Are snap caps necessary?

[sarhog]

Please excuse the rather basic question... I did a search with no luck.

Are snap caps necessary with modern centerfire handguns for dry-fire practice?

If it matters, it is in reference to a Kimber 45acp, a S&W 5906 9mm, and a S&W J-frame .38.

Thanks,

 

[Sunray]

I've never used them in 30 some years with no problems. They're not cheap either.

 

[JNewell]

I don't think they're ever a bad idea, on the other hand. I have seen some damage from this, including firing pins that broke and a peened-out bolt face on a Win 94.

 

[P95Carry]

It is true - they are not cheap. However, given the choice if dry firing with or without I would say with, every time. Plus, instance 38 spl dummies - great for speedload practice as well.

Many modern firearms are not adversely affected and manufacturers even say as much but I still think that something that buffers the firing pin impact has to be useful.... certainly when doing a high volume of dry fire.

 

[Pilot]

I like them for reloading drills and to make sure the firing pin isn't damaged, although its seems most modern semi's are OK to dry fire. For about $7 for six, 9MM's. its cheap insurance.

 

[jonnyc]

Most big gunshows, at least in the North East, will have someone selling those orange and yellow plastic dummies in many calibers. They go for as little a .50 a piece.

 

[faustulus]

Depends on the gun really. Most modern firearms will not be hurt. (I once conservativly estimated I dry fire my gun about 55,000 times a year) and have broken one firing pin in 15 years (oddly enough on a gun I hardly ever dryfired -- Beretta Tomcat).
I look at them as a psychological cruch. Some people need them, just like some people are not comfortable with carrying a 1911 cocked and locked. Lucky thing is, everyone has a choice.

 

[BluesBear]

Those solid plastic orange dummy are designed to test functioning.
I use them often. But NOT for dry firing.
They are useless as snap caps.
After a few strikes you'll have a hole or dent where the firing pin hits and when that happens they offer no benefit whatsoever. It's as if they weren't even there.

Real snap caps will have some sort of buffer where the firing pin hits.

 

[Mulliga]

f it matters, it is in reference to a Kimber 45acp, a S&W 5906 9mm, and a S&W J-frame .38.

It seems like your guns would be fine. Some guns have either delicate firing pins, or some other part that is easy to break after extended dry fire. You don't want to dry-fire an empty CZ-75 too much, for example, or a Star BM. I use snap caps - they last a good long while and they aren't that expensive.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

The Beretta Tomcat is a terror with regard to broken firing pins. I broke two using snap caps while trying to get the trigger smoothed out. (Some gunsmiths won't work on the gun because its so darned tiny.) Somewhere around 1000+ trigger pulls the trigger got nice. I later sold it due to other concerns -- but that was one of the FIRST Tomcats, and they've apparently improved them.

Some guns -- the owner's manual will generally tell which -- have problems with dry firing. The original CZ-75B has a firing pin retention roll pin that will break with dry-firing. (That said, I'll bet I dry-fired mine thousands of times without a problem, but broke the roll pin in a functionally similar CZ-40B in a few hundred tries.) The newer 75B and other B guns now have a "doubled" (pin within a pin) roll pin and it shouldn't be a problem. Happily, you can find a replacement roll pin for the older "B" guns at any hardware store. Or use snap caps.

Check your owner's manual.

 

[JNewell]

After a few strikes you'll have a hole or dent where the firing pin hits

The couple of times I've tried that, my experience was worse. The firing pin broke pieces off the "case head" of the orange plastic "cartridge" and made it pretty much useless for anything.