function check: are 'dummy" rounds useful?

[rtch77]

Perhaps I'm being a bit picky here. After cleaning/maintenance of rifle comes the function check where the bolt is cycled, dry fired. It is said dry fire without some sort of buffer on firing pin (dummy round) can cause undue wear on spring and f.pin.

How true is this? Is it always advisable to place a spent casing (edge rounded, sealed) in receiver each cycle? Or perhaps making a set of dummy rounds and cycling through? Would that make for a full accurate check short of firing?

Is it better to store rifle with f.pin resting on dummy round? Does it really matter?

I have asked a few other rifle enthusiasts and had answers from "doesn't matter" to "never dry fire old rifles"

I can not find manufactured dummy rounds for Mauser, so I would make some using silicone gel filler in casing with a few BB's (to match weight) plastic "slug" carved sealed w/epoxy carefully sanded flush w/casing. Dummy rounds would be marked in color lest I or someone else forget my testing/storage habits. I have found no clear answer but fun to debate I guess, or maybe too much time on my hands worrying about this. Oh the problems in life!

[A-10]

I've heard both arguments. There are those that feel that dry firing is harmful to the firing pin. There are also those who say that dry firing causes no more ware than normal operating of the firing pin.

[samuel]

Virtually all military arms were designed ro be dry fired so recruits could practice without firing live rounds.The Mauser was designed with this in mind.Virtually all bolt action sporting rifles are Mauser clones.Almost all .22 rifles,shotguns and many handguns can be harmed by dry firing.Ruger reccomends dry firing their sa revolvers.If in doubt call customer service and find out.As to springs being harmed because they were stored with tension on,tests made revealed they remained the same or gained strength.Working,flexing springs is what changes the molecular structure in metal.Closing the action on guns so the air gant circulate can cause rust. samuel.

[ezearln]

Dummy rounds are an excellent means to check function, however what I believe you are referring to are correctly called "Snap caps", Dummy rounds are used by the military for pre and post fire function checks. additionally the ones used by the military have clear visual creases and or holes in the casings to ensure positive identification.

[rtch77]

Thank you, most pleasant insights as I crunch cereal reading all this. A closed breach leading to rust? A spring unaffected by prolonged tension? Theres always something to learn. Anyone that thinks they "know it all" must be a fool. Now I will make 'dummy rounds' for my Mausers, when I have time cant lose. I made some for old restored shotguns now carefully tended and used. Measured, used clean pebbles, silicone gel to mimic weight of typical bird shot etc. Off the wall methods working in practice are wonderful to try.

[GoodAim]

I have been told this and it stands to reason with me. Dry firing a handgun/rifle vs. Shooting said handgun/rifle which do you think would put more strain on the parts? I would have to say the actual firing of a rifle or handgun is going to put far more stress on all of the parts. I don't think you need to go around dry firing a gun though. Unless you have just reassembled it. Still i would only do it once just to make sure that the mechanism works. I have dry fired all of my guns at some point. I was told it was not a big deal to do so by a 20 year police officer and police academy instructor. So there you go that is a man who has depended on his gun. I have never had any problems with any of my guns. PERIOD All of which have been dry fired without so called dummy rounds.

P.S. I store my bolt actions with either the bolt removed or at least opened. Never cap the muzzle either. Spring wear out from use not being stored in one postion unless they are allowed to rust in.

[ArkansasHunter]

My son told me the other day that the Bushmaster AR 15 I bought him paper work said it was o.k. to dry fire it and The Ruger Hawkeye I bought me says to practise dry fireing.
WELL I'm from the old school and I will dry fire a time or two but I want do it over and over because I don't know if it's good or bad to do it.
I've heard if you store a gun in the cocked mode over time it sets the spring.
My thinking about this is maybe it would if it set up 50 years or longer.
Thats when I do dry fire to un cock the gun.
Most all of us know you can decock a boltactions and most all of know you should never dry fire a rim fire.
My conclusion about dry fireing is why do it anyway.

[samuel]

Originally Posted by ArkansasHunter

My son told me the other day that the Bushmaster AR 15 I bought him paper work said it was o.k. to dry fire it and The Ruger Hawkeye I bought me says to practise dry fireing.
WELL I'm from the old school and I will dry fire a time or two but I want do it over and over because I don't know if it's good or bad to do it.
I've heard if you store a gun in the cocked mode over time it sets the spring.
My thinking about this is maybe it would if it set up 50 years or longer.
Thats when I do dry fire to un cock the gun.
Most all of us know you can decock a boltactions and most all of know you should never dry fire a rim fire.
My conclusion about dry fireing is why do it anyway.

To practice trigger pull.I often line the sights up and dry fire to see how much the trigger pull moves the sights off target and to practice trigger pull to get as steady as possible.Every trigger is different and I use dry fire to accustome myself to the trigger.You should be using the sights to see how much you are pulling the firearm when the trigger breaks. sam.

You can not practice trigger pull to much and even if you might have to repair a firearm it isnt as bad as missing a shot because you didnt practice.Dry firing is inexpensive and the only way to see if you are pulling off target and the only way to correct it.Even mediochre dry fire trigger practice will improve your accuracy-group size considerably.I advise finding out if your firearm can be dry fired without damage. sam.

[ArkansasHunter]

O.K I'm converted sam. Your right it prolly would'nt cost much to fix and being the master of, am able to fix anything that breaks (except my mommas 1890's bath tub fauset) I'm fiddin to start dry fir'in more often !!!! fuggum if they break !!!!

[samuel]

Dry firing can change "PULL" to "SQUEEZE" and "SHOOTING AT A BULLS EYE" to "HITTING A BULLS EYE" sam.

[SilentSoul]

So sam do you recommend dry firing with a snap cap, or just empty battery?

[ArkansasHunter]

S-S either way will work just fine ! LOL

[ezearln]

You might also employ pencil drills as a more useful tool to improve trigger squeeze and grip errors that affect your marksmanship.

[rtch77]

Pencil drills, constant practice on trigger squeeze. Please elaborate ezearln, I would like to practice this, sounds like A FREE exercise, done anytime during afternoon BBQ, TV watching etc easy prone position on carpet etc. I remember a routine some did with the M16A2. Now this may not apply with a bolt action design but interesting anyway. A dime carefully placed on the rear sight rail in front of rear sight using prone position. Dry fired and recycled using the charging handle. The coin would not fall if done right, all arm, hand, finger movements reflexively coordinated so beautiful.

[ezearln]

You copy a simple bullseye target (1000 inch size works well) onto standard 8 1/2" X 11" paper and tack to a wall, place a sharpened pencil eraser end first down your pistol barrel (please make sure the weapon is unloaded first!) keeping the pencil tip approx 1/2" from the target assume your normal grip, stance and squeeze the trigger. Then analyse where the mark goes on the paper to make your corrections.