# can snap caps be used as first round



## ARMARIN (Apr 8, 2017)

Can snap caps be used as first round in the magazine as an added layer of safety? 9 mm para rounds and the top round a snap cap? (snap cap = dummy round for practice with moving fake primer)


Yeah they can, but what actual purpose would the snap cap serve? If you carry unchambered, then your gun will NEVER fire off a round unless & until you rack the slide atleast once and chamber a round, no matter how many times you pull the trigger on an empty chamber. If you carry chambered and want greater safety, then simply use the external safety, or keep the hammer down (in case of a DA/SA or SA gun). 


Snap caps eject out?
No they don't Ejection ONLY happens when the slide goes into recoil. What happens is that the there's a little "hook" at the end of the extractor (which is attached to the slide) which snags on to the edge of the casing of the round when it's chambered. When the shot is fired, the slide goes into recoil, and as the slide moves rearward, it pulls the spent casing along with it until it reaches the ejection port and is thrown out.


Since a snap cap is a dummy round, hence it can't go off and the slide cannot go into recoil. Hence a snap cap is not ejected when you pull the trigger. You can, however, manually eject a chambered snap cap by manually racking the slide. Infact, doing so is an excellent way to see how the extractor actually works and how the next round is fed from the magazine and fed into the chamber.

Have a good cigar and regards
ARMARIN


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Carrying a loaded gun for self-defense, with an empty chamber or a chamber with a snap-cap in it, is a really bad idea.
Leave such foolishness to the Israelis, who are required by law to do it that way.

If you get into trouble, there will _never_ be enough time to allow you to rack your pistol's slide before having to use it.

Learn, instead, to use your pistol properly, and to feel confident relying upon its safety features.

Musician to New York cop: "Excuse me, officer, but how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
To which the cop answers: "Practice, man, practice!"


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

Hard to believe that someone could even ask that question.


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## wirenut (Dec 16, 2015)




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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

I thought dummy rounds were for shooting dummy's.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

rustygun said:


> I thought dummy rounds were for shooting dummy's.


No, silly.
They are for shooting _*by*_ dummies.
(See Post #4, nearby.)


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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> No, silly.
> They are for shooting _*by*_ dummies.
> (See Post #4, nearby.)


Thanks, got it.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

A snap as first round would become the last round


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

I've come to the conclusion, I'd rather have an unchambered gun with a full magazine, verses no gun at all. 
No spins please. Lol


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

pic said:


> I've come to the conclusion, I'd rather have an unchambered gun with a full magazine, verses no gun at all.
> No spins please. Lol


If I were to be given a loaded pistol with an empty chamber to carry, the first thing I'd do would be to chamber a round.
The second thing would be to apply the safety, if there is one.
The third thing? Reholster, and conceal.

Note that I would do those things, even in Israel.
Concealed is concealed.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> If I were to be given a loaded pistol with an empty chamber to carry, the first thing I'd do would be to chamber a round.
> The second thing would be to apply the safety, if there is one.
> The third thing? Reholster, and conceal.
> 
> ...


i said *"no spins please"* lol, :smt082


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

pic said:


> i said *"no spins please"* lol, :smt082


We're talking about semi-automatic pistols here.
There are no "spins" in semi-autos.
Obviously, then, your request was solely about revolvers.

Right? :anim_lol:


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> If I were to be given a loaded pistol with an empty chamber to carry, the first thing I'd do would be to chamber a round.
> The second thing would be to apply the safety, if there is one.
> The third thing? Reholster, and conceal.
> 
> ...


Well I'll go with two out of three of these steps. The one I don't want is a settable safety. I do have one exception but when carried, its safety is off.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

SouthernBoy said:


> Well I'll go with two out of three of these steps. The one I don't want is a settable safety. I do have one exception but when carried, its safety is off.


The glock , for example has no safety, great feature for a striker fired pistol. My training taught me to always check the safeties status prior to using the gun in any situation.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

pic said:


> The glock , for example has no safety,...


It has no settable safeties. However, it does have three active safeties inherent to its design.



pic said:


> My training taught me to always check the safeties status prior to using the gun in any situation.


I would enhance this by saying that my training taught me to always check the condition of the firearm prior to putting it into use... any use. Like you, I prefer no settable safeties on my SD guns with one exception; the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield line of pistols. I have two of those and both do have the externally settable safeties. The reason is that these guns, especially the 9mm version, are my vacation and travel guns and as such, tend to go from their holster to a glove box or console or a pouch. Because of this, my requirements specified settable safeties for them. However when being carried on my person, those safeties are off.


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## Blackhawkman (Apr 9, 2014)

You're dead most likely! snap caps are used to protect the firing pin and for dry firing.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

SouthernBoy said:


> It has no settable safeties. However, it does have three active safeties inherent to its design.
> 
> I would enhance this by saying that my training taught me to always check the condition of the firearm prior to putting it into use... any use. Like you, I prefer no settable safeties on my SD guns with one exception; the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield line of pistols. I have two of those and both do have the externally settable safeties. The reason is that these guns, especially the 9mm version, are my vacation and travel guns and as such, tend to go from their holster to a glove box or console or a pouch. Because of this, my requirements specified settable safeties for them. However when being carried on my person, those safeties are off.


Yes , I agree, you train well SB, hats off to you.
I would always check my safety status , if my gun was equipped with a safety. No matter how crisp or reliable the safety is against being inadvertently switched to lock or unlock. It becomes part of the training exercise. Number two would be the magazine status. Is the magazine locked into position or did the release button get bumped or whatever. These are my two points of concern. Points of concern will vary from user to user. This is strictly my preference of priorities when training for actual real life. Adding Murphy's law into the scenario of course.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

pic said:


> Yes , I agree, you train well SB, hats off to you.


