Just reporting a snap cap modification I read somewhere a while ago. It couldn't have been a high traffic site or else I would have remembered where to.
This was specifically for A-Zoom snap caps. There is a concern of wear and tear from extractor claw marks and gouging the aluminum from partial extraction to reset the striker. Some people get shavings of red aluminum - big deal, wipe them out. I'm actually not so worried about that as I am the snap cap wearing out at the faux "case mouth" where it headspaces off of with repeated use. It hasn't happened to me yet, but if the case mouth gets battered, the primer cushion won't provide as much cushioning as it won't be pressed back against the breech face. But that's just me being fussy.
The trick: file/grind off a portion of the case rim so that the extractor claw can NOT grab it. The snap cap will stay in the chamber, you are free to reciprocate the slide full power.
Pro: you won't train yourself to do a quasi press-check to re-cock the striker which doesn't have any business in your muscle memory. You could be doing a full power tap-rack-bang (well...click, not bang unless you're at the range). Loading the snap cap could bypass the magazine, just drop into chamber. Maybe less wear to the unit.
Con: Getting the snap cap out would mean a fingernail or a pencil down the barrel. And you had to grind away that pretty red annodization.
I haven't tried it yet, but theoretically it should work. I hate gingerly resetting the striker. It just seems out of place to me. I suppose it does force one to slow down.
This was specifically for A-Zoom snap caps. There is a concern of wear and tear from extractor claw marks and gouging the aluminum from partial extraction to reset the striker. Some people get shavings of red aluminum - big deal, wipe them out. I'm actually not so worried about that as I am the snap cap wearing out at the faux "case mouth" where it headspaces off of with repeated use. It hasn't happened to me yet, but if the case mouth gets battered, the primer cushion won't provide as much cushioning as it won't be pressed back against the breech face. But that's just me being fussy.
The trick: file/grind off a portion of the case rim so that the extractor claw can NOT grab it. The snap cap will stay in the chamber, you are free to reciprocate the slide full power.
Pro: you won't train yourself to do a quasi press-check to re-cock the striker which doesn't have any business in your muscle memory. You could be doing a full power tap-rack-bang (well...click, not bang unless you're at the range). Loading the snap cap could bypass the magazine, just drop into chamber. Maybe less wear to the unit.
Con: Getting the snap cap out would mean a fingernail or a pencil down the barrel. And you had to grind away that pretty red annodization.
I haven't tried it yet, but theoretically it should work. I hate gingerly resetting the striker. It just seems out of place to me. I suppose it does force one to slow down.