Snap cap info

B

bonefamily

New member
Hello everyone. With wanting to get more into dry fire practice to work on trigger control, I have been looking into snap caps. I have read several times that A-Zooms are quite popular. However, I watched a couple of You Tube vids that showed the aluminum casing edge mushrooming out causing them to stick and leave debris in the chamber. I then watched some other vids on Tipton snap caps which did not do this - and also were spring loaded which seemed to make sense to me. Can others here please give me their input on different makes of snap caps, and the ones mentioned above? Thanks.
 
If you're using a modern centerfire gun, you don't need snap caps. Same goes modern for rimfire guns. Only old .22s and certain unusual guns are a problem.

I have a Wichita Silhouette pistol and a couple of old .22 rifles that can't be dryfired. All my 1911s, CZs, BHPs, wheelguns and rifles have been extensivly dryfired for decades.

Most of the snap caps I've looked at say on the package that they're not to be used as snap caps. You can use them for training, but not as snap caps.
 
Most of the snap caps I've looked at say on the package that they're not to be used as snap caps. You can use them for training, but not as snap caps.
Click to expand...

I don't understand this. I thought the idea of making snap caps was for dry fire practice / training?

The Kel Tec manual reads that their pistols are never to be dry fired as it will damage the firing pin...??
 
I use them, or spent cases in their place....opinions vary on whether dry fire is detrimental, but for .22's, unless the manuf. specifically states that dry fire is ok, I'd use one or at least a spent cartridge case to cushion the firing pin. Some makes of .22 will allow the nose of the firing pin to strike the barrel breach unless there is a cartridge or snap cap in place. Striking the barrel above the chamber, peens the edge and will eventually ruin both the barrel and pin.

You can make your own snap caps for center fire rounds by knocking out the primer and gluing a rubber eraser in it's place. They don't last forever but are easy to make replacements. I'm not familiar with Kel Tec pistols, but I'd say that a commercial snap cap or one the you make will suffice for protection of the firing pin, and would be ok for practice.

Best Regards, Rod
 
I use my snap caps primarily as training tools ( clearing malfunctions, etc )...by having a buddy blind load a mag...etc...

but my local range, and my shop ...are concrete floors...and the Tiptons, if they hit just right ( shatter like glass ) when they hit concrete.../ where the A-Zoom's hold up a lot better.

I only have one center fire caliber gun, that the mfg says not to dry fire.../ a Freedom Arms single action revolver in .357 mag...but its the combination of their firing pin design, and how hard the hammer strikes the firing pin ..that causes it to bottom out in the frame - breaking the firing pin. They're cheap and easy to change on that revolver....but I use A Zoom's in it instead..

I don't remember who makes them - but the soft plastic orange ones....( are junk ) in my opinon...
 
Thanks for the reply, BigJimP. I understand what you are using them for, but I was just wanting to work on trigger control for the time being so I wouldn't be ejecting the snap cap - just racking the slide back enough to reset the trigger. I have seen videos on the A-Zooms mushrooming out which concerned me. As long as I can keep the Tiptons from hitting the floor I should be ok :)

Thanks for moving this to the correct forum, Mods! I should have caught that before posting.
 
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