Dry Firing...

[marksman13]

So, I'm in a gun store the other day. Not my usual hang out, and I am quite unfamiliar with the people who work there. I'm browsing through their selection, handling quite a few pistols and looking for something to trade them out of. I picked up a used Sig P220. I never assume that it is "OK" to dry fire a weapon, but the trigger is one of the most important aspects of a pistol and I like to know that it suits me. I ask the guy showing it to me if I can dry fire it. He says sure, no problem. I dry fire it a couple times at a very slow pace and hand it back. I liked it...ALOT! I was ready to make the trade when another employee walks down and informs me that if I dry fire one more of their pistols...I own it.

He wasn't the owner and from talking to him earlier he seemed to be very much the type of ignorant redneck that gives Mississippi a bad name. I basically told him to get f@#%ed and walked out. I cussed this guy all the way home. I can understand that some gunstore owners do not want their products dry fired, but after being told by one employee that it was okay, I assumed that they had no such policy. It certainly wasn't posted anywhere. I think the guy was just being a jerk or maybe trying to make an ill-recieved joke. Bottom line is it cost him my business for good. I refuse to buy or trade for any firearm without checking out the trigger.

Are there any pistols in particular that can be damaged by dry firing? Most of the advice I see here and everywhere else I go is to dry fire the crap out of new guns to get used to the trigger and smooth out the "gritty" feel in most factory triggers. Did I do something horribly wrong? I understand respecting a store owners property, but I also expect to be respected as a customer. I was completely polite up to the time he made his assinine comment. Overly polite actually, as is my policy when dealing with other armed people. I don't think there i anything I could have done before to rub him the wrong way except for rejecting his proposal that I trade for three or four new High Points for the price of his used Sig. And I even did this in a very friendly manner. what gives?

 

[Lonestar49]

...

Hey M13, ya did the right thing, no sale!!!

Next time you go to a gun store, whatever type gun you want to try (trigger pulling) ask the guy if they have any dry-caps for it, for you to dry-fire it to get a feel.

If he says, no worries, go ahead, like your one salesman said, and, every gun I have tried, they required no dry-caps, and I gave them some 3 full pulls, and 3 SA pulls.. done. I would do this between 3 guns, same calibers, and then narrow it down to 2 (more of a weight and balance issue) and how the gun felt in my hand, then make the decision to buy one, then two, then 3, and they're gonna get a 4th gun sale from me for a new 45 cal.

I think ya hit it right on the head about the redneck MR GUNn hero..


Good luck in your search..


LS

PS.. if you do buy a new gun, or used, do buy a pack of dry-caps (5 fake bullets in a pack) for dry-firing, as you will, or should, do a lot of it in learning the feel of your grip and the aiming of the gun in practice.. Yes, a lot of dry-firing can lead to trouble with firing pins.. in the long run, so I've read, and heard.

 

[marksman13]

I was just flabbergasted by the guys tone. I would love to own a gun store in the next ten years and there is no way I would talk to a customer like that unless they had been giving me the same tone. I wasn't just clicking away like a mad man. Like you, LS, I gave it a a few SA squeezes and a few DA squeezes and passed it back. Good tip on the snap caps. That is something I will keep in mind if in fact I do make make my dream of owning a store come true. Note to Self: Keep snap caps for store use...

 

[Lonestar49]

...

I wish you luck with your dream M13, and also carry blanks for all models.. It's just a safety-valve (warning-shot, first shot) thing with me.. IMHO, as opposed to a live round shot off in whatever direction as a warning shot, it will come down, or go somewhere, and it's ones responsibility if fired (live) that way, no matter.

The next 9 live hollow points are going to, and can, and will, follow if needed, very fast.

Edit: I just got a heads up that at least, a 9mm blank will not force the slide action to eject the blank and load the next live round/s.. I will chk into this, but be advised, as I did not know, or think of that, and ya learn something new every day, least if one listens.. So, if true, then only 2 choices remain, for me, live round chambered, or non-chambered.. My gut is leaning toward chambered.


LS

 

[twinhairdryers]

Did you ask the "other clerk" why not to dry fire that one?

There are very few modern guns that have any issue with dry firing. Only a very few rim fire models have any warning now from the manuf. I have a Sigarms Trailside that has an inertia driven pin, and it can travel up into the top of the chamber wall if dry fired since it is a rimfire to begin with. Any center fire handgun should not have any issues with dropping the hammers on air.

 

[Cokeman]

My Glock's manual says it's ok to dry-fire.

 

[fattsgalore]

I don't ask to dry fire. But in truth I've never had someone tell me not to dry fire. I dry fire maybe twice to get comfortable, look down the sights aiming at either the floor or a distant wall. This is what you have to do with any gun.I'll only pick up one or two guns and truly only go to gun stores when I'm buying. If they want my buisness I better not get any crap.

I'll take crap if the price is right though.

 

[XavierBreath]

A lot of fellows tend to curse and leave when confronted with a hostile gun store employee. Not wanting to make a fuss, and taking your money elsewhere instead, is a good stategy, but why not make a difference? Now that you have calmed down, take a trip back to the store and explain to the owner why he lost your business. Stay calm and courteous. The real seller, the store owner, might be a great guy who will want to keep a customer and correct a bad employee. If the response is positive, give him your business. If it's negative, let other gun owners know about the place.

