If you're going to dry fire, get some snap caps first.

Bill your example of "inescapable fact" is not inescapable or necessarily factual. Metal composition, hardness, tempering, and force applied are all part of the equation. I do not know or care enough about this equation to do the math. I do know that after thousands of dry fires on multiple handguns I have not had a failure to fire or any other failure, or observed any damage as a result. My data is empirical in the handguns I have owned. Your rationale based on hammers and anvils or metals in general does not seem to apply.
 
Sorry if that's over your head.
Metal hitting metal eventually causes displacement or breakage. Many guns can be dry fired quite a bit before this happens, but it will eventually happen-especially with alloy frames.
 
Bill you can repeat your assertion till Hades freezes over but it won't make it so. Unless enough force is used for the given metals to change at the molecular level the displacement or breakage you insist will happen simlpy will not. You can smugly claim to be smarter than the rest of us if you choose, but unless you can prove your claims that dry firing causes damage it is just one more "fact" from an internet "genius."
 
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I use the tiptons. I think they are great when doing any dry firing and practicing drills. I mean maybe it doesnt matter but considering I buy one set for $10 and they last for multiple guns of the same caliber it seems pretty cheap.
 
The guys on the latest GunsoverTexas podcast were talking about breaking a firing pin on a Beretta Pico and how the manufacturer would not warranty the pin due to it being dry fired without a snapcap.
 
It's your gun. Dry fire it if you want. I really don't care.
I come here to learn and give advice from my considerable experience, not argue.
 
If I knew someone dry fired a firearm for hours on end, I wouldn't buy it. Would you ?
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It take 5-10k trigger pulls before things smooth out on a production gun. I don't mind if someone did them for me. If it has been dry fired 200k there will be some obvious wear.
 
^^^^^

The real key here is "If I knew". Obviously you would never know when buying a used firearm. Maybe a good idea would be to only buy single action used firearms because it's doubtful that anyone is going to dry fire a gun for hours if they first must cock it.

Wow...another good reason to buy a used 1911.

I guess that you could call me a "Dry Fire Denier". :):):)
 
Maybe a good idea would be to only buy single action used firearms because it's doubtful that anyone is going to dry fire a gun for hours if they first must cock it.
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I don't think that will be a good guarantee. In order to dryfire a Glock, you have to rack the slide, at least slightly, between trigger pulls to reset the striker. And yet people have dryfired them to the point of breakage.
 
^^^^^^
Yes, My Ruger American Compact only needs like 1/2" of slide rack to set the striker. You say people have dry fired Glocks till breakage ? Is this documented someplace ? That would be interesting to find out that the indestructible Glock can be dry fired to breakage. They must not have been using snapcaps.
 
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arquebus357 said:
. . . . You say people have dry fired Glocks till breakage ? Is this documented someplace ? That would be interesting to find out that the indestructible Glock can be dry fired to breakage. They must not have been using snapcaps.
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Please see the link in Post #1.
 
As I said earlier- rubber, hot melt glue, silicone, nylon, inner tubes, etc. WILL NOT cushion a firing pin. The tip of the firing pin simply pierces the material. Being soft, the material simply closes up around the hole.
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I just double checked a couple of my AZooms, and the "primer" is intact, or hasnt been pierced and sealed up (been poking at it with a small, flat-bladed screwdriver and there is no damage), and both have had a bazillion strikes on them.

The AZooms use some sort of polymer, or what appears to be polymer, and its very hard and firm. There is very little "give" to it.

All I can recommend is to get caps with a metal primer with a spring underneath.
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As I said before, unless you know of some that are different than the Tipton type, these are about worthless.

If I knew someone dry fired a firearm for hours on end, I wouldn't buy it. Would you ?
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Guess you wont be buying any of mine. :)

I see.....a firearm is like a racehorse, it needs to be exercised.
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Yes it does.

Maybe a good idea would be to only buy single action used firearms because it's doubtful that anyone is going to dry fire a gun for hours if they first must cock it.

Wow...another good reason to buy a used 1911.
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I do, or have, dry fired them all, and heavily. How else are you going to get the practice in?


Dry firing is an important part of maintaining and improving your shooting skills. If youre the least bit serious about them, then youre likely doing it on a regular basis.
 
I would bet the farm that I have dry fired my 1911 more than I have live fired it. Nothing wrong with it as far as I can tell. My other pistols get dry fired, but not at the frequency as the 1911. Now 22lr pistols, I use snap caps.
 
I think the problem really comes down to people thinking dry firing will cause absolutely no wear and being surprised when it does. It clearly causes wear, but for most modern pistols not more than live fire.
 
I think it's a bit more like those that think they are doing their car engine a favor by redlining it quite often.

What engine would you rather have ?

Driven by a little old lady and hardly ever reved over 3,000 RPM.

Driven by a little old lady that redlined maybe 5-10 times a day.

What gun would you rather have ?

Hardly ever dry fired.

Dry fired hundreds of thousands of times.

Same argument.
 
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Dry fired hundreds of thousands of times.
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My position on dry firing is clearly stated in this thread. I do not believe dry firing damages a gun designed to allow it. The above quote is about normal wear though. Yes, a gun fired hundreds of thousands of times, whether dry or with live ammunition, will have wear. Some more than others. After thousands of rounds fired and a greater number of dry fires in my handguns, I find no evidence of damage or discernable wear. Even if I knew that the gun would be worn-out after a few years of regular dry firing I would not change my regular practice routine. My guns are tools. When a tool needs repaired or replaced that is the cost of doing business. I will let y'all know if and when that happens.
 
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