Why snap caps?

[MoreIsLess]

Many people recommend snap caps for dry firing. Can't you just rack the slide and pull the trigger repeatedly on an empty chamber/magazine witout using snap caps.

 

[CoRoMo]

Of course.

But they have more uses than just dry fire practice.

And rimfire guns really ought to use snap caps for dry firing.

 

[ForumSurfer]

Have a friend mix them in your magazine while you're shooting for excellent and unexpected failure practice and to see what your front sight is doing with a normal trigger pull so you can correct your mistakes.

They're a necessity for shotgun loading practice, something I've completely ignored my entire life up until I saw a 3 gun competition recently. The first time I saw someone, in one arm motion drop one in an open chamber, shove two or three in the tube and get back on the gun at a blistering fast pace...well, that's a trick I need to practice.

 

[Inebriated]

The aren't that necessary for most modern centerfire handguns.

But as mentioned, they're great for failure drills and loading in shotguns. My 12 gauge snap caps are trashed, just because of all the practice...

 

[gathert]

ForumSurfer mentioned what I use them for. Let someone else load your mags if you are running drills for IDPA or defensive type shooting. I've used them for that and I've gotten my FTF clearing down about as fast as I can do it in one smooth motion and the snap caps really help. Having a friend load and unknown number of rounds in your magazine is also a good drill to speed up reloads and out of ammo recognition.

 

[MRH]

I broke a firing pin in one of my guns and the gunsmith said it was because I did not have a round (live or dummy) in the chamber. I had repeatedly dry fired it for practice with nothing in the chamber. The manual did not mention anything about this.

 

[Bobo]

Some guns require the use of snap caps for repeated dry firing.
I have two guns that the manufacturer's manual says to use snap caps:
a Kel-Tec P-3AT and a Springfield Armory XDm 45ACP Compact 3.8" barrel.

Reasons:
The Kel-Tec's firing pin retaining screw can shear off.
The XDm's striker retaining pin can break.

Moral of the story:
READ THE MANUAL!!!
or
Always use snap caps just in case!

Bobo

 

[Got_Lead?]

Firing pins are very hard and can be brittle, I have seen several of them break while dry firing. I won't dry fire without something in place to cushion the blow of the hammer.

I just use an ear plug stuffed into the hammer recess of the slide to cushion the fall of the hammer when dry firing. this works great for hammered guns, and is very inexpensive.

Unfortunately, Snap Caps wear out after a couple hundred hits (the primer pellet dents in so far that the fp doesn't contact it anymore), but for internal hammer guns, and striker fired ones, this is one of the only practical alternatives.

 

[MedWheeler]

CoRoMo writes:

And rimfire guns really ought to use snap caps for dry firing.

See the thread below for cheap alternative..

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=651236

 

[CoRoMo]

Yep. I saw that suggested within the last year. That idea is a winner!

 

[bigfatdave]

the best reason to use snap caps is quite simple.

When a brightly colored piece of plastic or aluminum goes in the chamber, there is NOT a live round in the chamber.

And it reduces the battering of the FP mechanism, which may or may not be traveling to a stop it wasn't designed to hit routinely.

 

[dondavis3]

I always use snap caps.

I can't really see why you wouldn't.

Better safe than sorry - snap caps are cheap.

 

[luvmyRugers]

As mentioned above, some gun manuals say use them and others are ok without using them. Read the manual.