Snap Caps

[71velle]

Cool, thanks sounds like I need some but glad to hear dry fire is ok with out.

 

[MichiganScott]

I've used both Pachmayr and Tipton and have no complaints with either.

 

[Steelman]

Other uses

Thanks for feedback on snap caps. My primary use is to identify and manage jerking or muzzle movement. Have someone load your mag and add 2 or 3 snap caps with the live ammo not telling you where they are in the sequence. If you are jerking when firing it will be very apparent when you hit on the snap cap. A good way it sharpen up IMO .

 

[SmurfHunter]

Tip for me

 

[DavidC77]

I have had the Tiptons separate brass from plastic. I now only use Azoom's for class training. Never had any problems, thousands of loading/unloading demos.

I too have had way to many Tipton Snap Caps come apart on me...

The plastic comes apart and most times I have to use something to push them out of the gun...

I only use Azoom Snap Caps now...


.

 

[SMR]

I actually just bougbt some Azooms at my LGS yesterday. Just curious as to how many times each round is good to be fired on roughly? The guy at the store said thousands. Does that sound right?

And how come with the modern guns its ok to dry fire them without it causing damage to the fire pin? And wouldn't the snap caps just be a cheap like insurance policy compared to just dry firing your gun?

 

[Louchia]

I agree with most of what has been said. But, do not dry fire if you use rim fire ammo. The pin will hit hard steel . If your ammo is center fired the pin or striker hits nothing, so no damage.

 

[Rastoff]

And how come with the modern guns its ok to dry fire them without it causing damage to the fire pin? And wouldn't the snap caps just be a cheap like insurance policy compared to just dry firing your gun?

They are smarter about the steel they use in gun making. It's not as hard so, it rebounds better. Sure, snap caps are cheap insurance. You just don't need them.

I agree with most of what has been said. But, do not dry fire if you use rim fire ammo. The pin will hit hard steel.

This is generally true, but some rim fire guns can be dry fired without damage. The Ruger Mark I, II and III for example. They have a firing pin block that stops the firing pin before it contacts the chamber rim. It's OK to dry fire those.

If your ammo is center fired the pin or striker hits nothing, so no damage.

This is partly true. Guns from days gone by were made from high carbon steel. This made them more brittle. So, the hammer coming in contact with the frame, without the primer absorbing some energy, would crack the hammer or frame or both.

In a striker fired pistol or a pistol with an inertial firing pin, the striker/pin doesn't contact nothing. If there is no round in the chamber, the striker still contacts the back of the breech face.

Because the steel is more malleable it won't crack on modern firearms.

 

[OpsMgr]

...................This is generally true, but some rim fire guns can be dry fired without damage. The Ruger Mark I, II and III for example. They have a firing pin block that stops the firing pin before it contacts the chamber rim. It's OK to dry fire those.....................

The Ruger manual cautions against excessive dry firing. The firing pin stop can become bent and result in a nasty ding in the chamber mouth. Additionally, some of the Ruger Mk series pistolas came with a roll pin in place of a solid stop pin and they are not as durable as the solid pins.

There are a couple of threads over at RFC presently about this very subject. Using wall anchors as snap caps in the Ruger pistolas is cheap insurance as compared to the cost of a chamber ironing tool or a ding that can not be repaired...