Posted on 05/10/2011 8:26:46 PM PDT by KoRn
Hello all,
FR has to be one of the better places I know to ask a question regarding firearms. I was just looking for a definitive answer - Is it safe to 'dry fire' a firearm without doing any harm to the gun?
All throughout my growing up, I was told that dry firing a gun was a big 'no - no', with people saying that it would damage the gun. After doing some reading here and there, I've found that this may not be the case, and it's perfectly fine to dry fire a gun without worry. As anyone would expect, I found nothing but contradictory information searching Google, with some folks saying dry firing is ok, and others not.
I recently purchased a Ruger LCR .357 Mag, and in the owner's manual, it read that it was ok to dry fire the pistol.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks!!!
My dad always told me something tantamount to the end of the world would occur if I did so I never have.
Pulled the trigger on an empty clip, once.
The Beretta 9mm and the world are both still here.
[Yes, I have nothing useful to add]
:)
What did it say about dry firing in the manual that came with your gun? What? You didn’t read the manual? You can download it from the gunmaker’s website.
JUST USE A EMTY SHELL, PARTICULARLY FOR RIM FIRE
Was that gun stainless when you bought it or was it blued?
The reason I ask is I have something similar that was blued and had a minor touch of rust on it, so I stripped it, and now it looks stainless, but I need to keep it wrapped in a well-oiled cloth.
I tried to re-blue it but was never happy with the results.
With you being an experienced Gunsmith and asking for specific models, I’ll go ahead an lay out a list of my limited arsenal:
Saiga 12 - 12 Gauge Semiauto (factory, as of right now /cry )
PTR91 - 7.62x51 (.308 Win - Good for long distance calls, but enough of this one, and my shoulder hates me)
DPMS AR15 - 5.56 (most fun gun to shoot)
HK USP45 Tactical - 45ACP (kicks ass!)
Beretta 92FS - 9mm (best all around)
Bersa Semiauto - .380 (not sure with the specifics on this one, as it’s my wife’s
Springfield Armory XD40 - .40ACP (what I reach for in home defense)
Mossberg 500 - 12 Gauge (never fails)
Ruger LCR - .357 Mag (can carry it literally anywhere)
There’s still a couple of rifles I’d like to add on to what I have. My objective is to have a well rounded collection where I’d have a ‘tool’ for any scenario that may arise if the S ever HTF. I’d still like to get a good bolt gun, in a .300 Win Mag or 30-06. I’d also like to get a good semi auto .22 rifle. Of course, if I ever get the disposable income to drop several grand on a rifle, I’d be delighted to get a hold of a Barrett .50 cal before .gov bans them.
Thanks for your help!
I wouldn’t hesitate to dry fire the 91, The AR, HK, Beretta, XD or Ruger. The Saiga, Mossberg and especially the Bersa, may break firing pins when dry firing or burrs may develop which could cause the firing pin to jam in the forward position, potentially leading to an accidental discharge when the bolt slams forward.
As others have suggested above, snap caps are a way to be sure no damage occurs.
Awesome! Thanks for the great info!
I’ll look into getting some snap caps for those firearms you mentioned. I think dry firing is good practice for testing trigger pull. Just didn’t want to hurt anything. Would a spent casing be sufficient in the place of the snap caps?
Use Snap Caps. Can be used as a tool to teach you good skills without live fire and doesn’t allow the firing pin to be thrown beyond it intended length.
But, other than that, you can dry fire. I just prefer not to.
Oh man! Drop that thing off to a smith and let him fix it.
I suppose it must depend on the gun. I broke the firing ping of a shotgun by dry-firing it. I’d advise against it unless you have specific knowledge to the contrary for the gun in question.
Thank God Hitler was too impulsive to secure his fuel supply before invading Russia.
DUH! It all depends on the gun! Check with mfg.!
Some you NEVER dry-fire; some there is no problem!
DUH!
Short answer: check the manual.
Kimber’s are supposed to be dry fired. Lowering the hammer slowly can actually hurt the gun.
Please write in English. Making verbal noises using text doesn't do much in getting your point across.
Yes if the owners manual says its OK then its OK but I would definitely use snap caps anyway.
Yes, the first thing you should buy after getting a new gun would be a set of snap caps if you don’t already have them in that caliber.
Use them to practice loading and unloading the weapon until you are proficient in the process.
You can also use them for any training that doesn’t involve firing the weapon and you can slip one or two into a magazine with the regular ammo to practice clearing misfires.
It depends on the firearm. Many are safe for that but some are NOT. Consult the manufacturer or ask around about a specific make/model.
i believe centerfire is usually not a worry, NOT rimfires tho...
I'm sure there are more. Basically, there are a lot of reasons to use snap caps and no really good ones not to. Sure, you can dry fire most firearms without doing damage to them. It just makes more sense to me to protect my investments.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.