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Old May 24, 2012, 08:53 PM   #1
boylit
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Join Date: April 27, 2012
Posts: 35
Snap Caps lifespan

3 weeks ago, a friend purchased a pair (2) of a-zoom snap caps for me at mcs.

the snapcaps were used daily for 50 pulls per day (i keep count)… that would be in sets of 5 pulls consisting of 1 DA pull then 4 SA (after partial rack to set the pistol in SA)...

given the 21 days of use, that's 1050 trigger pulls divided between 2 snapcaps (so 500 pulls for 1 and 550 pulls for the other)

wear notes (see attached image):
- the rim around the bullet head is severely worn. doing a barrel fit test has the old snapcaps sinking deeper into the barrel
- extractor cannelure rim is worn
- the dead cap (what the firing pin hits) has very little wear…

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was trying to buy a new set for the whole week but it's difficult to find 9mm snap caps… finally found 1 at wcs/mcs... strangely the one i purchased is physically different from the one we got 3 weeks ago… differences include:

1. color : new = maroon / old = candy red
2. finish : new = dull / old = shiny
3. finish : new = ribbed / old = smooth
4. label : new = dull gray / old = bright white
5. extractor cannelure rim : new = thinner / old = thicker

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now come the questions:

1. how long do these things last?

i read a review at http://www.cruffler.com/accessory-re...bruary-01.html saying they've tested a-zoom snapcaps up to 1000 pulls with a couple of "no noticeable wear" results for the pistol type rounds.

my 1st pair had only 500 and 550 pulls each... they were badly worn...

2. are there multiple versions of the a-zoom snapcap?

i went to their website and couldn't find info on whether the caps came in various colors/finishes nor rim thickness.

3. are there better snap caps in the market?

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Old May 25, 2012, 07:12 AM   #2
gaseousclay
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Join Date: August 4, 2010
Posts: 1,210
may I ask why your friend was using his snapcaps so much?
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Old May 25, 2012, 08:57 AM   #3
drail
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Join Date: February 2, 2008
Posts: 3,150
Looks to me like the rim is getting chewed up by the extractor snapping over it repeatedly. (as when someone drops a round into the chamber and then closes the slide over it, if that is the case then tell them to stop doing that) As to why the "bullet" appears to be moving forward I have no idea unless the snap cap is too long for the chamber's depth. Snap caps are cheaply made. They are designed to
sell" and not to last a long time. (you can always buy more, right?) I have never bothered to use them and I have dry fired all of my guns (except rimfires) heavily for over twenty years and none of them have ever broken or failed to fire live rounds. I would tell your friend to not waste their money on buying and using snap caps. I think they are mainly sold to make the owner "feel better".
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