Dry fire a revolver safe?

Gman686

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I was looking at these dummy caps to practice dry firing with my revolver:


[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Steelworx-Magnum-Stainless-Training-Rounds/dp/B08NPRGPP7[/ame]

Is it safe? Sorry kind of a noob to the revolver world, just don't want to ruin anything
 
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With centerfire revolvers I don't really think they're "necessary" but I still use them. If nothing else they don't hurt anything, and pretty much simulate the weight of a full cylinder. The ones I use are pretty much like the ones pictured. Different vendor, but same idea. I've got them for 38/357, 44 special/magnum, and 41 magnum for my revolvers.
 
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S&W says they're safe to dry fire, except for 22lr models, but I always use snap caps.
 
With most centerfire revolvers, I don't think snap caps are necessary. I have frequently heard that with the Colt Mk III Lawman/Trooper, snap caps are recommened as the frame mounted firing pin may be brittle and can break if the flange on the firing pin pounds into the frame.
 
I have a cheaper, easier way. Get one or a few rubber or silicone O-rings with 5/16" OD and 3/16" ID. The metric size would be M8 OD and M6 ID. Put one O-ring in the frame around the firing pin or firing pin hole. This will make it oval shaped and the side pressure will hold it in place.

The hammer strike will be cushioned by the O-ring, thus protecting the hammer, frame, firing pin and spring and possibly prevent a Negligent Discharge. It also makes dry firing way quieter, in case someone in the next room doesn't want to listen to all the clicks.

You also only need one caliber of O-ring for all calibers of revolver, including rimfire. You can buy an O-ring for less than a dollar, or you can buy sets of snap caps for many dollars a set, and then replace them often.

Another of the many benefits with the O-ring installed is that shooting live ammo will be much quieter, without the need of a suppressor.:rolleyes:
 
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Yes, they are the yellow size. Those have to be turned every few snaps and replaced often. There is still the impact on the firing pin and spring every snap. The O-ring requires none of the monkey motions that the wall anchors do, and protects the parts better.
 
You will see numerous posts that say go ahead and dry-fire all you want, except rim-fires. S&W even says it is OK, of course they do, they sell parts and service!

With a center-fire revolver you can usually get away with dry-firing for years, but it can cause damage to the gun too! You will see burring to the center hole of the hammer nose bushing, loosening of the hammer nose rivet in the hammer of guns with the hammer-mounted firing pin, and breakage of the hammer nose. You may have firing pin breakage of guns with the frame mounted firing pin too.

Believe it or not there is actually more strain on some parts from dry-firing than shooting, Because the hammer is not cushioned by striking the primer there is significant shock to various frame components. What may also be seen, that most just wonder "what happened" as a result of excessive dry-firing is breakage of the hammer stud and trigger stud.

While parts breakage is not commonly seen, dry-firing does contribute to it! So go ahead and dry-fire all you want and expect there to be consequences in the future. Snap caps are always a good idea, and do no harm.
 
When I was in the Corps we had to instruct and test the junior Marines on how to load and unload weapons. The 1stSgt. & I both reloaded, so we made up dummy loads. In the primer holes we put erasers from pencils for the firing pins to hit. We also used the dummy rounds for teaching trigger control by dry firing.
 
I don't use snap caps on my pre-lock hammer mounted firing pin Smith & Wesson revolvers. I do use a plastic pad in the hammer channel on my Ruger GP100 and on my 617 Smith & Wesson .22 caliber revolver.
 
Best and cheapest thing for dry-firing is to cut a foam earplug in half, cock hammer, slide the earplug into the top of the hammer recess against or just below the firing pin on the frame, and snap away.
On guns with the firing pin mounted on the hammer you have to adjust the foam plug a bit, but it will still work.
This method works so well that it makes snap caps a total waste of money.
I defy anyone who has tried my method to maintain that the snap cap is a better method.
But unto each his own.
 
With a center-fire revolver you can usually get away with dry-firing for years, but it can cause damage to the gun too! You will see burring to the center hole of the hammer nose bushing, loosening of the hammer nose rivet in the hammer of guns with the hammer-mounted firing pin, and breakage of the hammer nose.

Spot on!

I have a 1966 S&W Model 15 that was owned by at least three cops before me and it has been "dry fired" so much that the center hole of the hammer nose bushing is obviously elongated.
 
I was looking at these dummy caps to practice dry firing with my revolver:

Is it safe? Sorry kind of a noob to the revolver world, just don't want to ruin anything
Snap caps work great. You should never dry fire any gun without them. However, that statement is sometimes met with drama because people’s guns didn’t fall apart when they did it. There are plenty of stories available on revolvers being damaged by dry firing. We have also seen the pictures of breech faces knocked out on semi-autos from dry firing.
 

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