The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Art of the Rifle: Bolt, Lever, and Pump Action

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old August 21, 2012, 11:41 AM   #1
madhat
Member
 
Join Date: August 10, 2012
Posts: 54
DRY FIRE

is it alright to dry fire my new Browning A bolt II, i'm not talking hundreds of times but just 50 or so to feel how the adjusted weight feels when i adjust the weight of the trigger, i'm 100% sure the rifle is unloaded and safe to discharge
madhat is offline  
Old August 21, 2012, 12:00 PM   #2
FrosSsT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 17, 2011
Location: NJ
Posts: 595
It will not hurt anything. Rimfires are a different story
FrosSsT is offline  
Old August 21, 2012, 12:01 PM   #3
madhat
Member
 
Join Date: August 10, 2012
Posts: 54
thank you! i didn't think so
madhat is offline  
Old August 21, 2012, 03:08 PM   #4
coyota1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 663
I would use a dumbie round if you do it a lot.
coyota1 is offline  
Old August 22, 2012, 06:43 AM   #5
tobnpr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 1, 2010
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 4,556
Great way to practice trigger control. No problem...
tobnpr is offline  
Old August 22, 2012, 10:38 AM   #6
scoutman
Member
 
Join Date: September 20, 2010
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 56
Get a set of snap caps if your concerned. Good for checking on functioning too.
__________________
If you can get closer, get closer; if you can get steadier, get steadier.-Jeff Cooper
scoutman is offline  
Old August 22, 2012, 02:23 PM   #7
mr.t7024
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 6, 2012
Location: Ma, near a brook
Posts: 229
dry firing

DO NOT DRY FIRE ANY FIREARMS. thats why they sell snap caps. CENTER FIRE SNAP CAPS ALONG WITH RIMFIRE SNAP CAPS WILL SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY. Call me if you have any questions-978-424-7024.
Clifford B. Tomassian
Firearms Instructor in MA
mr.t7024 is offline  
Old August 22, 2012, 06:09 PM   #8
tobnpr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 1, 2010
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 4,556
Quote:
DO NOT DRY FIRE ANY FIREARMS.
Really?

You put that in caps, like his rifle's going to self destruct if he does it.

The OP was talking about a few dozen dry fires...not thousands.

Perfectly fine for him to do that.

http://cheaperthandirt.com/blog/?p=2784
tobnpr is offline  
Old August 22, 2012, 06:10 PM   #9
coyota1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 663
I believe the Ruger 10 22 can be dry fired according to the manual..
coyota1 is offline  
Old August 23, 2012, 12:02 PM   #10
doofus47
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 9, 2010
Location: live in a in a house when i'm not in a tent
Posts: 2,483
I pull out my hunting rifle in the couple weeks before the season to re-acquaint myself with the trigger.
I didn't use snap caps for several years and there was no loss of function. I use a spent cartridge nowadays, but small scale dryfiring should be okay until you can use something with some resistance.

I wouldn't do that with a rimfire rifle. I don't have a 10/22, but if the manual of that says it's okay, then go for it with a 10/22
__________________
I'm right about the metric system 3/4 of the time.
doofus47 is offline  
Old August 23, 2012, 12:11 PM   #11
coyota1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 663
With rimfires days gone buy, the firing pin could damage the chamber, and the pin if chronically dry fired. The only time I witnessed a firing pin break was a when a friend dry fired a Ithaca 37 featherweight and the end cracked off.
coyota1 is offline  
Old August 24, 2012, 03:33 PM   #12
CommonSense
Member
 
Join Date: August 1, 2012
Posts: 33
DO NOT DRY FIRE ANY FIREARMS. thats why they sell snap caps.

Funny, your a firearms instructor that says DO NOT DRY FIRE then recommend snap caps. Ive spoken to AND read other instructors that recommend AGAINST snap caps because "It builds a bad habit". It builds a bad habit because your "loading" the weapon with an object resembling a cartridge and then pulling the trigger. Students in classes had NDed (Neglegant Discharged) their weapons thinking they put in their snap caps then...BOOM! Oops, wasnt a snap cap. Heard of it many times! My advice to ALL: Ask the COMPANY before dry firing and always clear your weapon... heck clear it twice. Wont hurt a thing. Its a good habit to form. lastly, If you make the decision to dry fire, discharge in a safe direction. (I know some of you out there are saying duh, but NDs still happen...even to squared away soldiers and instructors) On a final note, I PRACTICE what I preach, I do not reccomend stuff because it sounds good. I clear one or more weapons a day at my current job... and I wont use snap caps.

