What are snap caps?

L

lakings

Inactive
I was at the range earlier today and one of the employees recommended snap caps to practice at home. I have a few questions for the expert trolls: Are snap caps safe to use at home? Will they damage walls, roof, etc? etc, etc etc?
 
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Inert practice round used for training and/or "dry" firing. I prefer A-Zooms.

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They do not actually fire in the way that many who used to play with "cap guns" might expect. They are only to protect the gun's internal mechanisms, primarily the firing pin or striker, which can be damaged by repeated dry-firing on an empty chamber. No boom, no bang.
 
just be sure that you don't mistakenly buy 'proving' rounds. These often look like snap caps, but they're not meant for dry firing - they're used to function test the action.
 
To further the discussion, the idea of using snap caps is to prevent or reduce the chance of damaging your firearm by dry firing. Which makes a new person ask, "Wow, does dry firing damage a gun if you don't use a snap cap?" And eventually they'll ask, "Does using a snap cap prevent any damage?"

These are very common questions but neither has a clear cut answer. Some gun makers tell you to dry fire, some warn against it, but many don't mention an opinion either way on it's effect on the health of the firearm. Some pistols (Glock, XD) require that you dry fire on purpose simply to field-strip the pistol.

Some guns can be damaged by dry-firing, and most folks agree that it's NOT a good idea to dry-fire .22 caliber rimfire guns.

The theory behind "damage" from dry firing often centers around firing pins getting weakened by constant snapping with nothing proper (like a cartridge case or primer) to slam against.

There is no firearm made that will be harmed by an occasional dry snap. Any gun that breaks from only a couple snaps a year is a piece of junk that has some problems already.

So, will the snap cap defend against damage? People argue passionately about this, but one thing that most of us have found is that it makes sense, and it makes US feel like we are taking an active role in preventing damage. So many of us use them. I know I do. If they work, it's smart. If they don't do much, it's only a couple of bucks that we spent on them.

About the only other thing most everyone agrees on is that regular dry fire practice tends to help you to become a better shooter. It helps you learn good trigger control and muscle memory.

But it's very, very, very important to have your head screwed on straight when dry-firing. It's still time to have the firearm pointed in the safest direction, and even more important to KNOW WHERE YOUR AMMO IS, and keep it away from wherever you happen to be practicing your dry firing.

Summary: Buy some snap caps, practice dry firing to get better at trigger control, but always always ALWAYS keep the ammo a good distance away from your firearm when you practice, and continue to point the firearm in the safest direction.
 
Nice post, sevens. I don't even have any more questions for you. :D
I have some A-Zoom caps for my .45s. I like them.
I figured i'd get the A-Zooms, just because they weren't plastic. I knew I'd somehow destroy the plastic ones, and for a little bit more money, why not.
 
I only have A-Zooms in 20 gauge. All the rest are made by Armsport, and look just like the group in the first picture. Not as good perhaps... but I've sure clicked on them a whole helluva lot of times.
 
They likely would not function as well as snap caps. These are meant more for chambering, clearing and obstruction drills.
 
Kinda dumb question...
If I get .45acp snapcaps for my 1911, when I fire the gun would I have to rack the slide and clear the chamber after every shot? Or will it fire like a semi auto and chamber the next round after every shot? I'm thinking you need live rounds for that, but it will be my first handgun so I don't know :P
Answer without calling me too dumb please, haha.
 
Snap caps don't have a charge in them, so they won't cycle. You'll need to manually rack the slide after every shot.
 
No, they won't do anything when you pull the trigger, however, different handguns work different for the next trigger pull. If it's a double-action revolver, and the cylinder is full of six snap caps, then you can simply keep pulling the trigger repeatedly and it'll keep clicking. If it's a double-action semi-auto, like perhaps a Beretta 92, same thing... just keep clicking. If it's a single action semi-auto like the 1911, you'll have to thumb-cock the hammer for each dry-fire. And if it's a striker fire pistol with a slide-reset or preload like a Glock, you'll have to manually pull the slide back a short distance to reset the striker and cock the pistol so you can dry-fire it again.

Years ago I saw that someone made a device that connected to the 1911 style .45 and ran through the grip/magazine well and also involved some plumbing to the muzzle (I think) and the whole contraption was connected via a hose to a compressed air or gas tank. Each pull of the trigger would operate the slide and provide "recoil" similar to firing the handgun... presumably to be used for training.
 
How long do they last?

What is the average life of a snap cap? I assume they will start to show some wear at some point, but does that happen in the tens, hundreds, or thousands of dry fires?

Thanks
 
The orange soft plastic ones don't last worth squat, but the spring loaded versions last...a long time provided you don't constantly chamber them (they are plastic after all). IMO aluminum is best so the extractor doesn't eat through plastic.
 
I've used both the sprung caps, and the ones with a rubber center in 38spl and 45acp. My guess is that the useful life is about 300-400 hammer strikes for both. The sprung ones will eventually either crack or the center will come loose from the base plate. The nose of the rubber-primer ones will eventually be pushed into the case, leaving a rough edge. With rimmed cases, the rim itself will break-off.
 
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