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Dry Firing

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13 comments

  • mjclothiers
    i have heard conflicting opinions on whether or not dry firing a gun (of any type) is bad for the gun. some say it's ok on centerfire but not rimfire. some say it's ok on rimfire but not on centerfire. without even bringing snap caps or things like that into the picture, who is right? is it ok on one and not the other, ok on both or on neither. thanks in advance for your answers
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  • mark christian
    This has come up here about 100 times and opinions differ. Modern centerfire firearms are genrerally not harmed by occassional dry firing but many older firearms like the Czech CZ-52 are weak in that area and repeated dry firing will lead to damage. Rimfires should never be dry fired and most .22 match pistols have a special dry firing device to allow for dry firing. Back in the old days before WWII recruits would spend hours "snapping in" with the Model 1903 Springfield and I never heard of a single probelm caused by dry firing. On the other hand snap caps are so cheap and easy to use that I keep them handy for casual use and all of my shotguns have snap caps for dropping the hammer after cleaning.

    "Nothing can ever be made 'idiot proof' because idiots are simply too clever"!
    Mark T. Christian
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  • cbxjeff
    Get the snap caps. Even with centerfire, where the pin wouldn't hit anything, the hammer (or pin) stops by hitting something. That something is not what is meant to stop it.

    cbxjeff<P>It's too late for me, save yourself. <br>
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  • gap1916
    Glocks have no issue with this at all. My 2 cents [8D]

    Greg
    Former Marine
    A N G L I C O
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  • redice
    quote:Originally posted by cbxjeff
    Get the snap caps. Even with centerfire, where the pin wouldn't hit anything, the hammer (or pin) stops by hitting something. That something is not what is meant to stop it.

    cbxjeff<P>It's too late for me, save yourself. <br>


    actualy on a lot of military firearms there is a ring on the firing pin that when dry fired hits, it is made just for this purpose so the firing pin does not wear out/break from dry firing.
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  • Sir Martin
    i think that i would rather spend a couple bucks to get snap caps just to be 100 percent, because there so cheap that its not worth even arguing on whether you should have them or not. if you need to dry fire for watever reason its not gonna kill your gun as long as you dont do it a lot, no matter how weak the gun. so i would just use common sense, do what you want but that is just my opinion[:)]
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  • webley
    During WW11 when the M1 Garand was used to "snap in" the firing pin had been removed before it was issued to the boots and later reinstalled after the week of dry firing. Was this a safety reason or to save the fireing pin?
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  • Iroquois Scout
    I have replaced several fireing pins in both the 1903 Springfield as well as the Krag, in which the tips crystalized and broke from dry fireing. I have also seen two 1894 fireing pins that broke for the same reason.
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  • mjclothiers
    Thank Everyone for all the great info
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  • gunguy30_06
    what about a 10/22 when the last round is expelled the action is still cocked, should i leave it this way or dry fire it?
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  • dbrigham
    Side note on the snap caps: I use 'em and used to just leave one in the chamber until a gunsmith told me they can somehow attract moisture and that keeping them in the chamber all the time was a bad thing.

    Si vis Pacem, Para bellum
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  • Sir Martin
    unless they are organic snap caps, i doubt that they can attract moisture.

    Martin
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  • captkirk3@dslextreme.com
    INERTIA is the culprit.....! Inertia will over time allow the Tip of the Firing Pin to Snap Off....Snap Caps or a Wooden Dowel a Tad Smaller than Bore Size will keep the Firing Pin Safe......

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff<P><BR>
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