dry fire

imlne · 04-05-2009, 10:46 AM

I've been told that dry firing isn't recommended. How does the USP handle the dry fire, does it harm the firing pin?

tclu1308 · 04-05-2009, 11:12 AM

I too have been told this, but I also know a lot of people who swear by "dry practice". Depending on the firearm and caliber you are concerned about, you might be able to find dummy cartridges that are designed to protect the firearm during dryfire (practice sessions). This site has them, and I think I've seen them at sportsmansguide and cheaperthandirt as well.

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big boomer · 04-05-2009, 11:22 AM

Simple fix if you want to dry fire buy one of the dummy rounds they sell the primer area has a rubber like primer so you will not break firing pin. Pin breakage can happen I did it with an old pistol one time. Do not just make up a dummy the primer area is only good for one strike with the home made ones.

captsquirrel · 04-06-2009, 08:30 PM

I use a "snap cap" in my USP compact 9MM. I bought one at a local gun shop some time ago. It's the plastic type with a spring loaded "primer". I've used it for years and it is still holding up.

imlne · 04-07-2009, 03:03 AM

Is this snap cap reusable?

Dakoma · 04-07-2009, 03:34 AM

This topic has come up before,many will say just dryfire it but I was taught diferent by my Dad and his Dad.They will argue with you that it states in their manual that it is alright to do so(firearm companies like to sell guns and parts also) a fellow on G&G made his own by drilling out a spent caseing(I would use Berdan) threading the pocket and I believe he got nylon threaded rods at Lowes or threaded them his self to fit,making them long so when they became battered they could be snipped off after extending them and made new again therefore extending their life.I use snapcaps in my hammerless SXS 12 GA. shotgun to let the tension off the springs the only way to do so is pull the trigger.I am a firm believer in not dry fireing a weapon even if the manual said it is allright.

samuel · 04-07-2009, 06:22 AM

Many centerfire firearms are safe to dryfire.If in doubt you can put farely hard rubber like pencil eraser or the kind of liquid plastic that hardens in the primer pocket and use over,virtually for ever.Dryfireing is almost if not irreplaceable as a training aid asb almost all military and civilian training facilities use it mainly to teach sight alignment/trigger control.Anyone not using it is missing out on a very beneficial practice.You cannot tell if you are pulling the weapon off,whether handgun,rifle,or shotgun when recoil is involved.Even really good shots use dryfire for practice and training on trigger control,which is the cause of a high percentage of misses.And one dryfire won't do it,you have to do it over and over to get it right.Most "flyers"are caused by lack of trigger control. sam.

deadzero · 04-07-2009, 07:12 AM

I don't dry fire. Ruger for one says it does no harm to do it with their firearms (revolvers anyway). i would not do it with a revolver that the firing pin is incorperated into the hammer. it may or may not be okay to do. with rifles i will never dry fire. several years ago just before hunting season i was giving the Weatherby a good cleaning before heading out to the range to check zero. I dropped the hammer and broke the firing pin in half! (the pin was cross drilled and pinned to trap the firing pin spring and it seperated at the cross pin.) good thing i had a back up rifle because the bolt had to be shipped out because the pin was no longer available! there was a safety upgrade with a new bolt assembly that i had to wait 4 months for to get the gun operational again. after that, I don't dry fire anything. I highly recommend snap caps if you feel you must dry fire.

samuel · 04-07-2009, 07:23 AM

Did you read and understand the part where I stated "if in doubt"? sam.

deadzero · 04-07-2009, 07:37 AM

yea, i know, I'm just over protective of my firing pins after that incident. since then i've bought snap caps. I wonder if making "dummy" rounds with the primer holes filled with epoxy would work? they would tend to fall better when doing speed loader practice.......

samuel · 04-07-2009, 08:37 AM

I don't know about glue as most of it becomes very hard and wouldn't rebound.But much of the plastic fillers are stiff enough to give the resistance required and yet rebound to be used again.As to you worrying about fireing pins,thats just good sense,I had a friend that dryfired a rifle one time and we went hunting and he found he had broken the fireing pin.I found out that was a habit of his to snap the fireing pin before putting the gun in a case.I don't think you can break one the first few times,but some that aren't designed for it like most military guns are,might break if snapped a few to several times.Most military firearms were designed so they could train trigger pull by dryfiring. sam.

captsquirrel · 04-07-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imlne

Is this snap cap reusable?

Most definitely.

cremley · 04-07-2009, 10:02 PM

I don't see how it could hurt the firing pin if it is a centerfire as the firing pin is just hitting air. I won't dry fire a rimfire because the firing pin could hit the chamber/barrel wall and cause damage but I don't see, mechanically, why dry firing a centerfire could do any harm at all.

big boomer · 04-07-2009, 10:54 PM

Cremley is right about 22's if you dry fire them they peen the rim area and can cause problems. Snap caps are made for dry firing. I once dry fired a colt revolver made in the 1920's and the firing pin broke.

mx308250 · 04-07-2009, 11:02 PM

In modern firearms they are fine to dry fire, I dry fire mine all the time, everything BUT .22's or other rimfires. Do Not dry fire rimfires. But all other modern firearms should be fine. My sig has been dry fired probably 1,000 or more times, has right at around 20,000 real rounds shot through it, still no real signs of wear or any problems.

04-05-2009, 10:46 AM	#1
imlne Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: D-Bar CA Posts: 103	dry fire I've been told that dry firing isn't recommended. How does the USP handle the dry fire, does it harm the firing pin?

