Dry fire to clear shotgun?

[.455_Hunter]

Glad I could be of service

It is usually the operator pulling rearward on the forearm too early that locks stuff up. It doesn’t feel right pushing it forward a touch, then pulling it rearward to get to cycle. Recoil does the job for you when you’re shooting, so you aren’t used to doing that when cycling the action without firing.

My Winchester Model 12 is the same way with the forearm, it has to go forward to unlock. It also has no trigger disconnect so it slam-fires if you hold the trigger down. Learned about that feature on accident as a kid shooting at flying doves! (I went a big 0-fer that first dove season.)

But I just checked my Browning BPS’s, they do not need to be unlocked to cycle. I was able to pull the BPS forearm to the rear and simultaneously depress the action release to open it.

Stay safe.

Similar for the Browning designed Savage/Stevens 520/620 series- the slide must "bump" forward after firing to release the action for cycling.

 

[Bill M.]

I would not use the plastic snap caps for sure. I had to whittle 2 of them out of my O/U guns back when I thought they were a good idea. I have some Al snap caps now for test firing but do not store the guns with snap caps.

 

[Bazoo]

In my opinion snap caps are good for practicing dry firing but not storage. It’s too easy to get complacent about seeing “shells” in the gun.

 

[tmd16556]

Somewhere along the way I was taught not to dry fire a shotgun, that it could break the firing pin. I’m sure this had to do with some pre WW2 design where it was true. I still won’t dry fire them (I do have a few from the 1930s or older) and that doesn’t seem to harm springs. I had some light strikes from my Benelli Nova last dove season, but I had also used it a lot for 19 years without ever cleaning out the firing pin channel. It was a little dirty it turns out.

 

[PapaG]

FWIW, I just checked five 870s, two 500s, and one Model 12. All released the bolt/slide easily by pushing the slide release while cocked. I rarely dry fire my guns and put the pumps away cocked with the slide released. My 1975 870TB, in use weekly since new, has not developed any related problems.

 

[L-2]

My pump shotguns Mossberg 590A1 and Remington 870 are stored with rounds in the magazine, chamber empty, and are "cocked", with safety "on". This is my "SOP". It is NOT what is commonly considered "cruiser ready". "Cruiser Ready" is usually defined with the action "unlocked"; and even the safety "off", which is where my "SOP" differs.

Some folks prefer to have the trigger pulled, to have the internal hammer down (unlocking the action). This allows the pump/action to be cycled without needing to use the action release. With my "SOP", I know to depress the action release to immediately cycle the pump. I suppose other folks are concerned they'll forget to depress the action lever in a stressful moment with little time to react. I've not had this fear or problem.

I found with a pump shotgun mounted in a patrol car all day, the constant rattling of an uncocked action was too annoying for me and I chose to have the action cocked, instead.

With an 870 an uncocked action, with a vertically-mounted shotgun, the actions are so smooth & loose, the pump could even open up almost by itself. A cocked action keeps the pump locked in its forward position. The 590A1 isn't as likely to self-open with movement/rattling-around, but I found it still rattled and could open up in a vertical position.

 

[Seedy Character]

So I think I figured it out. After firing the last round I pull the forend back to eject the round and leave the action open without pushing the forend towards the muzzle. Then when I want to reload I drop one in the chamber first.

^^^^^^

THIS!

 

[.308 Norma]

stevens 311 shotgun - Bing images
Instead of "dry" firing it, I highly recommend the use of snap-caps in one of these shotguns if your intent is to "release the spring tension" on the hammers before putting the shotgun away. Actually "dry firing" one of these fine old shotguns is good way to break one or both of its hammers.
It might not be the "end of the world" though if you do break a hammer in an old Savage/Stevens 311. I've had a "spare" hammer for my wife's old Stevens 311 20 gauge in the kitchen "junk" drawer for probably 30 years. I've never needed to install the new hammer because I had a buddy at work who was really good at brazing things, and he brazed the broken hammer back together for me. That, and my wife not "dry firing" her Stevens 311 shotgun before she puts it away anymore has meant I've never had to use the spare hammer in the kitchen junk drawer.

