[DWS1117]

Yay or nay? Is it alright to do?

[Glamdring]

Well I dryfire all my guns.

I have talked to several gunsmiths about this. Some say eek and some say no big deal.

Plus I figure no matter what stress dryfire might place on a gun it is a lot less than live fire. If you actually USE a gun much it will wear and need parts and adjustment from time to time.

[dfariswheel]

Most modern revolvers, it's Ok.

The exception is the Colt Trooper Mark III/King Cobra. A few of them may have firing pins that are too hard and can break. If one does, it means a trip to the factory for a replacement, since the pin is a factory-ONLY replacement.

Most American revolvers other than the above Colts can handle unlimited dry firing.

[Tamara]

Dryfiring revolvers is a hobby of mine. If I had a dime for every time I've dry-fired one of my S&W's, I could afford to own one of every S&W revolver ever made.

[ojh]

>The exception is the Colt Trooper Mark III/King Cobra.
>A few of them may have firing pins that are too hard and can break.

Is it safe to dry fire a King Cobra with snap caps?

[Midnight]

I think the entire issue of dryfiring being detrimental to modern guns , excluding rimfires, is bunk. I dryfire ALL my weapons (except rimfires) and have never had a broken part or malfunction.

[10-Ring]

A couple of years go, I made a small investment in snap caps. Now, I dry fire all my uns quite often.

[makdaddy03]

Hobby of mine too....:)

[MR.G]

If a gun breaks from dry firing, I don't want it.

[Standing Wolf]

I've never dry-fired a gun without dummy ammunition, and doubtless never will, either.

[P95Carry]

I dry fire any and all ...... but tend to think that transfer bar systems (Ruger for example) are least likely to suffer. Having said that my M27 seems to not suffer.

On balance tho I guess I feel that bit better with snap caps. ''Cushioning'' the blow ... don't ya know!:p

[38Mike]

A-Zoom snap caps, a little under 20 bucks....dry fire away....;)

[rick_reno]

I make snap caps - decap some spent brass (remove the primer). In it's place I squirt a small glob of silicon, smooth it over with a putty knife/screwdriver and give it 24 hours to set. They seem to work fine.

[Dave T]

Let's see - bought my first centerfire handgun in 1971 (before that I had a Ruger rimfire). Been dryfiring them ever since. You mean to tell me I've been doing this wrong? Sure, now! What about all those guns I've ruined...wait a minute. Nothing happened to any of them. Maybe, just maybe, it doesn't hurt a thing!

[22luvr]

I bought some A-zoom snap caps for my 340SC to break in the action. I dry-fire it until both my hands get cramps. Really smoothed out the action in a hurry. For a J-frame, the 340SC seems to develop a very short, smooth trigger pull.

[willyjixx]

dry firing? ...........potential gun destruction????

Snap Caps?............Placebo?

this is kinda like the oil changing myth.

jiffy lube tells you every 3000 miles............they want your business!

Ford tells you every 7000 miles................they want you to buy a new car!

which is it?



both companies listed were just examples BTW.


MR.G If a gun breaks from dry firing, I don't want it.

that makes the most sense!

in the Army you Dry fire the M16 and all weapons for storage. no spring tension.



Midnight: I think the entire issue of dryfiring being detrimental to modern guns , excluding rimfires, is bunk. I dryfire ALL my weapons (except rimfires) and have never had a broken part or malfunction.

why not rimfires????

[P95Carry]

why not rimfires???? Willy ...... the rimfire is a special case .... if you think on it you can see that to fire the round .... the rim must rest against the breech face (acts as anvil) and then pin (round or bar) must strike rim against the ''anvil''.

Dry fire in much quantity just ''peens'' the breech face and also can damage the firing pin eventually. Old cases can be used for some assistance until they get well crunched.

[willyjixx]

P95Carry:

i humbly admit to complete ignorance on to how the rimfire works.
i know the round goes in chamber. trigger releases ?sear? which lets hammer go which whacks firing pin which whacks the primer. which burns the powder to create expanding gas to propel bullet.

i clean it an shoot it an clean it an shoot it. that an point it in safe directions.

i would appreciate if you would IM/PM E-mail or heck phone call me an explain more into detail about the workings of a rimfire as i have a AR-7 i will be needing to tune up!


for the record i avoid dry firing do to many myths an my own paranoia. that an i dont practice shooting guns in my house (home defense excluded) to me thats just firearm discipline an when on the range i have ammo. now if im flinching with a new gun i will have someone load a "Dud Round" somewhere for me to help correct it.

[Ian11]

Snap Caps. It may be that "most" modern handguns can take lots of dry firing. But the peace of mind snap caps give is more than worth it.

[P95Carry]

Willy ... before I PM you ....... try this. I've just made a small, rather basic and over simplified diagram to see if it helps.

Inside the rim is priming compound, much like you'd get in a center fire primer ...... you'll see that the firing pin is able to impinge on that area when round is in place and breach closed by bolt (or slide) ...... the rim is ''supported'' by the chamber wall (breech face) .... and so when whacked by the firing pin is ''squashed'', very energetically. That is enough to distort the brass and shock the priming compound to detonate.

If no cartridge rim ''in the way'' then maybe you can imagine that the pin will impinge directly on the breech face ...... no ''cushioning.

If still not clear let me know.

http://www.patriotnetwork.net/cb_gun/rimfire_diag.gif

[willyjixx]

crystal!


thanks man i got it now...


truth that simpletones can be tought:D

[Al Thompson]

P95carry, that's a class act! My hat's off to you!

[P95Carry]

Glad it helped Willy ... and Al ... thank you Sir ........ http://www.patriotnetwork.net/images/smilies/bow.gif

[RustyHammer]

P95 ... that is above and beyond. A first class job. Thanks.

[willyjixx]

people like P95 keep me comin back! thanks again!

[TallPine]

So if your gun is loaded, is it "wet" ???

:D

Rule #1: All guns are always wet.

[4v50 Gary]

At the Ruger Armourers' School they told us it was OK to dry fire the Ruger revolver.

Never took the S&W school (but was trained by others), but I'd use a snap cap in the S&W.

Regarding Colt, when my brother first bought his Python in '76 or '77, he dried fired it a lot. First time at the range it went click. Kept going click until he figured out that the firing pin was broken. Lesson: On a Colt use a snap cap.

[YodaVader]

A lot of the "old timers" at the indoor range I shoot at have owned S&W revolvers since the 50's and 60's and many have dry fired them extensivlely through the years with no ill effects.

[DWS1117]

Thanks for the lesson P95. Also thanks to all for the helpful responses. As mentioned above, that is why I keep coming back to this place.