Dry firing rimfires... How do you keep track?

[dstates]

Hello, I'm a new gun owner and have heard from a number of people and read that dry firing a rimfire gun could bring an early end to the firing pin and cause FTF's.

So here's my question... If I've got a lever action .22 w/ 19 rounds in the tube, do I have to count each shot or stop to look in the chamber before pulling the trigger to avoid the dry fire?

Does anyone else have a good method to avoid the "click" after emptying a magazine? Or is an occasional dry fire not going to hurt anything?

 

[oldfool]

the occasional "click" is no big deal

sitting in your living room deliberately doing hundreds, thousands of dry fires is a real bad notion

 

[Zach S]

the occasional "click" is no big deal

sitting in your living room deliberately doing hundreds, thousands of dry fires is a real bad notion

That's how I look at it. I have an early 10-22 and there's no telling how many times it was dryfired when the mag ran empty - and to the best of my knowledge, nothing has ever been replaced.

 

[Daizee]

Agreed, the 1-in10 dryfire hasn't caused me any trouble either. I often load only 5 at a time anyway and count.

It's not merely the firing pin you have to worry about.

The rim of the cartridge is sandwiched btw the recessed chamber face and the bolt face, usually. On many guns a dry fire can cause the firing pin to strike the face of the chamber, either the deep part or right on the edge of the recess. The firing pin is relatively hard, and the chamber tough. The firing pin can peen the face of the chamber which may cause feeding and extraction problems. That problem is a bit more harrowing to fix than replacing a firing pin.

With a centerfire firearm the pin always strikes empty air. (but may impact the firing pin stop, whatever it may be, with more force than expected)

-Daizee

 

[Daveboone]

from a safety standpoint you want to keep tabs on the # of rounds anyway...
Even if you arent keeping an exact count, I simply take a 2nd to check the guns chamber status.
Aside, I agree, the occaissional dry fire isnt the concern with a quality gun, it is the routine dry firing that will age a firing pin much quicker.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Though massive amounts of dryfiring should still be avoided, most modern rimfires have a recess for the pin, or don't allow the pin to protrude enough to impact the chamber mouth.

Like oldfool said, don't sit there doing it for hours on end, but don't worry about the single click after emptying a mag.

 

[Guvnor]

I agree with MachIVshooter. I think the "never dry fire a .22" gets over-hyped. I know in the ruger 10/22 owners manual it even says dry firing is OK.

I like to think as a rule of thumb, unless the owners manual specifically tells you not to, the occasional dry fire wont hurt anything. I always dry fire my guns after cleaning or when I get home from the range and ive never had a problem yet.

 

[Hokkmike]

Iread in Chuck Hawkes or somewhere to keep the little plastic tab (empty chamber indicator) and insert it in front of the bolt before dry firing to alleviate any problems. Anybody else see this?

I would NOT recommend it as a means to check for live rounds - I mean to do this ONLY when you are sure that the gun is empty!

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

most modern rimfires have a recess for the pin, or don't allow the pin to protrude enough to impact the chamber mouth.

I hear that and assume that it is correct - if so, I wish someone would make a chart of which ones do and which ones don't. I'd LOVE to sit around and dry fire my rimfires, but don't of course. Plastic rimfire snapcaps and/or empty shell casings quickly get destroyed by dry-firing, then then start failing to extract when the rim is smashed all the way around.

 

[Shopping A Round]

Hello, I'm a new gun owner and have heard from a number of people and read that dry firing a rimfire gun could bring an early end to the firing pin and cause FTF's.

So here's my question... If I've got a lever action .22 w/ 19 rounds in the tube, do I have to count each shot or stop to look in the chamber before pulling the trigger to avoid the dry fire?

Does anyone else have a good method to avoid the "click" after emptying a magazine? Or is an occasional dry fire not going to hurt anything?

What kind of Lever .22? I would love one of those!

 

[ArmedBear]

Sounds like a Marlin 39A with a 24" barrel. Love mine. Two words: skinner sights.

One option, of course, is to load less than 19 when plinking. It's easier to count 5.

 

[nathan]

I keep a fired, empty .22lr casing around and insert into the chamber and dry fire the rifle.

 

[22-rimfire]

I keep track as best I can, but it happens especially with rimfires.

 

[cooks 7]

I've had my 10/22 for at least 10 years, 1000's and 1000's of rounds through it, and almost every time I finish a magazine I lose count and hear the click of the non-existent 11th round. I've never had a problem to date. It might vary with differences in design of manufacturers. If Ruger didn't want you dry fire the 10/22 I think they would have engineered a bolt lock back or something to keep you from firing on the empty chamber every time. It's only 10 round but i can't seem to keep count.

 

[lions]

I have a Henry lever action .22 and I find that most of the time I can feel the difference between chambering a cartridge and just closing the bolt on an empty chamber.

If I don't catch the difference it isn't a big deal to dry fire occasionally, as others have said. But I would bet that as you shoot your rifle more you will be able to tell the difference by feel alone.

 

[oneounceload]

Got rid of my 39A after going through 3 firing pins in a short time - they would get rounded off and gave my innumerable FTFs. Drove me nuts.

Once in a while may be OK, but personally, I would avoid it as much as possible

 

[chicharrones]

Sounds like a Marlin 39A with a 24" barrel. Love mine.

+1

Two words: skinner sights.

I wish I would have seen those before I mounted a Williams 5D.

 

[dstates]

Thanks, everyone for the tips... Seems like everyone agrees to avoid the dry fires, but it sounds like it is not the end of the gun if you have a couple everytime your at the range. Maybe I'll just try the method of loading 5 or so, I should be able to count that high... 19 is a different story.

It is a Marlin 39A. I'm itching to get out and use it. Tomorrow can't come soon enough.

As far as the sights go, I actually ordered a set of Skinner Sights last night after hearing all of their praises on THR.

Thanks!