On dry firing new guns.........Some guns show finish wear on the hammer surfaces after a bit of dry firing. That finish wear is then used by customers to knock down the price. Thus the seller must walk a delicate line between letting a potential customer dry fire a gun and potentially devalue it in another customer's eyes, or losing a sale. Most sellers go after the sale in front of them. Perhaps Mr. Mississippi thought you were not a potential sale for some reason, except, of course, you were dry firing a used gun, so finish wear on the hammer is a moot point.

There are a few centerfire handguns, mostly mil-surps, that can be damaged by dry firing. A Sig is not one of them. The employee was wrong. If he thinks a dry fire is an agreement to purchase, then he needs to be instructed on customer relations.

 

[CajunBass]

I ask the guy showing it to me if I can dry fire it. He says sure, no problem. I dry fire it a couple times at a very slow pace and hand it back. I liked it...ALOT! I was ready to make the trade when another employee walks down and informs me that if I dry fire one more of their pistols...I own it.

Seems to me that employee number one should have spoken up and told number two that he had given you permission to do so.

 

[jmorris]

You shouldn't dry fire rimfire guns if the firing pin can contact the chamber (most can).

 

[MD_Willington]

- Dry Fire -

My S&W 5906 = Yes
My PT111 = No

 

[CountGlockula]

Most gun stores always have a snap cap on their displayed guns.

Maybe they ran out.

 

[marksman13]

Xavier, I am going back to the gunshop tomorrow and I am going to take your advice and speak to the manager.

MD, I am definately no expert, so excuse my ignorance. What is wrong with dry firing my PT-111? Thanks.

Lonestar, I've never seen any semi auto that will eject a blank without a blank firing adapter. Has anybody else?

Thanks for all the responses guys. I reiteratate my position that this is the most civilized and informative gun related site on the web.

 

[Cokeman]

The guy at my favorite gun store always says "dry fire that". "What do you think?"

 

[waynedm]

I work in a large gun shop. People usually ask before dry firing and I tell them yes or no based on the gun. I let them dry fire pretty much any center fire pistol except CZ 75bs because the roll pin that secures the firing pin block can get damaged in them with dry firing; all the others go for it.

I don't let them dry fire over unders of course. Pump and auto shotguns go for it. Most rifles I let them do it with as well but pretty much only once, they need to sit there and do it 20 times. I don't let them dry fire any rimfires at all regardless if I know it's an okay one to do it to or not. I let them dry fire Ruger sp101 and Gp100s but no other revolvers. If they dry fire a single action revolver I kindly take the gun away and tell them why as nicely as I can.

I hand every gun over with an open action showing them it's clear. When they get it they tend to use the slide lock/release to close the action and this drives me nuts! It especially bothers me when they do it on the higher end 1911s. Some people at the shop don't care and insist it doesn't hurt them, other insist it isn't and it bad for tolerances. I agree with the latter, especially when it's not yours. Also, the people that usually do that are ironically the ones that do that BS with their finger to keep the hammer from dropping while feeling the trigger. I usually just tell them to let it go, most manufacturers even tell you not to do that because it's not good for the sear or hammer and does nothing bad to the firing pin.

As far as the associate or whoever that told you that you'd own the next gun you dry fired, you did the right thing. Dry firing a Sig 220? Pah-lease.

 

[briansp82593]

my lgs has always let me feel the trigger... on most guns

 

[Walkalong]

I just ask if they mind if I try the trigger. If they say no I say, OK, but I can't buy a gun if I can't check the trigger. Then I walk away. Sometimes they say go ahead, or they ask if I am serious. I never try it then unless I am serious.

 

[marksman13]

Just a bump. Really, excuse my ignorance guys, but what is wrong with dry firing my PT111? Does it have something to do with the DAO system that allows for second chances on a FTF round? Thanks again.

 

[Ala Dan]

You would NEVER get that kind'a treatment in our shop~!

We know and understand that most all folks who want to purchase a firearm
(especially handguns) want a sweet trigger; so therefore want to test the
action before purchase. This is not a problem with us, even on our display
.22 caliber rimfire models (which is the only ones damaged by continously
dry firing.

 

[10-Ring]

Any modern firearm should be okay to dryfire.

 

[.cheese.]

I don't know what it is about gun-stores, but they seem to have more unpleasant employees than just about any other business I can think of. Certainly not all are bad - I've met plenty of great guys working in gun sales. However, unfortunately I've met A LOT of bad guys too. Not to sound prejudice, but they often have that southern redneck personality as well. Could be a coincidence, I don't know - I say that because one of the coolest and nicest gun guys I've met was a southern redneck guy who worked in the Walmart sporting goods section (who woulda thunk?). So, it's entirely possible the redneck thing is just a coincidence.

The fact is though, plenty of people working in gun-stores that have no business working in sales whatsoever (or for that matter - working in any business that involves dealing with people).

Oh well..... I suppose so long as I get my guns at the price I want, at the end of the day I'll let it slide.

ps: I've also found it extends up further than just stores. I was treated worse than dirt by an employee of a major pistol manufacturer (and supposedly he was a supervisor). The guy was so rude that he was even mocking me and making rude insults basically calling me paranoid and stupid. That was covered in a previous thread of mine.

Whatever.

Sorry to hear about your experience. You did the right thing walking out. You should tell the owner why his company lost the sale. I'm actually going to be doing the same very soon and explaining to the owner of a shop that he just lost out on a $4k sale because his salesperson assumed I was an idiot and treated me as such. Stuff like that tends to make an impression.