Dryfiring - OK for rimfires?

[dcxplant]

My GSG 1911-22 is peening nicely....

The breach face has a nice firing pin shaped divot. I use snap caps in it from now on, and instead of racking the slid for dry fire exercise, I just cock the hammer.

My Ruger single action does not show the peening on the breach face, but the firing pin is slightly mushroomed. So I use snap caps on it too.

So, a .22 either has a breach face that is the same hardness, softer, or harder than the firing pin.

I use snap caps now on every 22. I have about 20 snap caps now, so I can load up mags for function checks/practice.

A pack of 5 is about ten bucks. Oh, and the orange plastic ones that are half the cost don't take many dry fires before the rims fail Get the good ones.

 

[35Rem]

The Ruger 10/22 has no last shot bolt hold open feature, essentially guaranteeing dry firing on every magazine.

The Mk series REQUIRES it for takedown.

I've been told #4 size plastic screw anchors are a great, and CHEAP, snap cap for the 22LR.

 

[Straightshooter2]

Since it's easy to lose count with a Henry Golden Boy especially if you are using .22 shorts and then switching to .22 LR, I sometimes end up dry firing my Henry. I looked through the manual and didn't see anything on it so I e-mailed the question to their online technical contact person. I'll post the answer when I get it back.

CW

 

[gm272gs]

If you CLEARED the gun, OK.
I'm sure you meant you checked it first.If not, I would not bet my life, or anyone else's, on that.
It is possible that an extractor can hold a round of ammo against the bolt face hard enough that the pin will fire it even though it is not fully chambered.
I just wanted to clarify that.

ABSOLUTELY. Should have said that, but probably just assumed it was like putting "contents may be hot" on a McDonald's coffee lid.

 

[cobra44]

I would never dry fire a rim fire. I have seen several rifles that had been dry fired, and there was metal broken where the shell goes into the barrel assembly.

 

[Straightshooter2]

For Henry owners, here is the answer I got back from one of their technical consultants.

"While we suggest avoiding dry firing when possible it is ok to dry fire the rifle from time to time."

CW

 

[Joewisc]

For Henry owners, here is the answer I got back from one of their technical consultants.

"While we suggest avoiding dry firing when possible it is ok to dry fire the rifle from time to time."

CW

Pretty lame answer. What does "time to time" mean?

 

[Taj]

Dry firing a rimfire can be a problem, depending on design of the gun. I've had to "iron" out many a chamber mouth due to excess dry firing and even though some guns seem to tolerate it ( 10/22) better than others, it's just easier not to do it and avoid paying the smithy to fix it.

 

[labworm]

For Henry owners, here is the answer I got back from one of their technical consultants.

"While we suggest avoiding dry firing when possible it is ok to dry fire the rifle from time to time."

CW

To me that statement would mean, don't unless you have no other option.

If I want to dry fire, I just grab some brass and in the cylinder it goes, even in my Ruger SP101 .22 8 shot which can be dry fired. I just want that pin to hit something as it was intended to do.

I guess I am just overprotectivewhen it comes to my .22s.