Thank you.



pic said:


> I would always check my safety status , if my gun was equipped with a safety. No matter how crisp or reliable the safety is against being inadvertently switched to lock or unlock. It becomes part of the training exercise. *Number two would be the magazine status. Is the magazine locked into position or did the release button get bumped or whatever.* These are my two points of concern. Points of concern will vary from user to user. This is strictly my preference of priorities when training for actual real life. Adding Murphy's law into the scenario of course.


Funny you mention that about the magazine catch. Some years ago, I had that happen to me once with my primary carry gen3 Glock 23. I was carrying it in a leather holster and at the time, I had an after market extended magazine catch. It got "pressed" by the leather holster and released its hold on the magazine. I didn't notice this until I got back home and disarmed. Good thing I hadn't had to use that gun when that happened. Things got quickly corrected and this has never happened again.


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

I remember many years ago reading about early single-action revolvers that didn't have a safe method of carrying all six chambers loaded because the firing pin would be resting on the primer. The empty chamber under the hammer would be used for a rolled-up dollar for burial expenses. Myth or reality?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Well, the empty chamber was a reality.
The rolled-up $20.00 (or $50.00) bill (not a mere dollar) inside it might be a myth.

It is unsafe to carry a Colt's Single Action Army, Frontier, or Bisley revolver with all six chambers of its cylinder loaded.

I have always found that to be strange, because Colt's earlier "cap-'n'-ball" revolvers had pins inserted between their chambers, specifically on which to safely rest the weapons' hammers. I can see no good reason why Colt did not engineer something similar into their cartridge revolvers.


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## Kennydale (Jun 10, 2013)

????*WHY*???? If Semi Autos in Condition 1 Scares you, use a revolver.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Kennydale said:


> ????*WHY*???? If Semi Autos in Condition 1 Scares you, use a revolver.


It scares me that you're carrying in condition 1. With your lack of training,,,,,,Lol :smt033

Have you ever considered using a revolver please? Lol :smt033


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## Kennydale (Jun 10, 2013)

pic said:


> It scares me that you're carrying in condition 1. With your lack of training,,,,,,Lol :smt033
> 
> Have you ever considered using a revolver please? Lol :smt033


As they say. YOU DON'T KNOW ME !
Analyze your own inadequacies.

I notice you have a sizable amount of posts. I think carrying an un-chambered semi auto is an idea that can get you killed. Many people for whatever reason like Revolvers especially for ease and safety. I don't come on this forum often. I thought you might be a troll with the snarky answer you gave me.

Now I get it your an A-Hole!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Kennydale said:


> As they say. YOU DON'T KNOW ME !
> Analyze your own inadequacies.
> 
> I notice you have a sizable amount of posts. I think carrying an un-chambered semi auto is an idea that can get you killed. Many people for whatever reason like Revolvers especially for ease and safety. I don't come on this forum often. I thought you might be a troll with the snarky answer you gave me.
> ...


yes , I can be to the point. You assumed or stated if scared carry a revolver. Maybe the carrier has other priorities. 
As you just stated "you don't know me " yet you felt free to judge another persons method of carry and judge because they were scared. I know the gunshops are pushing striker fired pistols out the door,, just wondering why you would get upset for being judged ,,,, as you had just stated to another about being scared, first question should be ,if they actually are scared? You assumed their method of carry scared them .Where do draw the line between being scared or safety minded. 
Training , training, my friend


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## Kennydale (Jun 10, 2013)

pic said:


> yes , I can be to the point. You assumed or stated if scared carry a revolver. Maybe the carrier has other priorities.
> As you just stated "you don't know me " yet you felt free to judge another persons method of carry and judge because they were scared. I know the gunshops are pushing striker fired pistols out the door,, just wondering why you would get upset for being judged ,,,, as you had just stated to another about being scared, first question should be ,if they actually are scared? You assumed their method of carry scared them .Where do draw the line between being scared or safety minded.
> Training , training, my friend


Nope wasn't judging I know a quite a few Gun owners who for whatever reasons only have or carry Revolvers. They mostly don't trust Striker fired or find then physically hard to handle. They idea of using a snap cap for first round for safety reasons not a good idea. Best friend is a 1911 person . He likes to carry cocked and locked. His secondary firearm is a ruger lC9 the original hammer fired with a long heavy pull. He has a few Striker guns in his collection that he only shoots at range.

Sorry you took offense but you have to admit snap caps for a first round....,NOT A GOOD IDEA!

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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

This poster copies n pastes articles. If you read the OP 's post it explains in a way,,, why not to use snap caps as a first round.

I didn't take offense, I was just opening up a discussion of what you were referring to.. Got your attention, lol.
You called me an A hole , lol. Sorry about the shock approach,, my fault . Been Working on my approach.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

Pic your approach like mine won't change a bull in a china shop will never do ballet. Straight to the point with a dose of sarcasm throw in from time to time and point made.


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## Kennydale (Jun 10, 2013)

pic said:


> This poster copies n pastes articles. If you read the OP 's post it explains in a way,,, why not to use snap caps as a first round.
> 
> I didn't take offense, I was just opening up a discussion of what you were referring to.. Got your attention, lol.
> You called me an A hole , lol. Sorry about the shock approach,, my fault . Been Working on my approach.


My apologies to you to. The world and social media is making us too thin skinned .

Sorry for mis judging your reply!

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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

No apologies necessary , it's an approach I use to make friends ,
that does needs a little tuning up .lol, thank you my friend . 
Sincerely ,
Pic

:smt1099


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