Dry firing guns
I have heard that dry firing a centerfire gun is fine to release the firing pin spring pressure, and I have heard not to do it without snap caps. Is it worth it to do this while they are in long term storage, or is it a bad idea to do it without snap caps.
0
-
I've heard different opinions regarding this subject. Some say that you should never dry fire your guns and others say that it is OK. I would like to know the truth. Anyone have the correct answer? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cabnetman
I've heard different opinions regarding this subject. Some say that you should never dry fire your guns and others say that it is OK. I would like to know the truth. Anyone have the correct answer?
I think it depends on the gun. Although not good pratice on any gun. Depending on what type of gun you have, there are things like snap caps and ruber piece you can put behind your revolver cylinder(not sure of the name)0 -
General rule of thumb? Avoid dry firing MOST rimfire arms. MOST centerfire arms, its OK. Maybe. Depends on the firearm. But a cheap set of snap caps takes the worry out of being close, 0 -
I've heard that it's not a good practice to dryfire any rimfire or any older centerfire.
Check the owner's manual for specific firearms. Barring that, avoid dry firing just to be on the safe side.0 -
It's my understanding that one should avoid dry firing all rimfire, and most "vintage" centerfire guns. But w/the advances in metalurgy & design, nearly if not all modern center fire guns made in last 20 yrs or so should be ok.
Old habits die hard. I still practice a do it as little as possible doctrine.0 -
... but why take the chance? A < $10 investment in a snap cap or make your own if you reload.
Good luck!0 -
There is no "correct" answer to this question, because the answer depends almost ENTIRELY on the gun in question and its specific design and metallurgy.
In *general* dry fire is safe on modern centerfire guns, and not safe on rimfire guns. Many manufacturers advise that dry firing their centerfire guns is OK (Smith and Wesson and Glock at least USED to do this).
Some CENTERFIRE guns can't take ANY significant number of dry fires. The CZ-52, for example, is known for a highly fragile firing pin that tends to break with only a few dry-fires.
Some RIMFIRE guns are DESIGNED to be dry-fired and can take unlimited numbers of dryfires. For example, I believe the firing pin on the 10/22 rifles was deliberately designed NOT to impact the chamber in dry fire. There are a number of high-end target guns that have also been designed with a specific dry-fire practice mode.
My take on this is simple. I will NOT dryfire rimfires if I can help it. In MOST cases doing this causes the firing pin to smack into the chamber rim, which is not good for the chamber rim and not good for the firing pin. If I want to dry fire, or "let down" a cocked. .22, I'll drop a spent .22LR shell (fired cartridge) in the chamber to act as a cushion. I usually keep a few fired .22s in the case of my .22 guns for exactly this purpose. . .they're pretty easy to come by and not too expensive. [;)]
I will dry fire centerfire guns in limited amounts (eg up to 5-10 times). I don't do it very often, but so far I've never had a problem with doing this.
I never actually do this, but *if* I were inclined to dry fire again and again and again (eg sitting there watching TV snapping a revolver for an hour), then I'd use snap caps. Whether or not they might "help" is debatable, and again will depend on the exact gun in question, but they're relatively cheap and certainly can't hurt.0 -
Nearly any winning target shooter will have dryfired thousands of times. Snap caps will take the worry out of dryfiring most centerfires. The CZ52 and Spanish Stars are known for breaking firing pins when dryfired. I would expect a snap cap to protect them but have not worked with them to know for sure.
Rimfires should be studied to see whether they will stand it without peening the edge of the chamber. I know a High Standard has a roll pin for a firing pin stop and it will eventually flatten out and quit guarding the chamber.0 -
In a somewhat related vein, NEVER "dry fire" an AR type rifle with the upper and lowers taken apart. Hammer has no firing pin to whack, and may strike the edge of the frame. If so, only takes a few whacks to crack the frame.
Go ahead- ask me how I know that........0 -
If you ALWAYS use snapcaps you will NEVER have to worry or make repairs. Cheap, cheap insurance. 0 -
From an engineers view , Usually there is always a dead stop, The head of the pin hits 1st, as it strikes the primer, leaving a few 1000th of a inch ,to clear a stop shoulder located down to the rear of the pin.
So...if its dry fires extra strain will be placed on the wrong part of the pin or mechanism, as 2 solid parts hit, Possibly causing damage to a very hard , temped part, shattering the pin! Snap caps will solve the problem , as said.
If unsure , dont do ![;)]0 -
quote:Originally posted by mond
From an engineers view , Usually there is always a dead stop, The head of the pin hits 1st, as it strikes the primer, leaving a few 1000th of a inch ,to clear a stop shoulder located down to the rear of the pin.
So...if its dry fires extra strain will be placed on the wrong part of the pin or mechanism, as 2 solid parts hit, Possibly causing damage to a very hard , temped part, shattering the pin! Snap caps will solve the problem , as said.
If unsure , dont do ![;)]
So the informed answer is definitely maybe!. I just bought a new H&R shotgun and the instruction manual sayS DO NOT DRYFIRE!.0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
12 comments