04-05-2009, 11:12 AM	#2
tclu1308 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Champaign IL Posts: 432	I too have been told this, but I also know a lot of people who swear by "dry practice". Depending on the firearm and caliber you are concerned about, you might be able to find dummy cartridges that are designed to protect the firearm during dryfire (practice sessions). This site has them, and I think I've seen them at sportsmansguide and cheaperthandirt as well. Categories __________________ If anybody asks I spent it on golf balls.

04-06-2009, 08:30 PM	#4
captsquirrel Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Las Vegas, NV. Posts: 1,569	I use a "snap cap" in my USP compact 9MM. I bought one at a local gun shop some time ago. It's the plastic type with a spring loaded "primer". I've used it for years and it is still holding up. __________________ "I have learned to use the word 'impossible' with the greatest caution." Werner Von Braun

04-07-2009, 10:02 PM	#13
cremley Young Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern New Mexico Posts: 2,655	I don't see how it could hurt the firing pin if it is a centerfire as the firing pin is just hitting air. I won't dry fire a rimfire because the firing pin could hit the chamber/barrel wall and cause damage but I don't see, mechanically, why dry firing a centerfire could do any harm at all. __________________ I wouldn't be so paranoid if everyone wasn't out to get me. NRA MEMBER

04-05-2009, 11:22 AM	#3
big boomer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Minn. Posts: 2,310	Simple fix if you want to dry fire buy one of the dummy rounds they sell the primer area has a rubber like primer so you will not break firing pin. Pin breakage can happen I did it with an old pistol one time. Do not just make up a dummy the primer area is only good for one strike with the home made ones.

04-07-2009, 03:03 AM	#5
imlne Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: D-Bar CA Posts: 103	Is this snap cap reusable?

04-07-2009, 03:34 AM	#6
Dakoma Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Southeast Tennessee Posts: 1,135	This topic has come up before,many will say just dryfire it but I was taught diferent by my Dad and his Dad.They will argue with you that it states in their manual that it is alright to do so(firearm companies like to sell guns and parts also) a fellow on G&G made his own by drilling out a spent caseing(I would use Berdan) threading the pocket and I believe he got nylon threaded rods at Lowes or threaded them his self to fit,making them long so when they became battered they could be snipped off after extending them and made new again therefore extending their life.I use snapcaps in my hammerless SXS 12 GA. shotgun to let the tension off the springs the only way to do so is pull the trigger.I am a firm believer in not dry fireing a weapon even if the manual said it is allright.

04-07-2009, 06:22 AM	#7
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 10,914	Many centerfire firearms are safe to dryfire.If in doubt you can put farely hard rubber like pencil eraser or the kind of liquid plastic that hardens in the primer pocket and use over,virtually for ever.Dryfireing is almost if not irreplaceable as a training aid asb almost all military and civilian training facilities use it mainly to teach sight alignment/trigger control.Anyone not using it is missing out on a very beneficial practice.You cannot tell if you are pulling the weapon off,whether handgun,rifle,or shotgun when recoil is involved.Even really good shots use dryfire for practice and training on trigger control,which is the cause of a high percentage of misses.And one dryfire won't do it,you have to do it over and over to get it right.Most "flyers"are caused by lack of trigger control. sam.

04-07-2009, 07:12 AM	#8
deadzero Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: deep in the swamps SC Posts: 1,203	I don't dry fire. Ruger for one says it does no harm to do it with their firearms (revolvers anyway). i would not do it with a revolver that the firing pin is incorperated into the hammer. it may or may not be okay to do. with rifles i will never dry fire. several years ago just before hunting season i was giving the Weatherby a good cleaning before heading out to the range to check zero. I dropped the hammer and broke the firing pin in half! (the pin was cross drilled and pinned to trap the firing pin spring and it seperated at the cross pin.) good thing i had a back up rifle because the bolt had to be shipped out because the pin was no longer available! there was a safety upgrade with a new bolt assembly that i had to wait 4 months for to get the gun operational again. after that, I don't dry fire anything. I highly recommend snap caps if you feel you must dry fire.

04-07-2009, 07:23 AM	#9
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 10,914	Did you read and understand the part where I stated "if in doubt"? sam.

04-07-2009, 07:37 AM	#10
deadzero Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: deep in the swamps SC Posts: 1,203	yea, i know, I'm just over protective of my firing pins after that incident. since then i've bought snap caps. I wonder if making "dummy" rounds with the primer holes filled with epoxy would work? they would tend to fall better when doing speed loader practice.......

04-07-2009, 08:37 AM	#11
samuel Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 10,914	I don't know about glue as most of it becomes very hard and wouldn't rebound.But much of the plastic fillers are stiff enough to give the resistance required and yet rebound to be used again.As to you worrying about fireing pins,thats just good sense,I had a friend that dryfired a rifle one time and we went hunting and he found he had broken the fireing pin.I found out that was a habit of his to snap the fireing pin before putting the gun in a case.I don't think you can break one the first few times,but some that aren't designed for it like most military guns are,might break if snapped a few to several times.Most military firearms were designed so they could train trigger pull by dryfiring. sam.

04-07-2009, 10:54 PM	#14
big boomer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Minn. Posts: 2,310	Cremley is right about 22's if you dry fire them they peen the rim area and can cause problems. Snap caps are made for dry firing. I once dry fired a colt revolver made in the 1920's and the firing pin broke.

04-07-2009, 11:02 PM	#15
mx308250 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 406	In modern firearms they are fine to dry fire, I dry fire mine all the time, everything BUT .22's or other rimfires. Do Not dry fire rimfires. But all other modern firearms should be fine. My sig has been dry fired probably 1,000 or more times, has right at around 20,000 real rounds shot through it, still no real signs of wear or any problems.