Ok, I've read where most people hear believe in snap caps. I just bought a 642 and as it is stated on the S&W website it's okay to dry fire all but their .22 revolvers. So if S&W says it doesn't hurt anything than why go ahead and use snap caps? Couldn't dry firing with snap caps cause more wear to the firing pin then just dry firing the gun?

Ruger encourages dry firing on their revolvers and again, wouldn't using snap caps just cause undue wear to the firing pin?

I would rely on the manufacture. If S&W states that you do not need to use snap caps in their manual for that particular gun, then I would adhere to their advice. If the gun causes a problem down the road, then S&W would be liable for the repair. I would not dry fire the .22's without a snap cap. But if you are in doubt on another gun and do not have the manual, I would certainly use a snap caps. That is all to it. I have a Springfield XD 40 and I use snap caps. When I dry fired the gun after purchasing it, I severed the roll pin that holds the striker in place. When I called Springfield, they asked me if I was using snap caps. All in all, they sent me several roll pins and I have been using snap caps since then and haven't had another problem. Again, check with the manufacture and manual for that particular gun.

Nick

Snap caps such as the Azoom brand have high durometer urethane molded in to the primer pocket. Bassically it's a high tech hard rubber cushion for hte firing pin.

Now consider what happens when you don't have that cushion. The firing pin hit's the steel cross pin that keeps it in the frame. In addition the hammer smacks into the recess in the frame at full power.

When that bit of "advice" was written it was with the thought that the only dry firing done would be to test for function. So, you tune up the action and pull the trigger for one or two rotations of the cylinder to make sure everything iw working properly. In total a firearm used in this fashion might be dry fired only a couple of hundred times in 20 or 30 years. That is not enough to cause any harm.

Now, consider people who dry fire for practice. I've seen some on the net claim that they dry fire their guns 5000 times per day. As a Mechanical Engineer I can ASSURE YOU that amount of dry firing without snap caps will cause damage to the gun. Typical failures are broken firing pins, broken retaining pins, and in some cases broken hammers. BTW, IMO dry firing 5000 times per day is excessive with or without snap caps, because you'll just wear the gun out. However, if you are snapping the trigger 500 times per day I would advise you purchase some snap caps.

They are so cheap and you can make your own. They DO NOT cause any appreciable wear on the firing pin. I don't care what anybody says but it's obvious that dry firing is not a good thing for any gun. If you want to take the chance....fire-away, but if you have some empty shell casings you can push the primer out of.....a well trimmed pencil eraser substituted for a primer is about as economical as you can get to make your own snap caps.

Sounds like the same person wrote that manual that I talked to one day. I called home to ask them why they insisted on putting in the same strength center-pin spring in a 22 j-frame AirLite as they did a 357-Magnum causing the center-pin to dig a trench that rivals the Grand Canyon in the recoil shield. The "expert" told me that would always happen because the center-pin was steel and the frame was aluminum. I have never called back to ask them another thing.

This make sense. Thank you! I agree that the manufacturer isn't taking into consideration dry fire exercises that are becoming more common place. I'm buying snap caps.

My reason for wanting to dry fire is because I'm just wanting to wear-it-in a bit. I don't shoot much, if I'm lucky, a hand full of times a year. I watched a youtube video that showed a gunsmith at Impact guns doing a trigger job on a Smith. Other than changing the springs and equally as important he smoothed all the contact surfaces of the trigger mechanism. Great video bty! I don't want to change any springs but I would like to smooth things out so I think I'm going to try buying some snap caps and spending some time shooting at villains on the flat screen.

Depends on the manufacture...I don't use them in my S&W revolver centerfires, but do in the 22s. However, as Scooter has pointed out, it's not 5000 times per day. Any machine is going to wear if you do that.

If you're doing it that much, or excessively, snap caps are a must. But that's just me.

Rogue

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NRA Certified Pistol Inst.

22LR REVOLVER SNAP CAPS

Use #4 X 7/8" PLASTIC DRYWALL ANCHORS.

They are CHEAPER than regular snap caps and work better too.

More trigger practice and save some money too, you can't beat that.

I make my own CENTERFIRE snap caps, by loading DUMMY ROUNDS,

FILLING THE PRIMER POCKETS WITH BLUE ATV SILICON, when dry,

cut off flush with a razor blade, paint them with a permanent marker color,

I use RED for the color.

DO NOT MIX THEM WITH LIVE AMMO!!!!!!!!!

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

Thanks for the tip! I've been using spent brass in my K22 for snap caps, but the rims get really deformed after four or five strikes, and they leave powder in the chambers and barrel.

Ingenuity is the mother of invention.