In dry firing my Shield, I have been using what are often called snap-caps, but in this case the dummy rounds I have are apparently made of solid aluminum.

I notice that after a few "firings" that the primer area is well indented, and I assume that it now offers little or no resistance to the firing pin.

I am concerned that the firing pin hole in the slide might become enlarged, or the firing pin itself might impinge inside the slide such that it will become stuck there at some point.

While I am going to look for the type of "dummy" rounds that have a spring loaded primer in them, I wonder whether my concerns about damaging the gun with the aluminum rounds are valid, and indeed whether it is in any way harmful to the gun to dry fire it?

Thanks for any comments!

There are no issues dry firing your striker fired pistol without any sort of snap cap. You do not need snap caps. Dry firing a striker fired pistol is great practice, breaks the trigger in, etc.

Any modern gun can be dry fired as much as you want. You won't damage your gun and you don't need snap caps.

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I was going to ask about dry firing as well, Wblacklidge - not to doubt your answer, but you are certain this does promote any premature wear or maintenance?

I see you 2nd that thought rastoff, is it older firearms that can not handle the dry fire? I have a 29-3 revolver, can that be dry fired? Thanks

I do not think it promotes premature wear on a firearm. No more than actually shooting it.

Safe dry fire practice is probably the best way to gain familiarity with your new pistol trigger. No ammo cost, no recoil to deal with, you just focus on form and trigger pull.

Dry firing will not hurt your pistol. Other than the old Colt single action (a more fragile mechanism than generally realized) I can't think of a center fire handgun that needs snap caps or that ought not be dry fired

Unless you have a Federal grant providing unlimited ammo and unlimited availability of shooting facilities, you can't develop much skill with a handgun unless you dry fire.

I think 95% of your 'shooting' should be dryfiring. It's free, you can do it in your living room and its less wearing on your pistol, shot for shot, than live fire.

Thank you for the information guys. As a new semi-auto owner and somewhat new revolver owner, this will help me out quite a bit.

Shield 9mm and 29-3 Nickel 6.5"

That is only true for centerfires. SOME rimfires can be damaged by dryfiring. I'm sure that's what you meant to say.

Take the worries out, buy snap caps, their cheap.

3

You are absolutely correct. Some rim-fire firing pins can be damaged by dry firing. I always forget those because I only seldomly use them.

The Ruger Mark I, II, III and 22/45 can be dry fired because they have a firing pin block especially for that.

I'm sorry, but I don't have specific knowledge about the 29-3. The general rule is guns made after around 1910 are ok to dry fire. The really old guns were made with higher carbon content. This made the steel more brittle. Thus, dry firing could crack frames and hammers.

This only applies to center fire guns. Double check before dry firing a rim-fire gun.

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This issue just keeps coming up. S&W's web site says dry fire is safe with all except rimfire. S&W's instructions sheets (the fold up ones that pre-dated the modern day "owner's manual") actually recommended dry firing as good practice.

This quote, by the way, comes from Page 4, left hand column, paragraph 7, of the instruction sheet for the Models 34 and 35, 22 rimfires, last time I checked:

"Learn to "call your shots" before looking for them on the target. Practice "dry shooting" with empty gun.* Watch sights when hammer falls. . . ."

Now, each person can do whatever he or she wishes, but I have had no problem dry firing any centerfire or any rimfire S&W revolver or pistol for over 40 years. S&W recommended it, and I took them at their word. Good luck.

*Empty means empty, no snap caps or dry wall anchors or any other nonsense.

Thanks to all for the input!

My concern goes back to the traditional .45ACP 1911, and comments made to me by Armand Swenson once. He was a proponent of dry firing that pistol, but in that period folks warned about the firing pin being driven repeatedly forward if there was nothing for it to impinge on. Armand used empty fired cases if I remember correctly, and he said he practiced as he watched TV using the TV screen or a lampshade (light on of course) as his point of aim so he could best see any movement of the sights.

I will continue to do this inexpensive form of practice, and hope that as part of the benefit the trigger action might smooth up and become more consistent--but if it doesn't, then I might have a gunsmith go in and try to smooth it out.

Thanks for all your comments.

Shielder

What he said!