Dry firing .... Dummy cartridge?

2

2toss

Inactive
Do you put a dummy round in the chamber when dry firing. The Beretta 92 FS manual says it helps keep the firing pin from getting damaged when dry firing.
Thanks,
2toss
 
The general consensus is that for most well designed and made pistols, they are not needed, but using them hurts nothing, and may have benefit.

So make your choice and go for it.
 
The general consensus is that for most well designed and made pistols, they are not needed, but using them hurts nothing, and may have benefit.
Click to expand...

Probably true, but it really depends on the specific model of the gun. Most centerfire handguns are safely dry-fired, but a few aren't The owner's manual will generally warn you if there can be a problem. Good snap caps are made to take the impact of the firing pin (or striker), and often have a spring mechanism inside to cushion the blow.

The Beretta Tomcat I had could break the firing pin WHEN a snap cap was used! (The firing pin hit the snap cap "primer" so hard it cratered it very quickly -- if you didn't pay attention, the firing pin could still break.)

With some of the small guns like the Kel-Tec P-11 P-32, P3AT and the , PF9, the owners manuals warn against dry-firing without a snap cap. I suspect the small hammer-fired Rugers like the LCP and LC9 might have similar problems if you dry fire too much. (Design is very similar!)

Early CZ-75Bs and CZ-40Bs would break the firing pin retention roll pin if dry-fired a lot; CZ later changed the firing pin retention pin design (twice!) and the problem finally went away. It didn't happen a lot, but it did happen. If you have an older 75B or a 40B, you should have some replacement roll pins or solid pins on hand, or use a snap cap.

Dummy rounds are just rounds that LOOK like real rounds (same size and shape) and some are made of plastic or other materials They can be used to test function (racking the slide, feeding from a mag) or can be helpful the parts of gun training where pulling the trigger isn't being focused upon.
 
DP rounds are for loading/unloading training. Only thing the military uses 'em for. No DP cartridges or snap caps for dry fire training.
The Beretta 92 FS manual and other owners manuals warning against dry-firing without a snap cap, say it for liability CYA reasons.
 
Dummy rounds (some call them "armorer's dummies" are used primarily when checking out a gun feeding problems, but can be used in training to detect flinching when the gun fails to fire and the shooter moves it in anticipation of recoil that doesn't happen.

Dummy rounds normally have no primer at all; they may have one or more holes in the side of the cartridge case.

Snap caps are also dummy rounds in that they have no powder or primer charge, but they have the primer area specially made to cushion the firing pin blow, either by a spring or by some kind of material, like nylon, that will absorb the firing pin blow. They usually are made of plastic, colored aluminum or other material that will be clearly distinct from the look and feel of a live round.

Snap caps are normally not needed in center fire rifles or handguns (depending on the gun) but should always be used in double and single barrel shot guns, whose mechanisms are more subject to damage from dry firing.

Jim
 
I'm another who uses snap caps religiously. I know it probably is not necessary for most pistols, but they are my hobby so I baby them a little.
 
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