# dry firing



## ridgerunner

is it ok to dry fire my 92 fs? 
thanks


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## Growler67

Snap caps can be cheap insurance. I wouldn't dry fire anything short of function checks, ever.


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## Scratchshooter40

As Growler pointed out snap-caps are cheap insurance. I always use them as I had a bad experience with a Colt Commander about 25 years ago. I was actually at the armorer's shack at the range and the armorer was a former US Army armorer and had tuned some weapons for Camp Perry competition. I tried the trigger job with an empty chamber and the next thing I know, the end of the firing pin is coming out of the barrel. Fortunately he had spares and made me a rudimentary snap cap with the primer pushed out and a piece of leather inserted. He then put a 230 gr. FMJ in the empty case. Never had the problem after that.


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## mtlmgc

The instruction manual on page 19 says to use a fired case or dummy cartridge to cushion the fall of the firing pin and eliminate the chance of firing pin breakage.
When I was checking out a Ruger LCP for my wife at a popular sporting goods store today I asked how the trigger was and the saleman said "you can dryfire any semiautomatic handgun". Evidently that isn't the case.


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## firefighterwall

Yep I asked the guy at my local range if he had some 9mm snapcaps while I was there the other day...and he says "We're out but you don't need them anyways."

I said "Well the manual on my PX4 says don't dry fire them without snap caps or something.."

And he says "Yeah right. I've dry fired every pistol I own probably ten thousand times."



I just said "Yeahhhhh...okay" and walked off. And here I go ordering some 9mm snap caps on ebay.


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## XD Sub-Compact

I was wondering about this too. I watched a few youtube videos with differing opinions on the matter. I know to field strip the XD's you have to pull the trigger to release the slide. The Springfield rep in one of the videos sort of blows the issue off saying you HAVE to do this to take the slide off. I have yet to purchase my firearm but the last thing I want to do is mess it up or harm the performance by doing something stupid after I plunk the cash down on it. Would you guys put one of the dummies in the chamber before slide release? Don't mean to thread highjack. :smt1099


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## firefighterwall

I would say snap caps for 15 bucks is a cheap insurance policy.


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## mtlmgc

You have to dryfire my MKII to disassemble it too but, I don't dryfire it again and again and again at least not without an empty shell.


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## Drake69

I know I'm new to guns and all, but it was explained to me that an OCCASIONAL dry fire is not a bad thing, just don't sit in your room and wail on the trigger a few hundred times or so. If you are cleaning it or checking out the slide etc... and it dry fires, it's not going to hurt anything. But if you do it repeatedly it can and does cause problems later on down the line in the life of the firearm.

So, don't sweat a single dry fire, use snap caps or dummies for practice firing.


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## dondavis3

I called and spoke to Springfield and they said to use snap caps - do not practice trigger pull by dry firing.

:smt1099


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## dosborn

The thread..... ITS ALIVE!! And with dons post #666!!! :smt170


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## dondavis3

+1 dosborn

Now that's really funny - good catch, I didn't even notice. :anim_lol:

:smt1099


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## buck32

Old posts are like boomerangs......:smt033


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## JBPDXOR

dondavis3 said:


> I called and spoke to Springfield and they said to use snap caps - do not practice trigger pull by dry firing.
> 
> :smt1099


 I agree on the use of Snap Caps, However, I go one more step and I place a foam ear plug between the hammer and the button for the firing pin. Now I do not scare the dog as bad nor make the wife as mad. I can shoot just everything in the family room.


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## jrelentless

I bought a new tomcat model 3032 in inox a couple yers ago. I suppose I put around 300 rounds or so into the gun. I had started dry firing it at home with 2 different types of snap caps I bought. I must of shot it at least 400 times or so andwas one day going to take it out to the range. I decided to prep gun up so that it would not be over lubricated etc. I unexpectedly noticed that the firing pin was broken. Since i Only had access to firearm I was shocked. I called beretta and explained everything that I had done to dry fire etc. The offered to send me free of charge a firing pin kit, but I thought that since the gun was practically new and I treated it fairly, that they should repairit. The stated to sen in firearm and would look it over and make judgment call. I shipped gun back to factory and before u know it I got gun back with new firing pin and no charges. I am however leary about dry firing this gun since the incident. So there u have it for my type of beretta. Wish u luck


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## SigP229R

mtlmgc said:


> The instruction manual on page 19 says to use a fired case or dummy cartridge to cushion the fall of the firing pin and eliminate the chance of firing pin breakage.
> When I was checking out a Ruger LCP for my wife at a popular sporting goods store today I asked how the trigger was and the saleman said "you can dryfire any semiautomatic handgun". Evidently that isn't the case.


Sounds as if this salesperson doesn't know a lot about what he's selling.


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## usmcj

I look at it this way......

The forward motion of all firing pins is designed to stop when the forward end of the firing pin strikes the primer, or case of the cartridge. There are springs, and/or mechanical "stops" built in to prevent the firing pin from going too far forward or backward. If there is no case to stop the forward motion of the firing pin, the firing pin must be stopped by a mechanical "stop". Repeated impacts on that "stop", by the firing pin, will eventually damage the firing pin, or the mechanical "stop". Rimfires especially should not be dry-fired. The head space on a rimfire has but a few thousandths tolerance, and few rimfire firing pins are can be dry-fired without impacting the breech face, and forcing metal to encroach into the chamber. Here's a pic of a Browning Buckmark breech face that was dry-fired with snap caps, or any type of dry-fire protective device. The damage can be repaired, but it didn't have to occur in the first place. The Ruger Mk series was designed to be dry-fired, but a snap cap wouldn't be out of line, in my simple opinion.


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## usmcj

oops....doubled


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## lucas45

Put an empty case in the chamber. This will keep the firing pin in place.


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## firemanjones

I won't dry fire either, I'd rather spend the money on ammo and just shoot the heck out of it at the range.


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## VNvet

Yes. 15 to 20 bucks for three to five snap caps is cheap compared to having your gun out of action for a broken firing pin. Your choice.

Vv


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## SouthernBoy

Your best bet is to adhere to what the manufacturer recommends. Guns such as the Glock, the Smith & Wesson M&P series, and the Kahr's can be dry fired to your heart's content with or without snap caps. However, I would be very careful about dry firing a hammer operated gun without a snap cap. But again, your owner's manual is your friend in these matters.


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