Dry firing question.

[RRlocoENGR]

I am new to semi automatic handguns, have only owned revolvers until my latest purchase of a Sigma 40VE.

My question is about dry firing. When I purchased the gun the store employee told me that dry firing was not allowed when looking at a gun. He said it was not good for the weapon. I later learn that to field strip this handgun, you must dry fire before doing so.

Is this bad for the handgun at all? Why have I heard that dry firing is not recommended?

I think some handguns like the Walther PPS does not require dry firing to field strip them.

Thanks!

 

[sean79]

I think it's generally okay to dry fire center fire pistols - not so with rimfire. I recently read a thread on this... sounds like some people think you should use snap caps (I think that's what they're called) instead of dry firing; some people don't. S&W seems to think it's all right to dry fire them.

The gun shop guy was probably just being super careful with his unsold weapons - there's a chance the firing pin could get hurt with dry firing or with snap caps. It's not a big chance. A lot of people dry fire their Sigmas.

 

[RRlocoENGR]

My manual certainly doesn't warn against it, as a matter of fact simply tells you to dry fire to field strip.

I guess common sense would tell you not to squeeze off excessive dry fires. I have never dry fired to practice, when I practice I am loaded.

Thanks for you input!

 

["JJ"]

sean70 hit the nail on the head,

The gun shop guy was probably just being super careful

They just lay out a blanket statement instead of watching which guns are ok to dry fire and which are not(rim fire). With the centerfire pistol action, it is a mechanical action so there is a chance of failure,
Sort of like a car dealer would prefer you didn't stand in the lot & open and close a door over & over & over & over etc.

There may be a bit of safety involved also, nothing goes band if the trigger doesn't get pulled.

But nothing to worry about with the Sigma.
Some say dry firing smoothes the trigger.
I say it builds up your Sigma trigger finger muscle!!

 

[mlk18]

The gun shop guy was probably just being super careful with his unsold weapons

Or he didn't want perspective buyers to feel the heavy trigger and be dissuaded from making a purchase. I have known dealers at gun shows who deal in budget priced autos who never let people dry fire. I also know of a LGS that will let people dry fire other makes but not the Sigmas for that very reason. They say its because of the "gun's design".

 

[HspncElvis]

Dry firing a Sigma is fine. Wont harm the gun. Sigma trigger is not a problem for me. I've figured it out. I have 1150 rounds through my SW9VE. Accurate and reliable. Advice-if you can't figure out the Sigma, get rid of it ASAP. For those of us who have figured it out and shoot it with accuracy, shoot often and have fun. Thank you, thank you very much!

 

[CajunBass]

A lot of gun shops have a policy of "no dry fire" simply because some bozo's will come in and play "click, click, click, click" all day long if you let them. So no dry fire. Period.

However, I've never been in one that wouldn't let you, if you were serious about buying. How do they know you're serious. Easy. "I either dry fire it, or you can keep it." You'd be amazed how fast that policy changes to "Ok, but just a couple of times."

On the other hand, I've never seen where dry firing a gun in the store made much difference. Sort of like test driving a car. What does it really tell you? Not much unless it's really, really BAD. You have to live with a trigger, or a car for a while to tell if you really like it or not.

Having said all that, I've dry fired my Sigma thousands of times. Never hurt it. Never hurt another gun either.

 

[KyWstJoe]

S&W says it's OK however after a lot of dryfire my striker broke. S&W replaced it and I have been using a-zoom snap caps since.

 

[airman]

Rather than let the striker crack against the bore face, I've decided to put a little piece of tape over a spent shell, drop that in the chamber and dry fire against that cushion. Can't hurt.

 

[.357 mag]

I won't buy a gun period without pulling the trigger dry fire or live ammo. Same as buying a car, opening a knife, shooting a bow, Etc.

It would really hard for a realtor to sell houses if he won't let the buy look inside first.

What a crock!

 

[crem1n0le]

strikers can break when hitting the bullet too.i figure if the can handle a small explosion then they just break when there ready

 

[RRlocoENGR]

I went back to get serious about buying the Sigma and the guy working told me it was fine to dry fire it. Thanks for all the input!

 

[RRlocoENGR]

On the other hand, I've never seen where dry firing a gun in the store made much difference. Sort of like test driving a car. What does it really tell you? Not much unless it's really, really BAD. You have to live with a trigger, or a car for a while to tell if you really like it or not.

Having said all that, I've dry fired my Sigma thousands of times. Never hurt it. Never hurt another gun either.

If you own a Sigma, then you know that you must dry fire it in order to field strip the weapon, that is the real reason I wanted to dry fire it...so I could inspect it.

 

[ET.]

I let a friend use my SW40VE. He was dry firing it and somehow ended up pulling the trigger at the same time he was racking the slide. Some how it messed up the firing pin. It no longer struck the casing correctly and would not fire a single round. S&W fixed it under warranty & I never lend out my guns anymore. Lesson learned in both areas. Dry firing is OK for a Sigma if you do it correctly & people don't take care of things that they don't own.

 

[hobby-gunsmith]

dry firing

I dry fire my Springfield XD .40 every day without a dummy round. However, after excessive dry firings, the roll pin that retains the striker broke in half. I called Springfield and they informed me a snap cap or dummy round should be used when dry firing. They sent me a new pin and replaced the old one. Yes, for field stripping, you need to pull the trigger to disengage the sear for removal of the slide. If you have any intentions of purchasing a gun, carry a dummy round to the gun store and use it, with the permission of the owner, to check the gun for function. This way, all parties will be happy.
Nick

 

[Peter_S]

If you have any intentions of purchasing a gun, carry a dummy round to the gun store and use it, with the permission of the owner, to check the gun for function. This way, all parties will be happy.

Nick. That's the fair and considerate thing to do when you are prepared...knowing you are out to buy a gun.

The last one I bought was just on the spur of the moment.

If I was a gunstore owner and didn't want prospective buyers to dry fire I'd just make sure I had a few snap caps of the calibers I was selling around to keep everybody happy.

 

[GTbob]

Nick. That's the fair and considerate thing to do when you are prepared...knowing you are out to buy a gun.

The last one I bought was just on the spur of the moment.

If I was a gunstore owner and didn't want prospective buyers to dry fire I'd just make sure I had a few snap caps of the calibers I was selling around to keep everybody happy.

Wow, that's a really good idea. Why didn't the gun stores owners think of that.

 

[Shooting Padre]

I. being of the cheap genre, made my own snap caps by filling the primer pocket of spent rounds with hot glue. Its soft enough to absorb the shock of the firing pin and hard enough to stay put. Then I dry fire my heart out.

 

[Speer4]

Sorry for the ingnorant question... but what exactly is a snap cap?

I keep reading articles about using dry firing as a training method. I'm confused because I find just as many articles that say dry firing can damage the gun.

Thanks,
-Mike-

 

[J Rich]

Sorry for the ingnorant question... but what exactly is a snap cap?

I keep reading articles about using dry firing as a training method. I'm confused because I find just as many articles that say dry firing can damage the gun.

Thanks,
-Mike-

Snap caps are a casing shaped plastic with a primer for the striker to hit. (hope i'm explaining it right) You can make your own by filing the primer hole with glue or replacing the primer with a piece of rubber.

They say dry firing a "striker fired" gun like the sigma won't hurt it.