Seeking enlightenment on snap-caps

yhtomit · Jan 19, 2008

I will admit it: I have dry fired my Cz-75 a few times (literally just a few); the other guns I own, I've been assured by multiple sources are OK to dry fire, but then I had guilt pangs and googled a bit.

Whaddya know, a TFL thread tells me that I'm not the only one with a question about whether the Cx-75's OK to dry fire, and as usual there are strong opinions on both sides, each of which is 100 percent indisputably right

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86700

However, in the interest of straying on the side of caution, I decided to use a snap cap, in no small part because I found that one was packaged right in with the gun's second magazine. (It's black, with a green "primer" thing -- and came with quite a few primer-thing spares.)

However, I feel a bit foolish for not knowing how to use it. This is what I did: locked back the slide; loaded the snap cap into the (of course otherwise empty) magazine; thumbed down the slide release to chamber the snap cap.

However, in three attempts at doing this, each time the gun failed to enter battery -- the slide hung up about 1/3-1/2" back. (I should have taken a picture, might make this more visually obvious, but I failed to, and now I'm back at school, not near the gun to repeat this sequence.)

Should I feed a snap cap into the chamber through the ejection port rather than via the magazine? Does it sound like I have a defective snap cap? (Is there such a thing?

) I compared it for overall length to a fresh factory 9mm round, and at least from the base of the round to the shoulder it's the same -- this is a 9mm snap cap, and it came with the gun.

Why all the green "primers" -- am I likely to pop them out of the rear of the snap cap? I dunno if the Dummies books yet have a "Guns for Dummies," but if they do, I hope it covers this

I'd like to avoid hurting my firing pin through excessive dry firing, and if that's just an old wives tale I guess it won't hurt me to use snap caps anyhow.

Wisdom appreciated -- ignorance like mine comes from having parents uninterested in guns

timothy

nalioth · Jan 19, 2008

You should not ever worry about dry firing a weapon designed for the military. They are made to be dry fired during their manual of arms and function checks.

I don't use snap caps, but I'd recommend comparing your snap cap with a 9mm round (use a caliper) and seeing if it's too big (or not using a snap cap at all).

<rant>
There are a lot of things sold that serve no purpose at all except to seperate one from their money.

Aftermarket recoil buffers are one of them. They have been known to crack the receivers of G3/Cetme type rifles. The poor folks who bought into the "use the buffer to reduce (non-existent) damage" claims actually broke their rifles with it.

Chem Geek · Jan 20, 2008

I can't say whether what came with your CZ was meant to be a snap cap or not. The snap caps I have always chamber, but they're A-ZOOM's and I have a Sig.

It's probably not necessary for firing pin safety, but why take a risk? I also use them a lot for practicing reloading techniques, as well a failure drills. Toss them into mags at some point while you're at the range. As you rapid fire, work on clearing the "dud" round as quickly as possible.

So in summary, I guess my view is for $10 or whatever, why not buy a pack? Good practice.

theCZ · Jan 20, 2008

I've dry fired my 75bd thousands of times, I really don't think you can do any damage to it by dry firing.

Mad Magyar · Jan 20, 2008

Should I feed a snap cap into the chamber through the ejection port rather than via the magazine?

That's the way I do it....To work on trigger squeeze not worrying about damaging your firing pin rather than the whole sequence as you described it.

alucard0822 · Jan 20, 2008

You should not ever worry about dry firing a weapon designed for the military. They are made to be dry fired during their manual of arms and function checks.

not always the case, however 90% of the time it is, take the VZ/CZ-52 for example, many people have snapped the uniquely complicated firing pin aggainst the block by dry firing, a CZ75 however will hold up fine to thousands of dry firings. On the rare occasion I do use snap caps, I always load snap caps from the ejection port in the chamber, and lower the slide about 1/2 way by hand, and drop it the rest, for revolvers, I use zoom caps to practice with speedloaders. Most rimfires should never be dryfired, and the cheap plastic snap caps tend to break fairly quickly, if I must do a functon check on a 22, I use a spent casing to check operation.

Arch · Jan 20, 2008

1.
I wouldn't chamber the snap cap though the ejection port, then close the slide onto it with the CZ. Take a closer look at the extractor next time you have the slide off. It's designed so that the rim of the case slips between it and the side from the bottom. It's not intended to travel outward each time to slip over the rim.

2.
CZ-75s are fine to dry fire, but a snap cap won't hurt it either.

Calhoun · Jan 20, 2008

As Arch said, always use the magazine to load the snap caps, or anything else you are loading. It can cause serious damage to your extractor. I always use snap caps in my 75B, just because it's better to be safe than sorry. Espically since you have the snap caps.

As far as your caps not chambering, the ones from CZ have flat ends, much like JHPs. Except they are made of plastic that will drag on the feed ramp more than the metal tip of a regular round. Are you riding the slide home, by any chance?

yhtomit · Jan 20, 2008

Thanks to all for the replies -- It seems this remains more complicated than I wish it was

Calhoun: Yes, I suspect that's just what's happening -- that squared tip is catching on the feed ramp. (And I've fired so far only conehead-shaped ammo through the gun so far -- I hope it does better with *actual* JHPs!

)

I am not riding the slide home, though. Just releasing it via the slide release.

timothy

Storm · Jan 20, 2008

I just read that the CZ SP01 was tested to 40,000 dry fires without breakage. I assume that is without snap caps.

That said, I almost always use snap caps. Maybe it boarders on wearing suspenders and a belt, but I figure "why not?".

I've also heard that on some guns it isn't a good idea to chamber the round/cap and then release the slide as it puts strain on the ejector as it rides over the rim that wasn't intended. I've heard that several times and the reasons that have been suggested above make good sense.

rugerdude · Jan 20, 2008

I bought an expensive set of snap caps (20 bucks) where the "primer" is attached to a spring, so that it can be pushed in partially, and pop right back out. also, the bases are made of brass and hvae held up very well.

I bought them to use in my FNP because I thought my dry-firing was causing it to break, but after my second one broke I traded it for a SIG 226 but I still use the caps just because I have them.

I like to keep a snap cap chambered when I store the gun to help me (or anyone else handling my guns) remember that guns are always loaded. I figure someone checking the chamber and finding a simulated live round will remember that feeling of "oh crap, I thought this was unloaded" without the danger of live ammo.

yhtomit · Jan 20, 2008

rugerdude -- that's a good reason I'd not considered!

Who's the maker for your expensive snap caps? Do you find them to have held up well, and for how long? It would be nice to dry fire without even that slight twinge of guilt, though I am glad to hear so much assurance that it's probably an unnecessary worry.

timothy

Old Fuff · Jan 20, 2008

Some who use snap-caps in pistols file a slot in the rim so that it won't be ejected when the slide is cycled, or harm the extractor when a cap is chambered and the slide's dropped. You remove it with a cleaning rod when your done.

As for using snap-caps. They may not be necessary, but they are extra insurance. A broken firing pin at the wrong time could be catastrophic, so taking steps to prevent this makes good sense. If the firing pin doesn't hit the cap (or a primer) it does have to hit something. In some guns (1911 pistols for example) dry firing won't hurt the pin itself, but can over time cause the firing pin spring to take a set.

Concerning the CZ-75. If you’re simply dry firing for practice, chamber the cap, and thereafter cock the hammer (or double action the trigger) without cycling the slide.

Seeking enlightenment on snap-caps

yhtomit

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nalioth

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Chem Geek

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theCZ

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Mad Magyar

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alucard0822

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Arch

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Calhoun

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yhtomit

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Storm

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rugerdude

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yhtomit

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Old Fuff

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