 

[Scooter22]

I don't know where the obsession on not dry firing has come from?( Rimfires YES) No you don't want to sit there and continually dry fire when practicing repeated cycling of the gun over and over. But center fires aren't going to just break a FP when you empty the gun and click on a empty chamber when the mag is empty. Duck hunters would be breaking them all the time. I take my EMPTY HD shotguns I pulled the trigger on a closed empty chamber, CLICK(Oh MY) load the tube and pull back to open the action part way. The gun is loaded on empty chamber, FP not cocked and ready for use just completing the cycling of the action without fumbling for the release.. Seems simple to me but thats the way I like it.

 

[Bennj]

Come to think of it, the 870 seems to have a smoother action than the 590A1, but the 590A1 cycles with more authority (if that makes sense). The 590A1 is for HD, so I'm leaving rounds in the tube with the action open so it's not cocked. Not sure I want to leave the action open with the 870 if I ever take it out in the field.

 

[Scooter22]

Come to think of it, the 870 seems to have a smoother action than the 590A1, but the 590A1 cycles with more authority (if that makes sense). The 590A1 is for HD, so I'm leaving rounds in the tube with the action open so it's not cocked. Not sure I want to leave the action open with the 870 if I ever take it out in the field.

Totally different scenario. If your in the field where you think game will pop up have your gun with a round chambered and the safety on. Storing for Home Defense is different than hunting in the field. If hunting I have the gun loaded with empty chamber until I get where game may pop up. Then I cycle a round in with safety on and proceed so I only have to take the safety off to fire. In some very tight quarter woods hunting like grouse, partridge or very close flushing game I'll leave the safety off with my finger on the side of the receiver.

 

[Bennj]

Understood. I should mention I haven't hunted with it yet so all good info here.

 

[lemaymiami]

All of my shotgun training and skill was meant for the street - and I relied on my shotgun for any hot calls for many years (while only firing a single shot in 22 years). My early years I relied on my "country boy" skills with a shotgun, knowing I could certainly hit what I meant to hit - but really never went beyond that, and an annual qualification round...That changed after my one and only shooting incident where I was totally unprepared for what had to be done that day. After that I made a point of learning everything I could about close quarters work with that same standard riot gun...

Here's my take on locked or unlocked. I keep that shotgun with a loaded magazine (four in the tube), an empty chamber, safety on, and the bolt in the cocked position so that you have to hit the unlock before you can rack it (I always preferred an 870 if I had a choice..). The idea is simple... on the street you never know what you might be involved in - or at what distance, or how many opponents - it's a crap shoot every time in my opinion. I also could never be absolutely certain I might not lose control of my weapon and end looking at the muzzle end... Not a pleasant thought. I did learn over time that many, many folks aren't exactly skilled with weapons - they can shoot them, but the finer points just aren't there. Anyone can pick up a revolver and pull the trigger - not everyone can find the slide lock and release it on a pump shotgun to be able to chamber a round under severe stress (even more than a few cops I've known...). I want that moment to defend myself should I lose my shotgun, period, if it ever happens...

Everyone that has a shotgun that might be needed for defensive purposes really should put a lot of rounds downrange and learn to handle the weapon instinctively. Whether the shotgun is kept slide locked or unlocked is up to you, but in an emergency you really need to have a routine and it better be a practiced one...

As for dry firing a 12ga. pump shotgun- I've never heard or seen any damage resulting from dry firing...

It's been almost 27 years now since I retired out of police work - and not once since then have I gone down into a bad place, shotgun in hand looking for trouble. Hope I never am doing such things ever again. I don't miss that world at all - except when I see or hear that young cops are getting killed or badly hurt out on the street because no one taught them better tactics than they were using when hurt... The officer survival skills we taught to everyone in my agency back then - seem sadly lacking now..

 

[Scooter22]

Great points and thanks for your service.

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

Haven't "snapped a shotgun" to store for over 60 years. Not necessary. Never a failure. You "could" damage/break the firing pin(It's round tapered from back to front) in a shotgun buy repeated snapping on an empty chamber.