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dry fire long guns?

al57al57 Member Posts: 42 ✭✭
edited November 2001 in Ask the Experts
a smith once told me dry firing a gun with a floating type firing pin (rem 870, modern doubles, etc ) does no harm . what are your thoughts on dry firing a centerfire bolt such as a savage 111 or rem 700 with their striker type firing mechanisms?..thanks

Comments

  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've broken the firing pins in my Marlin 336, and my Remington 597 from dry firing them, but I've dry fired my 1911's, and my Ar's more than I've shot them and their's didn't break.
  • XracerXracer Member Posts: 1,990
    edited November -1
    If you want to dry fire any gun, make yourself some "snap caps".Take a piece of brass, and pop out the primer. Buy yourself a piece of teflon or delrin rod the same diameter as the primer hole, cut off a small piece and press fit it in there. Make sure it's flush with the base of the shell.....then fire away.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    And all this time I have been buying snapcaps for my rifles. Now I know where to get the calibers I can't find! Thanks for the post!
  • rick_renorick_reno Member Posts: 186
    edited November -1
    Easier than that - pop the primer out (a long nail and hammer will work if you don't reload). Squirt some of that silicon goo that is used for sealing up seams into the primer hole, smooth it over with your finger. You can get a small tube in most hardware stores. It will cushion the firing pin.
  • hackerhacker Member Posts: 162 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    or trim an eraser from a pencil to fill the primer pocket.
    i never make misteakes.
  • wiredogwiredog Member Posts: 116 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have been told by numerous gunsmiths and was told not to ever dry fire any type of rimfire but centerfires are ok. I have also used snapcaps in my pistol but never have in any other type of firearm.
    I spent all my money on guns, women, and beer. The rest I just wasted.wiredog70@hotmail.com
  • REBJrREBJr Member Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    On my bolts, I just 1/2 close the bolt and fire. This causes the tension to finish closing the bolt and not dry fire, well anyway, simple to do, hard to write down. works for me though-Ralph
  • roundballroundball Member Posts: 75 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    FYI, I have some Remington 700's, and they state on their websight that it's OK to dryfire model 700's;But in spite of that, after 30 years of being told not dry fire rifles, pistols, and shotguns, I still can't bring myself to do it...have snapcaps in all my long guns...
  • XracerXracer Member Posts: 1,990
    edited November -1
    I'd stay away from using a pencil eraser or silicon sealer....especially silicon sealer. They're not really hard enough or offer enough resistance to a firing pin....the pin will punch right thru, and effectively you're dry firing.Teflon or delrin are hard enough to stop the pin at about the depth it indents a primer, but soft enough not to damage the pin.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I store my rifles with snapcaps so the spring in the snap cap is bearing the tension of the firing pin rather than the spring that drives the fireing pin being loaded. Did not say that well, but am trying to preserve the firing pin spring by letting the pin rest on the snapcap spring. It is difficult to find some calibers, so knowing a way to make those is useful, Thanks for the ideas!
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