Is a home made "dummy round" as effective as a purchased snap cap for protecting the firing pin during dry fire drills?

I assume to make it the same way as my live rounds only add no powder and leave the spent primer in the case. Paint 'em red or some such.

The reason I ask is this: I belong to a "concealed carry" league and like everyone else have been using a pistol. I would like to try it with a K-Frame revolver and some of the drills involve "shoot five round, reload and shoot five more." I'm thinking to throw a dummy in each of my speed loaders (along with 5 live rounds) rather than chance bringing the hammer down on an empty chamber over and over. I pick up my range brass but sometimes it rolls away. I'm afraid of losing expensive snap caps.

Am I on the right track or not?

Thanks in advance, fellas.

Dummy rounds are generally used to test the function of the loading mechanisms wheres snap caps are for cushioning the the firing pin. I make all my dummys red with no primer in the pocket and a /14 inch hole drilled in the side of the case. If you use a regular primer in your dummy round after the second or third trigger pull it will be just like dry firing. You need some sort impact absorbing material in the primer pocket. I have tried a few things like hard rubber and impact resistant plastics but have yet to find a way to make a good snap cap in my shop, but then I have not tried too hard, just sort of taken stabs at it in passing. At the point where I am designing spring mechanisms to put in one it will just be easier to buy them pre made.

For what you want standard dummy rounds should work just fine, a K frame can be safely dry fired. Just drill some holes in some old brass seat a bullet in it and use a sharpie marker to make them some bold and obviously wrong color.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

i have bags of .38 plastic dummies for sale in the classified if you decide to go that route.

these are reasonably priced.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/accesso...ale-trade.html

I drill a small hole in the side of the case (for a quick visual).

Fill Primer Pocket with Permatex Blue RTV Silicon, (hump it up) let it dry and use a razor blade to cut to flush.

Silicon can be cut out and redone when worn.

You can COLOR CODE the case with a COLOR PERMANENT MARKER if you so choose.

Load what ever bullet you choose MINUS THE POWDER PLEASE!!!!

You should be good to go.


***** For 22LR Revolvers ****, you can use #4 DRYWALL ANCHORS, THEY ARE ABOUT 7/8" LONG.

The little plastic things you put in the drywall for a screw to hold a framed picture. Mine are Yellow in color.

They are CHEAPER than 22 snap caps and LAST LONGER, YEA!!!!!

Good Luck!
MOONMAN

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

Now that is a goodly idea!
I have tried the silicone and pencil erasers for center fires but not the drywall anchors. I usually just use empty 22 brass and turn them every once and a while, Probably not the safest.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Lots of great ideas. I knew I came to the right place. Thanks!