PSA: Stop yer dryfirin, specially dem rimfires!

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I was brought up to a) never dryfire a weapon and b) never touch someone else's gun without asking.

Old habits are hard to break. If I felt a need to dryfire, I'd probably use snap caps.
 
I end up dryfiring my Ruger Standard all the time. Reasoning is simple: there is no bolt hold-open, and I can't have fun shooting if I'm counting shots. Result: I snap almost every mag after it empties out. :)

I'll just live with it if the firing pin ever breaks.
 
TwoWheelFiend said:
I thought everyones fathers tought them that when they were 3 years old....... maybe that was just me
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I was taught not to dry fire rimfires or double guns without snap caps. As mgmorden mentioned above though, with auto rimfires, expecially high cap pistols, the occasional snap on an empty chamber is inevitable.

I bought snapcaps to practice with my FNP. When I am at the store, there is no other way to test triggers other than dry firing. I always ask the associates before I do and have never been turned down, after both of us have safety checked the guns multiple times.

The Glock manual demands dry firing. You have to dry fire to take it down, and they tell you to store the gun with the trigger in the rear most position.

I haven't worked up the nerve to dry fire my CZ 550, and I haven't decided it was worth the cost to buy the expensive .22-250 snapcaps yet either.
 
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The manual for my 10/22 tells me specifically to dry fire it so I can learn the feel of the trigger.
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Yea, but who you going to believe? The people who designed it, built it, literally wrote the book on it, and will have to fix it if they're wrong...or some guy on the internet?

Note:I am just "some guy on the internet."
 
dry firing centerfire's does not hurt anything. And chances are you could dry fire most rimfires till the cows came home. But they can and do break. its a fact of life.
 
"Result: I snap almost every mag after it empties out."

I did that everytime I shot during the early '90s when I had a 22/45. Bang, bang, bang, bang, click. Rats.

I can't even count to six and still drop the hammer on my Single-Six when it's empty. I've been doing it since 1972.

My Marlin Mountie holds way more than 6 and I always end up dropping the hammer on an empty chamber. Since 1963 on this one.

Oh well. But no peened chambers yet.

John
 
elcaminoariba said:
I genuinely hate dry firing, even though I know it doesn't usually hurt. Check chamber before each dry fire even if you just dry fired. You'll thank me someday for this habit.
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If you check the chamber after each trigger pull there's no wonder as to why you hate dry firing.
 
before i dry fire my rifles....i will drop the magazine, and usually keep it out of the gun if possible...i then cycle the bolt a few times....visually inspect the chamber.....not always, but if im feeling particularly paranoid, ill insert a chamber flag and remove it just to be 100%...then proceed to practice....and i make sure that if somehow a round ends up in the chamber, that im pointing it at a target where it wont do any damage to anything/ anyone.

all ammo is locked away

ive yet to have a ND( or even a close call) with this method.
 
If you check the chamber after each trigger pull there's no wonder as to why you hate dry firing.
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Indeed. Safety rules are good, but be realistic and don't assume that somebody might have just bent the laws of physics or reality and made the impossible possible.

If you have properly checked a gun to make sure its empty, then so long as it stays in your hands (and you don't load it) then it will remain empty. Nothing will change that, and it's not an unsafe or irresponsible position. Dry fire to your hearts content. If you put the gun down or leave the room, THEN make sure you check it again before resuming dry fire practice.
 
I will happily continue dry fring my pistols. Glocks/Modern Centerfire Revolvers
 
On the topic of rimfire guns I agree with this, but for the most part dry firing semi-automatic weapons does no harm (and some actually require dry firing for disassembly)
 
As far as safety goes, I always dry fire with the gun pointing at something that can safely stop a live round without injuring anyone, in my case usually an exterior wall (drywall, insulation, plywood, sheathing, brick, in that order, will stop a single round of anything I dryfire), even though I'm very careful to exclude live ammunition.

You can dry fire and not violate the Four Rules.
 
I have a Remington 12C .22LR slide action rifle (1919 model), a Marlin 783 .22WMR bolt action rifle (1976 model), and a Ruger Mark I .22LR pistol (1964 model). I've rarely dry fired the Remington rifle, so I'm not worried about it. However, I end up having to dry fire the Ruger Mk I and Marlin 783 after either cleaning and oiling them or after locking open the chamber on the Mk I or removing the bolt on the Marlin. Am wondering if anyone knows if I'm really risking damage to either the Ruger or Marlin by dry firing them?
 
I've thought about just leaving them cocked but for some psychological reason, it just really bothers me to leave them that way and I end up having this incredible urge to just go ahead and pull that trigger... :banghead:
 
"S&W 22A after being dry fired less times than I have fingers"

I've been shooting rimfires for nearly 60 years and I am very surprised that's all it took. That must be some seriously soft metal.
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Back to the OP; I have a 22A, dryfired maybe 8 times, that looks like that too. I opted to carefully remove the burr and I haven't had any issues. Spent brass shows flow into the void but I don't have any problems with extraction. I was more worried about pin damage, but it looks goo so far.

I avoid dry firing this pistol, but it happens.
 
"S&W 22A after being dry fired less times than I have fingers"

I've been shooting rimfires for nearly 60 years and I am very surprised that's all it took. That must be some seriously soft metal.
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I'd contact S&W. My M22A has a cross-pin thru the firing pin, like the Ruger so it should be safe to dry fire. You may have a factory defect that was shipped without it.
 
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