Why not dry fire a Rimfire?
- Thread starter baddarryl
- Start date
If a rimfire does not have a firing pin stop of some sort, the firing pin will hit the edge of the chamber and cause peening damage since there's no shell rim to absorb the striking energy as there would be during the normal firing process.
The peening damage can progress to the point that a round can't be chambered due to the amount of metal that has been deformed into the chamber by the peening processing.
There are methods for remedying the damage, but if the damage has progressed too far, the repair may be more expensive than the value of the gun warrants.
Before dryfiring a rimfire, it's best to insure that the manufacturer indicates that the gun can be dryfired without fear of damage. This information is often in the owner's manual.
Because dryfiring can cause damage to some rimfires, it's safest to use the general rule that rimfires should not be dryfired unless you know for sure that the particular gun in question is an exception to the rule.
The peening damage can progress to the point that a round can't be chambered due to the amount of metal that has been deformed into the chamber by the peening processing.
There are methods for remedying the damage, but if the damage has progressed too far, the repair may be more expensive than the value of the gun warrants.
Before dryfiring a rimfire, it's best to insure that the manufacturer indicates that the gun can be dryfired without fear of damage. This information is often in the owner's manual.
Because dryfiring can cause damage to some rimfires, it's safest to use the general rule that rimfires should not be dryfired unless you know for sure that the particular gun in question is an exception to the rule.
Snap caps are cheap and safe !!
Just me but even with the owner's permission, I seldom dry-fire. .....
Be Safe !!!
I can think of more reasons why one should not as opposed to why one should. There are many that are safe to dry-fire and the manual even states so. There are just as many that should not be dry-fired. With or without a manual or permission, I cannot keep track of so them, I do not without the aid of a Snap-Cap or spend case as Bart has mentioned. On a previous post, one of our members even listed plastic wall anchors as a workable snap cap. .....
Just me but even with the owner's permission, I seldom dry-fire. .....
Be Safe !!!
JohnKSA is right. I dry fired my first biathlon rifle, a Marlin 2000, to practice and I ended up deforming the chamber just enough to make my life miserable. I couldn't tell from looking that anything was wrong, but I couldn't extract a spent shell to save my life. I replaced my extractor and my ammo.
My gunsmith cleared up the issue for me and told me to never do that again. Snap caps are cheaper than gunsmiths.
My gunsmith cleared up the issue for me and told me to never do that again. Snap caps are cheaper than gunsmiths.
I saw a destroyed heritage revolver that had been fired repeatedly on all chambers. The preening was impressive to say the least.
For a 1911? No worries. The firing pin is set up very similiar to a regular 1911. The issue is when the pin/ hammer falls on to an unprotected chamber.
For a 1911? No worries. The firing pin is set up very similiar to a regular 1911. The issue is when the pin/ hammer falls on to an unprotected chamber.
WardenWolf
Moderator
mcb66, not true. You can. Mark I, II, and III all use the exact same bolt and bolt parts, including the firing pin stop / return spring base that prevents it from impacting the chamber (the original Mark I manual shows that part going in upside down; it doesn't fit that way). I know way more about these guns than I would like to, thanks to having to troubleshoot my father's Mark I, which is now wearing a Mark III mainspring assembly, recoil spring assembly, and firing pin. Fitting those parts to a 1972 gun was fun, and required a bit of filing to both gun and parts to account for tolerance differences.
All modern rimfires that I know of can be safely dry fired. It is only the older ones that had a real problem. If you pick up an old classic, you should assume they shouldn't be dry fired.
All modern rimfires that I know of can be safely dry fired. It is only the older ones that had a real problem. If you pick up an old classic, you should assume they shouldn't be dry fired.
Spats McGee
Administrator
That's interesting. I don't know whether it was the Mk1 or the Standard, but I know that some of the older ones: (a) had a 9-rd magazine; and (b) did not have a bolt hold-open feature. It was really easy to lose track of shots fired (9 is a strange number for a magazine) and accidentally dry-fire those.mcb66 said:
WardenWolf
Moderator
Well, my father's is technically a Standard and it has bolt hold open. I'm guessing earlier ones didn't, though.
WardenWolf
Moderator
Part #39, the return spring stop, does as well. Notice that in the old diagram it's upside down, like I mentioned in my earlier post. The part that bends goes into a groove on top the bolt.
Yeah, I know the Mark I too well. . . I'm glad my Mark III hasn't required me to take it apart yet.
I don't know why Ruger does this, but they will sell you the springs, just the springs, for the recoil spring assembly and mainspring housing. Even though those assemblies are peened or welded together and CANNOT be taken apart and reassembled to replace the spring. You have to buy the entire assembly if you need new springs.
Yeah, I know the Mark I too well. . . I'm glad my Mark III hasn't required me to take it apart yet.
I don't know why Ruger does this, but they will sell you the springs, just the springs, for the recoil spring assembly and mainspring housing. Even though those assemblies are peened or welded together and CANNOT be taken apart and reassembled to replace the spring. You have to buy the entire assembly if you need new springs.
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Spats McGee
Administrator
Well, thanks! That's good to know.
g.willikers
New member
It's kind of hard to avoid dry firing an empty semi auto, sometimes.
Especially if there's no hold open after the last round is fired.
Or, quite often, if there is one but it doesn't always work.
If dry firing on an empty chamber isn't a regular thing, any damage to the opening to the chamber can usually be dressed with a small round file.
Especially if there's no hold open after the last round is fired.
Or, quite often, if there is one but it doesn't always work.
If dry firing on an empty chamber isn't a regular thing, any damage to the opening to the chamber can usually be dressed with a small round file.
The bolt hold open on a Mark I or standard is the safety. It does not lock open on an empty mag but you can pull it to the rear and lock it. That was one of the big selling points of the MKII was that it locked open on an empty mag. The very early models did not have a firing pin stop and this must be the one they would not service. That was only a few years before they installed the firing pin stop. Some of the Mark I's if using the Mark II 10 round mag will lock on the mag but not all and it is just hanging on the follower, it wasn't intended to be that way.
As a matter of fact, step 1 in disassembling a MarkI or standard from the manual: Unload gun, remove magazine. Cock the bolt and snap the trigger to make sure the hammer has fallen. Verbatum.
As a matter of fact, step 1 in disassembling a MarkI or standard from the manual: Unload gun, remove magazine. Cock the bolt and snap the trigger to make sure the hammer has fallen. Verbatum.
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