Dry Firing Wrangler without Cylinder?

[jesse485]

Picked up a Ruger Wrangler yesterday, apparently Ruger doesn't warn against dry fire, even though it's been documented to be harmful to the cylinder by some owners. If I remove the cylinder, am I good to go then, or is there still a risk to damaging the firing pin?

 

[Ggreen]

Do not dry fire rimfire. Snap caps are very cheap.

 

[jesse485]

Do not dry fire rimfire. Snap caps are very cheap.

Right, I understand the rationale because the firing pin hitting the cylinder. But what if there's no cylinder to hit?

 

[binkerton]

Just leave in some spent .22 shells for the pin to strike against?

 

[Old Dog]

If you pull the cylinder what does the hammer stop on when it falls? I wonder if the hammer itself or the firing pin could be damaged or broken, from the uncontrolled inertia. I do not dry fire rimfires on purpose, too much risk for damage without snapcaps.

 

[jesse485]

If you pull the cylinder what does the hammer stop on when it falls? I wonder if the hammer itself or the firing pin could be damaged or broken, from the uncontrolled inertia. I do not dry fire rimfires on purpose, too much risk for damage without snapcaps.

Ruger actually says in the manual it's ok to dry fire these, but owners have reported cylinder damage from doing so. I understand snapcaps and spent shells, but I don't feel like trying to find six tiny little 22 versions every time I want to dry fire. I'm assuming it's fine since Ruger says it is, but hard to trust them completely since they were wrong about cylinder damage.

 

[gglass]

Your gun, do what you want.









Note to self... Don't buy used revolvers from jesse485.

 

[t-squared]

Plastic wall anchors

 

[jesse485]

Just leave in some spent .22 shells for the pin to strike against?

Spent

Your gun, do what you want.









Note to self... Don't buy used revolvers from jesse485.

I mean, at least I'm concerned enough to not destroy the cylinder. Emailed Ruger, they said it's safe to dry fire assembled. I'm not going to do that, since there's plenty of documentation that they're wrong. I understand the guys that are telling me to use snap caps, and I get that, it just wasn't what I was asking about.

 

[gglass]

Please read again what Old Dog wrote. He is simply asking what else can be damaged when firing the gun without the cylinder or rim to stop the firing pin. You did not answer him.

My guess is that you will be buying some new firing pins or other internal parts real soon. There will be peening somewhere on the frame at a minimum.

My note to self still stands.

 

[Bill2905]

Put some 4-6-8 x 7/8" plastic wall anchors in the charge holes. This will protect the rim from peening. I use these in a rimfire revolver and a bolt action rimfire rifle. Just replace them when they start getting ragged looking.

 

[jesse485]

Please read again what Old Dog wrote. He is simply asking what else can be damaged when firing the gun without the cylinder or rim to stop the firing pin. You did not answer him.

Of course I didn't answer him, that's the exact reason I started the thread, I wanted to know the answer to that question. I thought maybe there might be someone more familiar with that model that might know the answer.

 

[Bigtanker]

It's a Ruger. If it fails for doing something they say it can do, it's covered. Send it back.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

You never want to do it dry.

...

Get snap caps.

 

[Bigtanker]

Heritage revolvers come with a piece of plastic the fits nicely into the cylinder. (See picture. Top right corner). They go in and out pretty easy. You come make one fairly simple.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Heritage revolvers come with a piece of plastic the fits nicely into the cylinder. (See picture. Top right corner). They go in and out pretty easy. You come make one fairly simple.

Love your choice of grips there big fella!

 

[700 LTR 223]

Picked up a Ruger Wrangler yesterday, apparently Ruger doesn't warn against dry fire, even though it's been documented to be harmful to the cylinder by some owners. If I remove the cylinder, am I good to go then, or is there still a risk to damaging the firing pin?

I've done it with my Single Six. The base pin needs to still be inserted all the way in , at least on the Single Six.

 

[Dingleberry]

Hell, just shoot it. 22lr is still reasonable.