Dry firing a gun

colin1736

May 18, 2003 17:55

I have heard mixed emotions about dry firing guns. I saw an individual dry fire a brand new revolver in a reputable gun shop near me. I have always lived by the rule that you never dry fire a gun. I appreciate any and all opinions on this matter

Thanks
Colin

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  familyguy

  May 18, 2003 18:15

  I know some rimfires you can actually damage the chamber/cylinder, I came across a couple of old .22's that had visible damage. Might only be older guns, though. My gunsmith actually told me to constantly dry fire my S&W 686 (.357) because it would get smoother.
  
  
  
  Got a new gun for my ex-wife.....pretty good trade, huh?

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  rob_ster_us

  May 18, 2003 22:12

  snap caps? Now why did they make those for? I was tought to never to dry fire a gun or work the action with out asking first. Each his own
  -Rob
  
  The eyes of the hunted are on the side of their head,... the eyes of the hunter are on the front. What do you mean that I am not supposed to hunt?

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  rldowns3

  May 18, 2003 22:19

  Newer guns you can usually dry-fire without doing harm except rimfire guns as on a rim fire the firing pin will hit the side of the chamber and leave a small dent and burr's and possibly damage the firing pin. Newer guns and the metal they are made out of have made them pretty tough. On older guns and older foriegn makes it's probably not a good idea. But, as a general rule I try not to dry fire, especially if the gun dosen't belong to me.
  
  
  So, who's your favorite big screen cowboy?

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  PRZNCOP110

  May 18, 2003 23:47

  Good advice given so far. Just to add to it, dry firing repeatedly cant be too good for any gun. Like rldowns said, the newer guns can handle it much better than old guns can. Again as a matter manners, always ask permission to dry fire if you dont own the gun. There was a thread on this a few months back and someone suggested making snap caps by loading a dummy round (no powder/primmer). They glued a piece of pencil eraser where the primmer went to catch the firing pin.
  
  
  
  
  "SOCIETY PREPARES THE CRIME, THE CRIMINAL COMMITS IT"

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  Sunray

  May 19, 2003 00:10

  No dry firing rimfires but it won't hurt a centerfire. Dry firing a centerfire pistol or rifle is a normal training technique that lets you practice sight picture and trigger control.

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  allen griggs

  May 19, 2003 05:06

  On the Ruger Single Six, .22 lr, it says on the owners manual that it is ok to dry fire.

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  rhmc24

  May 19, 2003 05:08

  I seem to remember that Kel-Tec advised against dry firing?? I have their .32 and their 9mm. While dry firing is accepted in some trainings, it is usually on someone else's gun or on the advice of someone who doesn't care about your gun. Dry firing in general is useless wear and tear. Unless it serves a purpose, I don't do it. One such purpose I recall, I bought a new stainless S&W Model 66 that had an action that felt like it was full of sand or iron filings. I put some fine valve grinding compound inside it in the right places and dry fired it a number of times. Cleaned, lubricated it was then smooth as glass.

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  D@D

  May 19, 2003 06:25

  My local gunshop charges 25.00 bucks if they catch you dry fire thier guns.

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  captkirk3@dslextreme.com

  May 19, 2003 07:13

  INERTIA people...INERTIA! Inertia will eventually Pop the Tip off the Firing Pin............If you keep Dry Firing it long enough its gonna happen and when it does You'll have no One to Blame but Yourselves...
  
  Captain Kirk, Tech Staff

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  oldgunner

  May 19, 2003 11:16

  Like most of you, I've always considered it a bad idea to dry fire rimfires, but the disassembly instructions for my new Ruger MK II state that you must take off the safety and pull the trigger before you take it apart, so I've been doing that when I clean it. Hopefully it doesn't cause any harm.
  
  There are no bad guns, only bad people.

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  gskyhawk

  May 19, 2003 14:15

  alot of the newer guns like Ruger say that its ok right in their owners manual

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  Permanently deleted user

  May 19, 2003 14:24

  Ruger SP 101 also says "Dry Fire all ya want to"
  
  
  
  "A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"
  BIG DOG
  
  

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  dustyhol

  May 19, 2003 14:33

  Back when I could barely afford the ammo I needed to practice with I did dry-fire drills all the time. Maybe I was lucky but I never had the first problem. My instructor told me to practice dry-fire at least 10 times for every round expended in practice. Now that I am a little (emphasis on little!) wiser and can afford snap caps I use snap caps. Why take a chance damaging the gun and have it fail when you need it?
  
  "Practice is the best of all instructors."
  
  Publilius Syrus

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