Dry firing a .22

[bannockburn]

I have been using drywall anchors for years in all of my .22 handguns. They work just fine and are very inexpensive to use and replace when needed.

 

[deadeye dick]

That's how they do it.

It
obviously works.

Thanks, that's EXACTLY what I have. I have a <deleted> of anchors from when I was working. Not going to do a lot of dry firing anyhoo but when I do i'll use the anchors. Thanks to all. Howie

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

That's how they do it.

It obviously works.

OK, I don't have one of these, so I will bite. The recess looks like it is at the bottom of a chamber when the chamber is lined up with the barrel. Is that where the firing pin strikes? Does the rim displace down into that recess when it is fired? In other words, Is the rim unsupported where the firing pin strikes it?

Obviously it works, I just have never seen that.

Learn something every day.

Do you really need that many chambers? Looks like you can shoot a half a box with every reload.

 

[Varminterror]

"Unsupported" is probably not the right word. But if you're asking - is there a void on the opposite side of the firing pin - then yes. The rest of the rim is "supported," and the rim itself is stiff enough to support itself across the gap.

The front face of the rim doesn't displace into the recess, in my experience. Even if it did, it really wouldn't matter - it would crush both sides of the "doughnut" as it bent into the recess.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

OK.

So the next question is, relating back to how safe it is to dry fire this gun, exactly where on the rim does the firing pin strike the cartridge?

I'm betting that recess is big enough that the firing pin will never actually strike the body of the cylinder, preventing any dimpling or deforming of the cylinder.

In which case, it would probably be OK to dry fire that revolver as long as it was not done to excess.

 

[Reloadron]

OK.

So the next question is, relating back to how safe it is to dry fire this gun, exactly where on the rim does the firing pin strike the cartridge?

I'm betting that recess is big enough that the firing pin will never actually strike the body of the cylinder, preventing any dimpling or deforming of the cylinder.

In which case, it would probably be OK to dry fire that revolver as long as it was not done to excess.

Howdy Driftwood, back in I believe it was post #16 I provided a link to the gun's owners manual and copied and pasted an exert from the manual:

NEVER DRY FIRE your revolver. If you do this you will ruin your cylinder and the ammunition will not enter the chamber in the correct way.

So my guess here is on that revolver the firing pin will strike the cylinder damaging both. The quote is directly from the owner's manual.

Ron

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Yeah, S&W says you should never dry fire their revolvers either, but I have determined the recess around the rims is big enough that the firing pin will never strike the cylinder. Lawyers often make them say stuff like that. See the photo I posted elsewhere in this thread.

Do me a favor sometime. Fire a round, then remove the cylinder carefully so the fired case is not disturbed. Then see from the firing pin strike on the spent case where the firing pin actually hits.

I'll bet it does not touch the cylinder.

 

[Varminterror]

Wipe a little white-out over the cylinder and decock the hammer down as if you were dry firing (non-energetic). If it leaves witness marks, you know it makes contact and isn't safe to dry fire. If it doesn't, then you'll know it's not making contact. Really pretty simple.

 

[243winxb]

It obviously works.

Ty for the photo. 12 shots too!

 

[MedWheeler]

Those yellow drywall anchors even cycle in my Marlin 25, as well as in every autoloading rifle and pistol I've tried them in..

 

[Reloadron]

Yeah, S&W says you should never dry fire their revolvers either, but I have determined the recess around the rims is big enough that the firing pin will never strike the cylinder. Lawyers often make them say stuff like that. See the photo I posted elsewhere in this thread.

Do me a favor sometime. Fire a round, then remove the cylinder carefully so the fired case is not disturbed. Then see from the firing pin strike on the spent case where the firing pin actually hits.

I'll bet it does not touch the cylinder.

I agree Driftwood and looking at a few S&W Model 17s I have it looks very much like the pin would clear the cylinder. I just can't say that for sure with the original poster's Uberti so I can only digress to the manual. I just can't say with 100% absolute certainty that if the original poster dry fires his Uberti it won't damage the gun. If the original poster was using a S&W Model 17 or Model 617 I would likely suggest dry fire is OK. I do not have a Uberti sitting here in my lap, their manual say no in bold print so all I'll do is parrot the manual.

Ron

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy Again

Just for fun, here are a few more 22 cylinders with a spent case showing how much clearance there is for the firing pin.

S&W K-22, made in 1950.

S&W Model 617-6

Ruger Single Six

S&W K-22, made in 1932.

This one is really interesting. Notice how over the years (long before I owned it) somebody had dropped the hammer numerous times with the cylinder out of battery. You can see firing pin dents all over the cylinder. Even a couple on the edge of the chamber recesses. Yet despite this abuse, this revolver shoots every time, in fact it is the most accurate 22 revolver I own. Notice too that with the cylinder properly in battery there is plenty of clearance between the firing pin and the body of the cylinder.

 

[Reloadron]

Driftwood, yep, pretty much what I see on my Model 17s. Later today I could try an old NEF 9 shot revolver I have. Something I like is with the S&W guns there has never been a "light" strike. They without any doubt nail the rim with authority.

Ron