[TheLastBoyScout]

Does it harm your rifle if you dryfire over an empty chamber (as opposed to using a snapcap or something like that)?

[Arcli9ht]

I've heard that it is ok for most new centerfire rifles. But I know for a fact that it isnt for rimfire.

/Arcli9ht

[happy old sailor]

a few snaps from time to time has not hurt my rifles and some of them are decades old. if you wanna do this regularly, get a snap cap. or, make you one by trimming down a pencil erasure to fit in an empty primer pocket.

for a hundred or so years, people have been saying never snap a shotgun on an empty chamber. so i don't.

bad news for rimfires too. firing pin peens the rear edge of the chamber into the chamber causing considerable exacerbation.

[Hkmp5sd]

Depends on the rifle. Check the manual for warnings or just go ahead and use snapcaps. I have broken a firing pin or two over the years and can't really blame it on dryfiring without snapcaps, but nowadays, I use them just to eliminate the possibility.

[Standing Wolf]

Dummy rounds are cheaper than gunsmithing.

[Jim K]

Most modern rifles and pistols will not be harmed by dry firing. Military rifles are made to be dryfired because that was done thousands of times in training.

Older (pre-1930) rimfires, or those with home-made firing pins should not be dry fired. (Some should not be fired at all.)

There are some warnings, though. I saw a nice old Colt OMM in .22 which was badly battered around the chambers because it was dry fired while out of time. Normally, the firing pin should fit into the countersink on the chamber and allow dry firing with no problem. But with the gun out of time, the firing pin hit all over the cylinder, including the edges of the countersinks. A real mess.

Jim

[TheLastBoyScout]

Military rifles are made to be dryfired because that was done thousands of times in training.

Thats all I need to hear. Thanks.

[WhoKnowsWho]

I've read really bad things about dry firing the Mosin Nagant...