In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

.22 snap caps or spent case?

Henry0ReillyHenry0Reilly Member Posts: 10,878 ✭✭✭
edited September 2015 in Ask the Experts
My nephew said someone in a gun shop told him that snap caps do not protect .22 firing pins as well as using a spent case.

I can't help but think it was just something they said to excuse why they don't carry them.
I used to recruit for the NRA until they sold us down the river (again!) in Heller v. DC. See my auctions (if any) under username henryreilly

Comments

  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390
    edited November -1
    There is a plastic item that is available at LOWES Home DEPOT ETC that are made to be used to hang pictures ETC on DRY WALL They come in many sizes that one of will just fit in a 22 chamber and last for many rounds of dry fire. They are very cheap in bulk I think a #10 size but buy just a small amount the first time to make sure
  • spas12spas12 Member Posts: 571 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've never used rimfire snap caps, I heard they wear out fairly fast. I just use spent shells, they're free and can last for several strikes. The only thing you need to worry about with the cases is that if the firing pin hit the same spot more than 3 or 4 time, then the case can get hard to extract.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Drywall Anchors. They will even feed through a .22 magazine, with no problem. When you manually operate the slide.




    anchor_zps0677e094.jpg
  • Don McManusDon McManus Member Posts: 23,460 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by rufe-snow
    Drywall Anchors. They will even feed through a .22 magazine, with no problem. When you manually operate the slide.




    anchor_zps0677e094.jpg


    Great idea. Thanks.
    Freedom and a submissive populace cannot co-exist.

    Brad Steele
  • iceracerxiceracerx Member Posts: 8,860 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 20,981 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The amount of money one spent on A-Zoom aluminum dummies the spent shell would last longer. The aluminum will squish much more than the used brass of the 22.

    I pack the 22 shell with a wad of paper (toilet or tissue) so the crap don't get knocked out of the empties. I also rotate the empty so the firing pin has a nice fresh spot to squish.

    I like the dry wall anchor but empty 22 shells are free [:D]. Yeah I know I'm cheap.
  • Bill DeShivsBill DeShivs Member Posts: 1,264 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Drywall anchors do not provide adequate cushioning for the firing pin. The pin just penetrates the plastic.
    Use spent cases-they're free and work. Anchors don't.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Bill DeShivs
    Drywall anchors do not provide adequate cushioning for the firing pin. The pin just penetrates the plastic.
    Use spent cases-they're free and work. Anchors don't.



    Don't agree. Used these anchors many times. Very resilient plastic. Firing pin won't penetrate the plastic, with just one hit. I usually rotate them, any way.

    It depends alot on the physical characteristics, of the firing pin point though. Some have almost a sharpened point. Others are wide and flat. Even with the sharpened point, the plastic will stand up to at least one hit.
  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    On the actual question:
    quote:My nephew said someone in a gun shop told him that snap caps do not protect .22 firing pins as well as using a spent case.

    I can't help but think it was just something they said to excuse why they don't carry them.
    In my opinion, having tried both, I think the converse is true.

    One hit on a spent shell, and the rim is crushed, and you probably need to rotate it. On the other hand, you can fire the plastic snap caps more than once without having to rotate it. How many times is going to depend on the shape and force of the firing in pin, in question, but you usually get a "few" hits (maybe 3. . .) before having to rotate the gun.

    So from that perspective, spent shells are less safe, because your more likely to dry fire one twice in the same spot and hurt the firing pin of your gun.

    In practice, I think the plastic snap caps are just fine. . .they act as a good cushion for the firing pin, and I've never heard of a case where someone damaged a gun by using them appropriately.

    One other big advantage (IMO) of the snap caps is that once in the gun, they're obviously dummies. . .IE being brightly colored they don't look like live ammunition the way spent shells do. That has obvious safety implications, for example in being able to ascertain that guns are truly safe easier, and also to prevent what might be termed "overfamiliarization" with dry firing onto real brass. IE, if you get too used to doing that, one day you might make a "bad" mistake.

    Disadvantage of snap caps, other than cost, is that the rims get chewed up and can, in certain cases, make them harder to remove, or even have small pieces of plastic flake off inside the gun. (Though usually even the "chewed" ones stay together.
  • Bill DeShivsBill DeShivs Member Posts: 1,264 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Think about this- the little tiny firing pin just pokes a hole in the plastic. There is no resistance. But- you guys do whatever you want.
Sign In or Register to comment.