Dry Firing... What can I and What can't I??

[P95loser]

Hello all,

I am wanting some clarification as to dry firing a handgun. First off let me say I have dry fired P3ATs, 1911's, Smith 38 & 357 Revolvers, P95s, Colt Mustangs, S&W M&Ps, Ruger Mark IIIs and several other handguns and have NEVER broken a firing pin.

So far I know not to dry fire 22 revolvers. What other guns exactly am I not supposed to dry fire and what guns are safe to do so?

 

[Geronimo45]

Dry firing is best done (from what I've heard) with a snap-cap. The CZ70's firing pin can break after several hundred (maybe thousand) dry-fires (from my experience). The CZ-52's is said to be very brittle.

 

[romeo212000]

I know that in the Oklahoma City police academy they send them home with their Glock M22 and tell them to do 100 dry fires per night. I have dry fired my Smith and Wesson m915 hundreds of times and never once had a problem.

 

[Gator]

The general rule of thumb is not to dryfire any rimfire. However, some rimfires are OK to dryfire, check the owners manual.

Also, I always use a snap cap with guns that have nice, crisp, gunsmithed triggers in them. I may be being overly cautious there, but it can't hurt.

 

[AK103K]

I use a snap cap in everything these days. I figure it cant hurt. In 50 some odd years of shooting, I've only ever broke one firing pin, and that was in a heavily fired and dry fired Springfield M1A.

You can get snap caps for .22's. They're cheap and they work. They also work in your .17's.

 

[theCZ]

You can get snap caps for .22's. They're cheap and they work. They also work in your .17's.

Are you saying you can buy a 22-mag snap cap and use it in a 17hmr? I don't see how that could work.

 

[lee n. field]

What other guns exactly am I not supposed to dry fire and what guns are safe to do so?

RTFM.

Ruger Mark IIIs

I know Ruger made a change with the Mark II (vs. the older Mark I) that made it safe to dry fire. Conventional wisdom is that .22s in general should not be dry fired.

CZ-52 with original firing pin should not be dry fired.

Do not dry fire a spring piston air gun.

Do not dry fire a Ruger P345 with magazine disconnect in place, without a magazine.

Do not dry fire Taurus revolvers. Ask me how I know.

 

[12many]

I dry fire my ruger Mark III once per range sesson at the end of the session when I check the chamber for empty. After I pull the bolt/slide back, it cocks. I don't like to leave it cocked. I hope that does not hurt it.

 

[AK103K]

Are you saying you can buy a 22-mag snap cap and use it in a 17hmr? I don't see how that could work.

No, I just use a regular .22LR snap cap in mine.

 

[SwampWolf]

lee n. field, so I'm asking: how did you learn that dry-firing Taurus revolvers is not a good idea? I have one and have always wondered why Taurus warns against dry-firing in their manual. Are their revolvers that much different than other conventional da revolvers?

 

[jmr40]

My owners manual says to never dry fire the keltec P3AT. As a general rule most .22's should not be dry fired but the Ruger may be an exception. CZ reccomends snap caps. I would not reccomend it on a double barreled shot gun either. Most others are OK.

 

[The Wiry Irishman]

I dry fire my ruger Mark III once per range sesson at the end of the session when I check the chamber for empty. After I pull the bolt/slide back, it cocks. I don't like to leave it cocked. I hope that does not hurt it.

The Mark III has a little pin widget thing in the bolt that goes across the firing pin (please excuse the terminology, I'm not up on all the lingo, I just take them apart, clean them, put them back together - six every 2 weeks) that makes it safe to dry fire. I believe it works by stopping the firing pin before it contacts the back of the barrel. You can see it if you take the gun apart. (good luck getting it back together) So dry fire it all you want, and if by some bizarre chance your firing pin does break, that's an excuse to get a new gun that's NOT a Mark III.

 

[12many]

Thanks Irishman. That is very helpful.

It just dawned on me, that I bet other rim fires should not be dry fired because since the firing pin hits the rim of the cartridge, if the cart. is not there, it will likely hit the edge of the barrel, right at the opening.

I don't know why I didn't realize this earlier. Your post must have made it clear to me.

 

[Jim K]

Many old rimfire rifles and handguns had firing pins extra long to ensure firing with the less sensitive priming of the day, the same reason many other old guns had heavy hammers (SAA Colt, M1873 Springfield rifle, etc.). When those guns were dry fired, the firing pin hit the edge of the chamber, creating a dent and raising a burr inside the chamber. The hole caused misfires and the burr prevented chambering a round. That is why people got in the habit of saying not to dry fire a rimfire gun.

Today, all modern rimfire guns are designed to allow dry firing, and unless they are worn or defective no harm will result from doing so.

Jim

 

[lee n. field]

lee n. field, so I'm asking: how did you learn that dry-firing Taurus revolvers is not a good idea? I have one and have always wondered why Taurus warns against dry-firing in their manual. Are their revolvers that much different than other conventional da revolvers?

Mine went through firing pin springs pretty readily.

Ruger and S&W now use frame mounted firing pins, and they don't seem to have any problem with the springs. Gotta wonder.

 

[sniper5]

Actually you have to dry fire the Ruger Mk 2 to field strip it.

 

[chris in va]

I dry fire my ruger Mark III once per range sesson

That's fine, you can do that with Rugers. Take a look at the chamber face, you'll see a little cutout for the firing pin.