.22LR "snap caps" - where and what to buy?

[Bill_Rights]

I want to drill a new shooter in mag load/unload, chambering/unchambering, dry fire, etc. on a .22LR semi-auto pistol.

I saw some all-plastic .22LR cartridges at my dealer the other day, but he said "Don't buy these - the plastic rims will crack and crumble when you dry fire."

What should I be using? Where to buy?

 

[rcmodel]

A-Zoom makes the best snap-caps, but I don't think they make them for rim-fires anymore.
They do make Action Proving Dummies, which are ideal for loading / unloading training.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/st...?p=22527&title=RIMFIRE ACTION PROVING DUMMIES

Some folks report good results from using Dry-Wall Anchors for .22 Snap-Caps.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=2533233&postcount=2

rc

 

[mp510]

Spent brass fired in your chamber also makes a good snap cap for .22s.

 

[misANTHrope]

Yeah, but I doubt the pistol will feed spent brass from the magazine. Could be wrong, though... never tried it...

 

[mp510]

Yeah, but I doubt the pistol will feed spent brass from the magazine. Could be wrong, though... never tried it...
__________________

You don't feed it through the magazine. Hand feed it directly into the chamber

 

[Funderb]

another option is colibris in the garage.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Get the plastic ones. Yes, they will crack and tear up and be short-lived, but there's no way around that, because there's no way to springload the entire rim, so the rim gets damaged regardless of material. Just buy a bunch of the plastic ones and toss them after they tear up.

 

[chris in va]

http://www.azoomsnapcaps.com/training-rounds.php

You don't want the soft plastic ones. I couldn't get them to reliably feed in my Kadet. I had one jam really hard in the chamber, took a while to get it out.

The aluminum version is what you want if you can get a hold of them. However I don't know if you can repeatedly dry fire on them.

I seem to remember seeing a dummy round 22, complete with bullet, spraypainted black. Couldn't tell you where the range got those though, maybe they reloaded it somehow.

EDIT: Here they are.
http://www.rimfiresports.com/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RSC&Product_Code=22LR DUMMIES

 

[Justin]

There is a company that makes some little yellow plastic wall anchors that are almost the exact size of a .22 round. You can get them at Lowe's or Home Depot for a couple of bucks. They don't feed perfectly, however I've found that I can load up to three of them in a magazine and have them work, depending on the gun.

They're cheap enough that once they deform beyond use, you just toss it and pull a new one out of the package.

Alternately, I've had some luck in trimming off the part of the rim on the wall anchor that the extractor would grab onto. That way you can cycle the weapon without ejecting the wall anchor, and dry fire to your heart's content.

 

[misANTHrope]

I want to drill a new shooter in mag load/unload, chambering/unchambering, dry fire, etc. on a .22LR semi-auto pistol.

You don't feed it through the magazine. Hand feed it directly into the chamber

Sounds like the OP wants to feed from a magazine. Hence my comment.

 

[Bill_Rights]

Wow, thanks folks. Good stuff.

 

[HammerBite]

http://www.azoomsnapcaps.com/training-rounds.php

Do not get these if you intend to dry fire.

Try these. They don't really last through a lot of dry firings but they cushion the firing pin blow a lot better than aluminum dummy rounds, and they are relatively inexpensive.

 

[Bill_Rights]

Chris/Hammer, Thanks about the A-Zoom. Others thought they were discontinued. Looks similar to the no-name ones at Brownells.

Yeh, the plastic Pachmayrs will get torn up but will work, as Tad said.

Drywall anchors - that's just my style

Colibris?.... Not sure

 

[chris in va]

Ah, here we go. Knew I'd find them.

http://www.rimfiresports.com/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RSC&Product_Code=22LR DUMMIES

 

[natman]

There are two similar but different items being discussed.

The first are feeding dummies, which are the black cases with real bullets. They are used to test feeding from the magazine.

The second are snap caps. They are used to prevent damage when dry firing. Yes, they will get chewed up. Buy a couple of boxes. When they get used up, buy some more.

Using spent brass has a major drawback. You are training yourself to see a brass case in the chamber and thinking it's OK to close the action and pull the trigger. Not a good idea. Besides they spew chunks of burnt powder into the chamber.

 

[CoyoteSlayer]

I would avoid the snap cap style if you are planning on having them loaded into a magazine. Most are too short and dont feed correctly.

Go with the feeding dummies.

 

[Bill_Rights]

Thanks, Chris. A quote from your link to RimFireSports makes sense:

these dummies can be used over and over again without breaking. NOTE: Like a live round, the rim of a dummy round will show the indent left by a firing pin. After the dummy round has been stuck by a firing pin a number of times (4-10 times), it may be necessary to file the rim down to original dimensions for proper functioning through a magazine.

Nat & Slayer, seems what you're saying is compatible....

 

[Hans Esker]

I have some of the ones Chris posted. They are pretty good, but feeding is just a little persnickety since the bullet shoulder is a little bit higher than that of live ammo I have seen. as far as durability, they do deform quite a bit after a while, but i have not had to file them down yet since the Sig mosquito firing pin is stopped by the breech (at least in mine).