BOOM" there was a cartridge stuck that had popped out and I did not notice it, it went through the wall of my shed through the door that was opened against the shed across the driveway through the outside then inside walls of my daughters room and went through the pelmet and curtain rod and smashed her front window! Needless to say it scared the s--t out of me the thought that I could have killed my girl, now I only ever pull the trigger on a live round when I am about to shoot paper or game, dry firing is dangerous.
Regards Bartman levergunner nut from the goldfields of Western Australia. P.S. Hi D Bateman.
Yep - I've had accidental discharges when just "lowering the hammer" after a shooting session. Once was a .45 ACP pistol, and the other a rifle. The saving grace was that in both instances (and always) I adhere to the "only point a gun at something you wouldn't care if you shot" rule. Both bullets impacted dirt.

As long as the television wasn't on a wall where penetration would enter someone's room, or go towards another home, I'm not that sure I'd CARE if I blew a hole in it. darned propaganda machines, mostly...
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Re: Dry firing

Post by AJMD429 »

Bartman wrote:. . . now I only ever pull the trigger on a live round when I am about to shoot paper or game, dry firing is dangerous.
If the gun had been pointed in a truly 'safe' direction (one you would NOT hesitate to intentionally discharge a LIVE round in), it would have been a non-issue, other than startled you and made you realize that sometimes a round makes it into the chamber somehow when you thought none had.

So, IF (and that is a big, hairy "IF") the gun is pointed in a 'safe' direction, dry-firing is 'safe'.

Of course, the same mistake can happen in assuming a 'safe' direction, as in assuming a 'safe' un-chambered gun!

One help is to use a specific dry-fire device and/or dry-fire cartridge.

Still, I tend to only dry-fire when aiming at things I'd not care all that much if I actually shot...
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Re: Dry firing

Post by SFRanger7GP »

I dry fire all the time. It is a very good training tool. As for accidental discharges (AD's), there are 2 types of gun owners. Those who have had an AD and those that are going to have one. That is why you apply all of the other safety rules before and during dry fire practice. By the way, I have had one AD many years ago that I will never forget. The gun was on the range, pointed down range and the line was hot. No one was hurt and no one noticed, but it scared and shamed me into being more careful.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Ysabel Kid »

Like Jeremy and others, the limited amount of dry-firing I do is done with a snap-cap. It forces safety, as you have to place it in a chamber which ensures the gun doesn't have a live round in the chamber. Some guns can handle thousands of dry fires without snap-caps without any problems, but with snap-caps being so cheap, why not use them? Also, like Joe, you still ALWAYS follow the basic firearm rules; never point a gun at something you are not willing to kill or destroy. Guns are NEVER, EVER pointed at anyone else, even in jest, unless that someone else is about to do harm. Muzzle control is always practiced in my home - even with toy guns. I am a fanatic about this to my kids, but it is the only way I know to teach them. I figure if they learn muzzle control with toys, then when we actually go to the range they will be more apt to practice it there. So far the theory works.
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Hobie »

I don't care to snap old double shotguns or rimfires (the Ruger Single-Six is an exception to the rule). After all these years I have come to prefer a snap cap as it takes the place, with some certainty, of a live cartridge and might provide some cushion for the firing pin in the guns I shoot. The one more shot syndrome can affect anyone. I've come so close that I'm still a bit upset about it many years later, however...

The Army (and I presume other services) use dry-firing with other people in the line of fire as a standard marksmanship training tool. ANYONE who has been in the Army has done this at least once. So far as I can tell this was started at least back when the 1903 was the issue rifle and has been used with 1903, 1903A3, M1, M14 and M16 series rifles. The big caveat here is that the Army strictly controls availability of ammunition and one is constantly clearing weapons. I know that when I conducted this training I personally checked every weapon in use.
c. Target Box and Paddle Exercise. This exercise incorporates the soldier's position and breathing while aiming at a target 25 meters away, simulating a live fire 25-meter engagement. This exercise reinforces the basic fundamentals while refining the soldier's muscle memory during the integrated act of dry firing. This exercise specifically focuses on the soldier's position, breathing and sight picture. Please note that dry-firing doesn't necessarily actually occur. I have seen instructors use the sound of the falling hammer as a cue to mark the "bullet" strike.
Paddleboxexercise.jpg
d. Dime and Washer Exercise. This exercise incorporates the soldier's position; breathing and trigger squeeze at a target 25 meters away, simulating a live fire 25-meter engagement. The soldier must successfully dry-fire his weapon six consecutive times without the washer falling to the ground. This exercise specifically focuses on all four of the soldier's fundamentals. This training is almost always conducted in a classroom or barracks area and not on the range.
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Sincerely,

Hobie

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Bluehawk
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Re: Dry firing

Post by Bluehawk »

