[zippyfusenet]

Werewolf, that expended cartridge is a 'test shot' of sorts. The manufacturer packaged one with your gun and sent another just like it to a national database. They're samples, made to match against specimens recovered from crime scenes. You're not legally required to keep yours. I keep mine seperately from the gun with the bill of sale, in case the gun is ever stolen and I want to actively cooperate with law enforcement.

I've found that spent cartridges' shapes are often distorted, either by firing or handling. Sometimes they don't fit back into a chamber after they've been ejected. Sometimes they've jammed pretty good when I've tried to put them back in.

My advice is, don't fool with spent cartridges. A few bux for set of plastic snap caps is cheap insurance; the set I own has held up to a couple years of use. As a matter of courtesy don't dry fire anyone else's gun, of any caliber, without asking permission. If he says no, don't do it. When I'm shopping I'll take my snap caps along and offer to use them when I dry fire a gun.

Ruger says you can safely dry fire their .22 pistols all you like, because they've designed a firing pin stop into their bolt. The firing pin should never hit metal. I think other modern .22 pistols have similar features. I can't say about revolvers. Again, a set of snap caps is cheap insurance.