Snap Caps

[Richwon4]

So instead of buying snap caps how about using spent casings? Is this damaging to the firearm? I notice a number of posts that advise to dry fire. I'm not going to dry fire because I know enough to know that is not always the best thing.

 

[canav844]

Well dry fire can be handy, and desgin of each particular firearm determines what if any damage will be done, some can be severely harmed, others won't care at all.


The thing about just using spent casings is, when you go to do something like practice a Failure to Fire or a double feed, that case needs something up front to make it able to feed, I wouldn't want to do an empty reload either for fear of it getting mixed up with real ammo and giving me a click when I need a bang or bring about the shame of a bang when it was supposed to be a click. I've got some a-zooms that aren't particularly cheap, but if you hunt around amazon there are some other options that are more cost effective.

 

[Richwon4]

Strictly Revolver

When I speak of using empty casings I should have said my purpose was to break in a revolver. Thanks for the insight.

 

[under32hurts]

IMHO the ONLY way to "break in" a gun to fire rounds through it.

And I can't say if dry firing or clicking spent rounds will damage your particular firearm. However, there are some trigger practice techniques using spent cartridges in a revolver shown to me by a retired LEO. May not be proper but i found it interesting. At a safe firing range, Load your revolver with three live and three spend rounds, in a random order, spin the cylinder and close it. The aim is to NOT know whether you have a live round or dummy up next. Concentrate on your trigger pull and try to avoid the "dip" or "pull" of the front sight and also try not to "expect" the BANG! I did this a few times with this former LEOs instruction and improved my pattern in just a few minutes. I know I'll get a few folks telling me this is a wrong or incorrect technique but it made me aware of a few "bad habits".

 

[SSGSAD]

IMHO the ONLY way to "break in" a gun to fire rounds through it.

And I can't say if dry firing or clicking spent rounds will damage your particular firearm. However, there are some trigger practice techniques using spent cartridges in a revolver shown to me by a retired LEO. May not be proper but i found it interesting. At a safe firing range, Load your revolver with three live and three spend rounds, in a random order, spin the cylinder and close it. The aim is to NOT know whether you have a live round or dummy up next. Concentrate on your trigger pull and try to avoid the "dip" or "pull" of the front sight and also try not to "expect" the BANG! I did this a few times with this former LEOs instruction and improved my pattern in just a few minutes. I know I'll get a few folks telling me this is a wrong or incorrect technique but it made me aware of a few "bad habits".

THIS is actually VERY GOOD TRAINING .....

 

[zoglog]

IMHO the ONLY way to "break in" a gun to fire rounds through it.

And I can't say if dry firing or clicking spent rounds will damage your particular firearm. However, there are some trigger practice techniques using spent cartridges in a revolver shown to me by a retired LEO. May not be proper but i found it interesting. At a safe firing range, Load your revolver with three live and three spend rounds, in a random order, spin the cylinder and close it. The aim is to NOT know whether you have a live round or dummy up next. Concentrate on your trigger pull and try to avoid the "dip" or "pull" of the front sight and also try not to "expect" the BANG! I did this a few times with this former LEOs instruction and improved my pattern in just a few minutes. I know I'll get a few folks telling me this is a wrong or incorrect technique but it made me aware of a few "bad habits".

I've done it before. Then I switched to 38 and 357. It is very helpful!

 

[Indy Wing Chun]

THIS is actually VERY GOOD TRAINING .....

^^^^^^^ THIS^^^^^^^^

I use ST Action Pro's dummy rounds for the same thing.

To the OP, as long as you make/model of pistol can be dry fired safely, then go for it.

 

[kenjb]

Somebody on another forum shared that he's made "snap-caps" by seating a bullet in an empty casing and cementing a pencil eraser in the primer pocket. He trimmed the eraser to be level with the case head surface.

 

[under32hurts]

Thanks, I found it very helpful myself......It pointed out some errors I was making on my trigger pull and "expecting" the bang...I was firing a SW40VE two weeks ago and had heard some say they don't like the pistols accuracy. Because of the techniques previously mentioned, I was hitting a 4" fence post at roughly thirty feet with little effort....."it's not your gun dude!"

 

[Dirc]

Somebody on another forum shared that he's made "snap-caps" by seating a bullet in an empty casing and cementing a pencil eraser in the primer pocket. He trimmed the eraser to be level with the case head surface.

I've done the same using gasket paste in the primer pocket.