Last edited by CommonSense; August 24, 2012 at 03:48 PM.
CommonSense is offline  
Old August 24, 2012, 03:55 PM   #13
coyota1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 663
Quote:
"It builds a bad habit". It builds a bad habit because your "loading" the weapon with an object resembling a cartridge and then pulling the trigger.
I never even considered this, though there may be merit to it. I have one nine mm dummy round that is burgandy red. If I end up blowing a hole through my tv, then I will know your advise was good.
coyota1 is offline  
Old August 24, 2012, 04:18 PM   #14
Sweet Shooter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 17, 2011
Posts: 672
I think it's okay now and again. The SKS should apparently not be dry fired as it has a tapered pin... I read that somewhere...
-SS-
Sweet Shooter is offline  
Old August 24, 2012, 09:05 PM   #15
FrosSsT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 17, 2011
Location: NJ
Posts: 595
Quote:
DO NOT DRY FIRE ANY FIREARMS. thats why they sell snap caps. CENTER FIRE SNAP CAPS ALONG WITH RIMFIRE SNAP CAPS WILL SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY.
Please explain - without anything to back it up it means absolutely nothing.

Last edited by FrosSsT; August 25, 2012 at 04:44 PM.
FrosSsT is offline  
Old August 24, 2012, 09:34 PM   #16
bigautomatic
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 18, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 610
Most center fires can be dry fired safely with only a few exceptions. Check with the manufacturer or someone with a lot of experience with the particular firearm. And if your firearm could be damaged by dry firing, making your own snap caps ain't rocket science. Pop out primer with a small punch (or depriming die) and replace spent primer with a piece of pencil eraser shaped to fit with a razor blade. Five minutes max. And free.
bigautomatic is offline  
Old August 29, 2012, 09:03 PM   #17
chucknbach
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 10, 2011
Location: Gillette, WY
Posts: 135
I dry fire everything, including .22. Hasn't hurt anything yet. Thousands of times at that. If it wears out I'll replace it.
chucknbach is offline  
Old August 29, 2012, 09:18 PM   #18
coyota1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 663
Quote:
I dry fire everything, including .22. Hasn't hurt anything yet. Thousands of times at that. If it wears out I'll replace it.
I would be careful of dry firing older 22 rimfires. You could damage the chamber where the rim seats.
coyota1 is offline  
Old August 29, 2012, 09:23 PM   #19
jimbob86
Junior member
 
Join Date: October 4, 2007
Location: All the way to NEBRASKA
Posts: 8,722
My Ruger 22/45 manual sez it's OK. You gotta pull the trigger to get the thing back together........ there's a firing pin stop to keep the firing pin from contacting the breech face.......
jimbob86 is offline  
Old August 30, 2012, 05:11 AM   #20
Metal god
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 10, 2012
Location: San Diego CA
Posts: 6,872
Rugers web site states in there Q&A ,you can dry fire All of there fire arms including there rimfires . They recommend not doing it alot cus you will wear out the stop and have to replace the firing pin.

As for other guns refer to the manual

My savge mk11 should not be dry fired . Its a new gun for me and I have only shot it once . I already have dry fired it at least 10 times .A couple times when I got it home the rest at the range when I lost count of how many shots I had shot . At this rate I think im in trouble . What I learned was if you have the trigger depressed when closing the bolt ( it goes BOOM ) no just kidding It de-cocks it . My ruger American Rifle does the same thing . Maybe all bolt actions do this. I only have the two .

HUMM now that I think about it, maybe pulling the trigger when closing the bolt is bad for the gun . Does any body know if by doing so it puts any un due presures or torque on things that normaly they would not have .

Last edited by Metal god; August 30, 2012 at 12:06 PM.
Metal god is offline  
Old August 30, 2012, 10:46 AM   #21
hooligan1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 18, 2010
Location: Independence Missouri
Posts: 4,582
I dry-fire all of my centerfire rifles, it keeps me in practice of finger tuning and my pistol grip pressure.
__________________
Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.
hooligan1 is offline  
Old August 30, 2012, 01:19 PM   #22
chucknbach
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 10, 2011
Location: Gillette, WY
Posts: 135
Quote:
I would be careful of dry firing older 22 rimfires. You could damage the chamber where the rim seats.
I don't have any older guns. The guns from my childhood burned up in a fire. I have kept an eye on the ones I have now and so far so good.
chucknbach is offline  
Old August 30, 2012, 01:29 PM   #23
coyota1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 663
Well, just in case you happen upon an old rimfire.
coyota1 is offline  
Old August 30, 2012, 03:53 PM   #24
mr.t7024
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 6, 2012
Location: Ma, near a brook
Posts: 229
dry firing

If someone wants me to explain, call me, i did leave my number but I will leave it again. 978-424-7024 . BTW All my students when they leave know not to dry fire a firearm. Cliff
mr.t7024 is offline  
Old August 30, 2012, 05:45 PM   #25
FrosSsT
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 17, 2011
Location: NJ
Posts: 595
Quote:
If someone wants me to explain, call me, i did leave my number but I will leave it again. 978-424-7024 . BTW All my students when they leave know not to dry fire a firearm. Cliff
This is a forum. If you have information you can post it here - nobody wants to call you especially when you can simply post it here for EVERYONE to see. All the research I have done along with hands on experience (which is worth ten times more then something you read) has showed that dry firing centerfires is safe and will not cause any harm. Rimfires are somewhat of a different story but they are not in question here. Please - prove us wrong.
FrosSsT is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:58 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.10010 seconds with 10 queries