Do you Dry Fire???

The manuals for two of the guns I own (Ruger SP101 and T/C Venture) both state "dry firing will NOT damage the weapon). Both of these get dry fired w/o snap caps. All the other center fires get dry fired with snap caps. It has improved my trigger control and shooting accuracy many times over.

The question in my mind after a session has always been, Is it worse to dry fire a weapon before putting it away or leave it cocked over a long period of time?

Now, If I can release the trigger without dry firing (as in the case of a hammer gun) I usually do that.
 
I'll normally get one dry fire a week right after cleaning. Its a Savage Mark II. I cringe every time too. But I'm OCD about having a cocked gun. Maybe someone can tell me its ok to leave my 22 cocked after I clean it and put it away...lol
 
Cowboy_mo,

There's nothing to stop you from leaving a plastic snap cap chambered after dropping the hammer. In general, both mainsprings and magazine springs can take a set over time, losing strength, but how much time depends on the spring design and how compressed it is. Also, obviously, it depends how much extra strength margin was designed into the spring.

I've never had either the mainspring or magazine springs in my 1911 take a set, despite spending extended periods of time cocked and locked. My old Ruger Mk I bull barrel pistol had a magazine spring that got weak and had to be replaced. I got that gun used for $68 in 1968, and the spring only went south about 5 years ago, so maybe that gives you some idea of the time required. I've probably put 25,000 rounds through it, and have no idea what went through it before I got it. At one point in the middle of its service life for me, I had to chamfer the back of the bolt tunnel because it had finally battered enough to drag on the bolt. So it's seen some wear. I normally only put 5 rounds in those magazines at a time, but it's like 6 because of my extended followers. The followers consume one round of capacity, so they make the magazines rest with the equivalent spring pressure of one round being in them all the time.
 
I have an 03A3 spfld set up with a dry fire device specifically for inside practice. This neat little piece replaces the firing pin tip making it impossible to fire a round while preventing damage to the bolt or striker/firing pin. Just watch hunting shows and take as many shots as you want while practicing your action operation to speed up followup shots.
 
Absolutely. For duty/CCW it is invaluable for building muscle memory, and will smooth out the trigger action over time. My Gen 2 P220 has a smoothness I have yet to feel on any other full sized Sig I've handled. Everyone else that has dry fired it swears I had it worked, which me agency will not allow.
 
Guilty.

Once heard a story of an Olympic level shooter (the details escape me) who quit competition for a number of years. During his absence he never fired a single round; only dry-fired in his basement for hours at a clip. Came back after his hiatus to win the gold.
 
Rifles only before a match as part of my preparation but pistols and revolvers regularly. I have snap caps for every hand gun caliber I have and use them regularly, not daily like I used to but a couple of times a month, sometimes weekly if I am having a particular problem that needs to be ironed out.
 
I dry fire quite a bit, mostly handguns. I have some big bores that can cause a flinch to show its ugly head in short order, and dry firing definately helps keep that in check.
 
I heard you'll go blind if you dry fire :D Forgive the sick humor. I started shooting handguns in the late 1960s and the general consensus then was that over time dry firing was detrimental to the firing pin and bushing as well as the hammer and frame. Steel work hardens as it beats against the parts without the 'softener' of the primer.

When I was learning DA shooting I used spent 22LR shells in a K22 and would dry fire a cylinder full while aiming at the TV. Swing the cylinder out and turn each shell enough to give the firing pin a new spot to hit. Did this hundreds, maybe thousands of times, and became quite proficient at DA shooting.

This thread has stimulated me to go buy some snap caps for one of my revolvers. Back then I think they were only available for high end double guns. I would like to see if dry firing would improve my skills and I just couldn't do it without some protection for the gun. Even if it wouldn't matter I would rather have the ounce of prevention.
 
I do a lot of dry firing with handguns, it truly helps. Wasn't it S&W who used to ship guns with a "Dry Fire Practice" target or something along those lines. In my opinion any well made center fire is just fine to dry fire, rim fires, even if the manual states its safe... I would use a snap cap.
 
AZooms are good snap caps. Some others, with metal "primers" result in very fine pieces of metal getting into the action.

Used them every since I talked to a Sig smithie (back in the days when you could talk to them). If the firing pin doesn't hit something, it wants to keep going. It can break. Also, when the firing pin is allowed to go all the way forward, the FP return spring can weakien over time.

Dry Firing is great. It teaches you what you need to do.

However, doing it in your living room is one thing. Doing everything correctly under anticipation of noise and recoil is another matter that is still DIFFERENT from just pulling the trigger smoothly in dry fire practice. At least that's my experience.:cool:
 
I also use snap caps to dry fire all my pistols except the Glock. I figure if dry firing is part of the takedown process it can't harm it.
 
Yep. I dry-fire most of my guns, aside from my .22. Primarily my handguns, especially those which I carry. Carry guns get "practiced" with maybe a few days a week. Non carry guns, only when I have them out of the safe for something, such as a routine cleaning or if I think I will be shooting it soon.

Rifles, rarely. Typically only when I have taken them apart to perform a function test. Otherwise, sometimes I'll do a quick dry-practice with them, but that's usually more involving reloading, control manipulation, and sight-picture acquisition than actually dropping the hammer.

Shotguns: Again, just a function test after re-assembly. Sighting is done anytime I handle one of them. Need to stay sharp with them if I am going to keep competeing in clays :)
 
Dry firing can be a very helpful training tool. I do it with or without snap caps, well homeade snap caps. I make my own by making a cartidge in my press less the powder with a small hole drilled in the side then i will fill the primer pocket with a pencil eraser!!

www.strongholdarms.com
 
I do, and I use snap caps when I engage in such training...just NOT with my department-issued Sig P220ST. That pesky trigger return spring likes to sometimes break in half when the gun is actually being fired; I see no need to tempt fate. I leave the dry firing to my more resilient guns [hint: they all have the word "Ruger" on them].;)
 
I have snap caps for all my guns. Getting 10 45/70 snap caps for my marlin cow boy was kind of a pain and I had to order on line because I could only find 2 in the local stores.
 
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