Handguns usualy have more "Simple" types of firing pins and are "less" prone to damage from Dry firing. Lots of rifles have longer and more compicated systems including two part firing pins that do take impact with less tolerance .
That is an over simplification but generaly true. I do not EVER dry fire any type of rifle or shotgun with out some sort of snap cap either purchased or improvised. I made snap caps for shot guns years ago by removing the primer from spent shells and replacing them with pencil erasers, worked great, still does.
While shooting different forms of hand gun competition in the 80s and 90s, I dry fired hand guns 100s of thousands of times no damage! Never put a round through the TV either! BUT I was constanly checking the guns even though I KNEW they were unloaded checkng to make sure they were safe.
In my home's ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded . Whether they are or not > If I ever meet anyone of you and hand you a gun I iwll ALWAYS say that gun is LOADED EVEN IF IT ISNT I MAKE YOU CHECK IT first !!!!!!!!!! Then you can dry fire it all you want :D
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damienph
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Re: Dry firing

Post by damienph »

Rusty wrote:I make my own snap caps by using an unprimed case and putting silicone caulk in the primer pocket. After the silicone has fully cured trim the silicone with a a razor blade so it's flush with the back of the case.

That is a great idea Rusty! I am going to make one in each caliber this weekend.
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JReed
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Re: Dry firing

Post by JReed »

Bluehawk wrote: I made snap caps for shot guns years ago by removing the primer from spent shells and replacing them with pencil erasers, worked great, still does.
I do the same thing. When the eraser wears out I just dig it out and replace it. Cheap and simple all of us have spent cases on hand.
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horsesoldier03
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Re: Dry firing

Post by horsesoldier03 »

Yes I do dry fire. However that being said, Safety is paramount! Always make sure you have NO AMMO in the GUN or even OUT IN THE AREA! Then ensure that your firing at what would be considered a safe backstop. I will not dry fire my S&W Revolvers or any other DA. Once when I was younger and did it, not only did it chip a firing pin that resulted in frequent miss fires, it will also knock them out of time!
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Re: Dry firing

Post by AJMD429 »

Ysabel Kid wrote:Guns are NEVER, EVER pointed at anyone else, even in jest, unless that someone else is about to do harm. Muzzle control is always practiced in my home - even with toy guns. I am a fanatic about this to my kids, but it is the only way I know to teach them. I figure if they learn muzzle control with toys, then when we actually go to the range they will be more apt to practice it there. So far the theory works.
I did that too. When I'd go woods-walking and the kids were toddlers, of course they'd want to tag along. I generally had a rifle of some sort, partly due to the feral dog packs we'd occasionally encounter, and partly just 'because I could'. So they'd use wooden-dowel toy guns and come with me. I'd make a pretty great show of muzzle control, switching to whatever carry mode was most appropriate for the terrain and our relative walking positions. Once I could no longer 'trick' them (by turning or walking the other way suddenly, thus making them need to shift carry position), they'd get to carry a real gun (no BB guns were on hand at the time) that I'd removed the bolt from. Later I'd ceremoniously allow them to have the bolt in the gun, and expect them to check/clear the gun appropriately.

Finally, I would even have them clear the rifle, then distract them and surrepticiously insert a round IN the chamber, and hand them back the rifle, asking them "Did you make sure it was unloaded?" Of course they'd say "Yes", at which point I'd say "Well then point it at a safe backstop and dry-fire it, just to take tension off the springs." (I'd of course be close enough I was still able to control muzzle direction, we were in a place with a 300-degree safe-horizon, and I'd never do this with a handgun.) When they went to 'dry-fire' the gun they were sure was unloaded, and a .357 round goes off downrange :shock: :shock: :shock: the astonishment pretty well educates them on the spot that you NEVER assume a gun is unloaded unless you check it AGAIN.

Rusty wrote:I make my own snap caps by using an unprimed case and putting silicone caulk in the primer pocket. After the silicone has fully cured trim the silicone with a a razor blade so it's flush with the back of the case.
Do they work better than the commercial ones?
I am NOT impressed by any brand of commercial 'snap-cap' I've tried - they seem either to be such soft material I can't imagine they 'cushion' firing-pin impact much at all, OR they are so firm they immediately get a firing-pin-shaped dent in them that means they don't even get impacted by the firing pin any more.
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M. M. Wright
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Re: Dry firing

Post by M. M. Wright »

I remember as a kid (9 I think) dry firing my 22 and then getting cases that hung up in the chamber. Rimfires, some of them, will dent the edge of the chamber and cause difficult extraction. Properly regulated, the firing pin should not touch the barrel face but on many old 22s they do.
The snap caps I use in my 44-40s have a spring loaded primer simulator which seems to work very well. Traditions brand, made in Italy. The primer is just barely dented so it must be very hard since they are well used.

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