poll: to dry fire or not to dry fire

[qennis]

Do you dry fire your handguns?

 

[paladin42]

I dry fire almost everything except the .22s.

 

[44forever]

I dry fire almost everything except the .22s.

What he said.

 

[kennyb]

except the 22's

 

[gr8AmericanBash]

ditto. slkdfskfsjfsjfks

 

[buckeyeshooter1]

yes, good way to 'smooth them up'. No rimfires are dryfired here though.

 

[westcoast362]

I would add to the don't dry fire list Colt SAA's and Lugers.

 

[Class III]

You betcha I dry fire. All but the 22's and the one 17HMR I own.

Class III

 

[Evil Dog]

Never dry fire my Model 41

 

[epj]

It's the only way to learn trigger control and sight picture control without burning tens of thousands of rounds of ammo. When I was first on a military pistol team, I inquired at the armory about the regs concerning dry firing my issued 1911. The response was that they had plenty of firing pins and how many extra ones did I need. I learned to shoot very well by dry firing at the knob on the TV set in my BOQ room and I've been dry firing ever since. Rimfires excepted, though many rimfires have firing pins that will not reach the chamber. I still don't dry fire rimfires.

 

[handejector]

DO NOT dry fire New Departure (Safety Hammerless) Top Breaks. The 32' Safety's in particular are notorious for breaking firing pins.

Any S&W with a hammer mounted FP - Snap, snap, snap (clear it FIRST)
I still don't recommend much of it for top breaks. Parts will be tough to get.

I am very reluctant to DF rimfires, but I have not seen a ding on a kit gun or K-22 WHEN THE GUN IS TIMED PROPERLY. The pins don't reach the bottom of the rim recesses, but I still can't enjoy it and use snap caps.

 

[rpbcab]

I do dry fire my M&P9C and my Ruger SP101 when I am working on my trigger control. I do not do this to my rimfires. Now the big question "why is everyone so opposed to doing it to the rimfires"? I don't because I have always been told that you should not, I have never been told why you should not...... Thanks for the replys......

 

[Cyrano]

I dry fire occasionally, although not 22s for fear of putting a burr on the back face of the chamber. I don't do it so much now that I have a Feinwerkbau 300S rifle, which I shoot for offhand practice in the garage. Somethimes dry firing has problems: I broke the tip of the firing pin on a CZ 52 and a Savage 32. Replacing the CZ firing pin was no problem, but the Savage was another matter. I had to get the part and its 3" long powerful spring into a slot about 1 1/2 inches long. I don't want to have to do it again.

 

[Jim Shugart]

I dry fire occasionally, although not 22s for fear of putting a burr on the back face of the chamber.

Even it this does happen, it's easily taken care of with a little gentle reaming with a pocket knife.

I NEVER turn on the news without something to dry fire.

Can you say 'target-rich' fields?

No more details since I don't want no black choppers or Secret Service guys coming around here.

 

[armadillo]

I keep a few fired 22 LR cases around to put in the chamber(s) so I can dry fire them.

 

[Kanewpadle]

They do make a snap cap for 22LR.

Pachmayr&reg Pachmayr your primary source for quality handgun grips and recoil pads

 

[JcMack]

I don't dry fire anything. Snap caps are cheap insurance against damage. I've tested S&W Centennial style lightweights in the past by dryfiring in a dark room. Without snap caps about half of the 442, 642, 432's I've tried will produce sparks at the FP bushing area. I dry fired a new model 60 exactly 4 times once and the hammer broke off. Dryfire just about any Colt revolver with a FP in frame and you're looking at an eventual expensive repair. Dryfiring all the autos I know of involves the FP bottoming out in it's channel. Can't be good. The poll asked if I dryfired, and I answered. Please don't criticize me if you practice a different approach.

 

[K.38]

I dry fire everything I own. I do use snap-caps for all dry firing though.

Dry firing is great practice.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I don't dry fire. Not for any particular reason other than if I'm gonna squeeze a trigger a few hundred times in a day I'd prefer to be shooting.

 

[james56]

I dry fire everything except my top breaks and .22's

 

[oldRoger]

I use snap caps, actually hard plastic dummy rounds in rim fires, but I certainly dry fire modern firearms. Actually snap caps in all guns make sense to me, it forces an extra step in making certain the chamber is clear of ammunition.

 

[badjuijui]

I use snap caps after I found out about them. Supposedly it would be ok to dry fire without them in my 9mm, but they were practically nothing, so why not?

 

[Thuer]

I do not dry fire anything. I do not want the firingpins on my revolvers will break.

 

[boatbum101]

Trigger control is the most important aspect of shooting accurately . Yes I too use snap caps . Dry fire is best way to learn a trigger on any gun .

 

[GKC]

I don't dry fire. Not for any particular reason other than if I'm gonna squeeze a trigger a few hundred times in a day I'd prefer to be shooting.

Me too, but if I'm not at the range and just watching the mindless one-eyed window to the insanity of the world, then dry firing (except for rim fires, which I don't have anyway) makes me feel a little better.

I'd probably feel a lot better if I didn't turn on the TV in the first place.

 

[Nobius]

I do but I use snap caps.

 

[3dots]

When I was a kid, Daddy and all my uncles told me never to dry fire. That has just stuck with me and I don't dry fire whether or not it's damaging the weapon.

 

[feralmerril]

Yes, there definetly should have been a option distinguishing between center fire and rim fire. I answered no. But would have answered yes. I suggest reword that poll to just centerfire. It would have a far more accurate opinions. Actualy, I belive in only dry fireing just once in awhile to test the trigger. I belive there is a huge differance in dry fireing rifles as opposed to handguns too. Face it. Lets say you have your guns for sale on a table at a gunshow. Are you comfortable haveing the crowd dry fireing your guns even if you do it yourself at home? No? Thats why many sellers put plastic ties on there guns, signs etc.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Everything here but rimfires and shotguns. Been doing it for 20 years with no issues.

 

[kozmic]

Absolutely, but not too often and of course 'ceptin' the rimfire stuff.