Thank you VERY much NCG for putting this issue in perspective!
Very good information as always. Can't think of any aspect of this issue that you didn't cover. Haven't seen you in a while, but was hoping you would show up and provide your expertise!
Spring has sprung. Get out and shoot your Henry
Dry firing?
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markiver54
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RanchRoper
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Re: Dry firing?
Well there you have it. I'd take that info to the bank any day.
3 x
1860 Colt SA Richards Conversion Revolver .45C
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
1790-1820 Frontier Flintlock .50
Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
1790-1820 Frontier Flintlock .50
Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully
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North Country Gal
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Re: Dry firing?
You're very welcome.
Let me add a bit on centerfires.
I do dry fire some of my centerfires with exposed hammers, but some more than others and some only sparingly.
For instance, I dry fire my 1911s a lot because I don't have to cycle the action. Just cock the hammer and if I get too much wear, I can replace trigger parts, easily.
I will dry fire some lever guns with exposed hammers, too, but not all of them. Marlin levers tend to have soft firing pins, so on the rare occasions when I do dry fire them, I place a cushion under the hammer. I don't care to cycle lever guns to dry fire them, though, because traditional lever guns designs typically have a lot of wear parts.
Most centerfire bolt guns can be dry fired by just lifting the bolt to re-cock, rather than cycling the action. I don't mind cycling the action on bolt guns, though, because the action is very rugged and simple, anyway.
Revolvers are where I don't like to dry fire too much. Dry firing a revolver is still putting wear on the gun and revolvers do have a lot of wear parts. In fact, I know some shooters who like to dry fire their revolvers to smooth up the action or break in the action, but what they're really doing is wearing in the action. Wear is wear. Shooting live ammo introduces additional stress factors, but dry firing is still putting wear on the action and with some types of revolvers, adding a cylinder line. I know that cowboy action shooters like to dry fire practice with their single actions and some do it, constantly, even to the point of practicing rapid fire. Not me. Rapidly cocking that empty cylinder moves it a very high speed and you can peen cylinder notches doing it. I cock the revolver, slowly, only, when dry firing and I only do t on some of my new production guns, not on vintage collectible revolvers that lose their value as the wear increases and where replacement parts may not be available.
Again, this is my way of using dry firing and not saying other points of view on dry firing are wrong. I can honestly say, though, I've never damaged a gun doing dry fire my way. Each to their own.
Let me add a bit on centerfires.
I do dry fire some of my centerfires with exposed hammers, but some more than others and some only sparingly.
For instance, I dry fire my 1911s a lot because I don't have to cycle the action. Just cock the hammer and if I get too much wear, I can replace trigger parts, easily.
I will dry fire some lever guns with exposed hammers, too, but not all of them. Marlin levers tend to have soft firing pins, so on the rare occasions when I do dry fire them, I place a cushion under the hammer. I don't care to cycle lever guns to dry fire them, though, because traditional lever guns designs typically have a lot of wear parts.
Most centerfire bolt guns can be dry fired by just lifting the bolt to re-cock, rather than cycling the action. I don't mind cycling the action on bolt guns, though, because the action is very rugged and simple, anyway.
Revolvers are where I don't like to dry fire too much. Dry firing a revolver is still putting wear on the gun and revolvers do have a lot of wear parts. In fact, I know some shooters who like to dry fire their revolvers to smooth up the action or break in the action, but what they're really doing is wearing in the action. Wear is wear. Shooting live ammo introduces additional stress factors, but dry firing is still putting wear on the action and with some types of revolvers, adding a cylinder line. I know that cowboy action shooters like to dry fire practice with their single actions and some do it, constantly, even to the point of practicing rapid fire. Not me. Rapidly cocking that empty cylinder moves it a very high speed and you can peen cylinder notches doing it. I cock the revolver, slowly, only, when dry firing and I only do t on some of my new production guns, not on vintage collectible revolvers that lose their value as the wear increases and where replacement parts may not be available.
Again, this is my way of using dry firing and not saying other points of view on dry firing are wrong. I can honestly say, though, I've never damaged a gun doing dry fire my way. Each to their own.
3 x
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markiver54
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Re: Dry firing?
Thanks again NCG...yet more great info on the subject to try to absorb.
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I'm your Huckleberry
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RanchRoper
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Re: Dry firing?
Never argue with Annie Oakley, you never know when she might ask you to hold the coin for her mirror shot.
0 x
1860 Colt SA Richards Conversion Revolver .45C
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
1790-1820 Frontier Flintlock .50
Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
1790-1820 Frontier Flintlock .50
Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully
Re: Dry firing?
you never know when she might ask you to hold the coin for her mirror shot.
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markiver54
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Re: Dry firing?
Yea kind of ironic - just a day or so ago on my local forum there is a thread called 'girls with guns' where pics can be posted of, well, girls with guns - and someone posted this one!
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BrokenolMarine
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Re: Dry firing?
There are a number of guns that have had thousands or hundreds of thousands of "rounds" dry fired in them with no ill affect. Two come to my mind, (Okay, several,) from my time in the Corps. The 1911 and the 38s issued while I was on active duty, plus the Beretta. ALL dryfired extensively prior to qualification day, then shot, a lot.
As for rifles, in the Corps, we spent days prior to firing our first live rounds, dry firing the rifles at mini targets and practicing our shooting positions, known as grass week. We then spent days firing live ammo across the 500 yard known distance course. The Garand, the M14, The M16. I personally dry fired them all extensively throughout my career. No apparent damage. I attended two Glock armorer's courses and was a law enforcement firearms instructor. We taught dry firing of Glocks. It was never discouraged.
As others have pointed out, there are some that may specifically recommend against it. Some are designed specifically to allow this effective practice tool.
As for rifles, in the Corps, we spent days prior to firing our first live rounds, dry firing the rifles at mini targets and practicing our shooting positions, known as grass week. We then spent days firing live ammo across the 500 yard known distance course. The Garand, the M14, The M16. I personally dry fired them all extensively throughout my career. No apparent damage. I attended two Glock armorer's courses and was a law enforcement firearms instructor. We taught dry firing of Glocks. It was never discouraged.
As others have pointed out, there are some that may specifically recommend against it. Some are designed specifically to allow this effective practice tool.
2 x
You can tell a lot about the character of a man...
by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Re: Dry firing?
I can not imagine not dry firing. Will it damage your gun, depends on the gun and what precautions you have taken such as snap caps. I shoot lever silhouette and in matches and in practice I probably fire I probably fire a 500 rounds per rifle and 10 times that dry firing a year. In my 22 I use yellow dry wall inserts because they are cheap and when they get banged up I toss them. With my center fire guns I use snap caps that I repair with silicone when they get to banged up. Little things like replacing an occasional firing pin doesn't bother me. So far I haven't had a problem.
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