Would a 380 snap cap work properly in a 9mm gun? I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't right now. It should chamber and the extractor will latch, so it seems like I could use it. I don't think a 9mm snap cap would chamber fully into a 380 though.
380 snap caps in a 9mm
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BCRider
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I'd have to check the diameters but the difference in the OAL could lead to troubles with it not riding up the ramp correctly if you're using it as a dummy round for checking out any cycling troubles.
mgmorden
Member
It won't headspace properly. After the first strike there's a good chance it'll shift far enough forward that it'll no longer be doing any good.
withdrawn34
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The FP may not quite reach the "primer" correctly, insufficiently cushioning the FP impact. There was a guy who was having a lot of FTFs on his PM9... later he discovered he was unintentionally shooting 380 (the PM9 is a 9mm pistol). Some actually fired, but there were many failures to fire.
mgmorden
Member
Not necessarily. The extractor is only holding one side, so if there is any side to side play (which there will almost always be - otherwise you'd have a gun that was very sensitive and prone to jamming) then the case will have some room to shift forward some.
With very few exceptions, the answer to any gun related question when it follows the form:
Can I use <insert item made for a gun of one type> in a <gun of another type>?
The answer is almost invariably "No".
BCRider
Member
Perhaps. But you're putting a load on the aluminium used for making the usual snap caps that it wasn't intended to resist. That'll lead to the snap cap's rim becoming distorted after a while and likely chip or mushroom out of shape. This would be increased quickly since from checking my loading manual this time around I see there's a .017 difference in rear case diameters between the smaller .380 and a 9mm case. So that means the .380 snap cap is going to tend to be pushed to the side by about that much by the pressure of the extractor.
So all in all I'm going with mgmorden's post that basically says "close enough" isn't close enough. Not only are you going to ruin the snap caps in short order but if the extractor hook isn't touching more than just the tip of the hook in the rim you run the risk of the firing pin loading tending to want to bend and maybe snap off the hook of the extractor.
bigfatdave
Member
It wouldn't feed from the magazine as well
It wouldn't provide full FP cushion (no headspace, extractor holding it off to the side if at all
(plus many extractors are more designed to pull out live rounds or clear malfunctions, they aren't designed to lock the rim to the breechface)
And snap-caps are cheap
So why bother? Just get some 9x19 snap-caps in a different color.
At least that's what I would do.
It wouldn't provide full FP cushion (no headspace, extractor holding it off to the side if at all
(plus many extractors are more designed to pull out live rounds or clear malfunctions, they aren't designed to lock the rim to the breechface)
And snap-caps are cheap
So why bother? Just get some 9x19 snap-caps in a different color.
At least that's what I would do.
Sunray
Member
Nope. The .380 case is 20 thou smaller in diameter on the case body and head. It'd go into the chamber. You don't need snap caps for a centre fire anyway.
MikeNice
Member
Sunray some guns do. If I remember the Springfield XD says not to dry fire in the manual.
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