Don't dry fire your pistol!

[John from MD]

To address your point, if you're concerned about dry firing, inserting a snap cap will absorb the energy from the firing pin when you pull the trigger. I agree with others, that dry firing is not harmful to most modern pistols (not sure about revolvers, though).

Firing pins are made of different metal and temper than days of old. Dry firing does not hurt MOST modern CENTERFIRE guns. The exception is alloy framed revolvers without steel firing pin bushings. Dry firing these, without a snap cap, can result in a bulged firing pin hole.

RIMFIRE guns should not be dryfired due to the possibility of the firing pin striking the cylinder and leaving a divot that will make it hard to extract, and sometimes, impossible to load until the divot is ironed out.

 

[Bob A]

The CZ 75 type guns shouldn't get dry-fired; it chews up the roll pin that interfaces with the firing pin, and can eventually bind it.

The problem can be ameliorated by replacing the roll pin with one made of spring steel. Cajun Gun Works sells them, for too much money. All my CZ 75 types were bought used; I checked the pins in question; one really needed replacement.

The guns have a de-cocker (at least, the ones I buy do) but if you're dry firing as part of a practice drill, the de-cocker won't come into use. It would solve the OP's problem, though, if he wanted to go to a hammer gun.

 

[budman93]

This gave me an idea for the OP.

IF he is unwilling to change anything, and his chamber checks are purely safety related (and I doubt they are) do this:

Ensure the chamber is empty. Cut a 1/4" wooden dowel to exactly the length of the muzzle with the slide closed.

When the OP wants to chamber check, stick the wooden dowel down the barrel. It should be flush with the muzzle. No slide manipulation needed, so no dry firing needed.

My hunch is that this thread was created so the OP could either get: positive reinforcement that what he is doing is ok OR to be told that he is damaging his gun as an excuse to go buy a new one that he can dry fire.

I wouldn't recommend sticking anything in front of the muzzle or down the barrel to check if it's loaded. Clearly the op has some things to learn but why is he worried about dry firing at all in this situation?

First of all I don't think it's a concern and I think it's good to do lots of dry fire practice, but mainly why does he feel it is necessary to release the striker every time he checks to see that it's unloaded?

Just check it and leave it cocked. There is no reason you need to release the striker every time.

 

[jrumann59]

His gun, his life, his practices. Unless of course he is a vegan and the smell of cooking meet makes him sick....

 

[Slowhand]

Practicing at home with a Mantis system isn't very effective it you do not pull the trigger. I'll risk the firing pin to acquire proficiency.

 

[jrumann59]

Practicing at home with a Mantis system isn't very effective it you do not pull the trigger. I'll risk the firing pin to acquire proficiency.

Doesn't the mantis use a switch that gets engaged by the firing pin so it technically is not a dry fire.

 

[erwos]

Doesn't the mantis use a switch that gets engaged by the firing pin so it technically is not a dry fire.

You're thinking of the rifle version. The pistol version is different and just hangs on the accessory rail or the bottom of the magazine.

 

[Blaster229]

Let's clear something up. "Dry firing" refers to firing the pistol over and over for practice.
Pressing the trigger after clearing is not "dry firing" per say as the practice. It's firing on an empty chamber. People get confused

DO NOT press the trigger after clearing to make sure it's clear or whatever. You are conditioning yourself to pressing the trigger after every manipulation of the pistol and it leads itself to a discharge. There is no need to press the trigger at all. It's a terrible habit. You literally remover the mag, rack the slide and visibly and physically verify an empty chamber. Pressing the trigger is unnecessary.
Unfortunately for Glock you need to do that to strip it. But that's part a a very deliberate cleaning ritual.

"Press check" is SLIGHTLY pulling the slide back to look for a round. You shouldn't be pulling it so far back that it's charging the pistol/resetting the trigger.
Some barrels have a LCI (loaded chamber indicator). A little cut where you can look right in and see a round.
The less manipulation of a pistol, the better.

You need to carry with a round in the chamber. You may not have the use of your support hand to rack the slide before shooting.

 

[jrumann59]

You're thinking of the rifle version. The pistol version is different and just hangs on the accessory rail or the bottom of the magazine.

Oops forgot they are two different systems that operate differently.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

It's been more than a day since OP has posted and I fear he may not come back. I hope he does. I think there is an opportunity for him to learn a lot. It can get a little rough here on MDS, but I don't think this thread has devolved to that yet. I think his concern about dry firing may enlighten him on other basic realities.

In any case, he appears to be a new gun owner. He also seems afraid and fascinated by his weapons. I don't think this is super unusual. Gun is scary and dangerous. It takes a lot of people time to trust that it isn't just going to go off. Also, assuming he doesn't have a lot of experience with them, I'm assuming a tremendous amount of fascination with this new device, well suited to taking life. Fascination means holding, playing, feeling, experimenting, and just becoming comfortable with it. Leaving it alone in its' holster would leave an itch unscratched. The more he manipulates it, the more he might second guess the status.

Recommendation: Respect for the weapon is good. Knowledge is good. Experience is good. Fear is not. Hit the range as much as possible and become familiar with the operation. Dry fire at home a lot. If concerned about the firing pin (no worries on the Glock, not sure about the Hellcat), get a package of snap caps. This is good for loading/unloading/malfunction clearing drills as well so probably not a bad idea. Take the guns apart (field strip). Put them together. Get comfortable with the weapons. Then, load, holster, and carry on with life.

Well said, Crazytrain.

I also hope the OP comes back. We definitely are not out to belittle him/her.

It is funny that I really never felt intimidated by firearms. Likely because I began at 11 or 12 yrs old plinking with bb guns and pellet guns on soda cans etc.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Let's clear something up. "Dry firing" refers to firing the pistol over and over for practice.
Pressing the trigger after clearing is not "dry firing" per say as the practice. It's firing on an empty chamber. People get confused

DO NOT press the trigger after clearing to make sure it's clear or whatever. You are conditioning yourself to pressing the trigger after every manipulation of the pistol and it leads itself to a discharge. There is no need to press the trigger at all. It's a terrible habit. You literally remover the mag, rack the slide and visibly and physically verify an empty chamber. Pressing the trigger is unnecessary.
Unfortunately for Glock you need to do that to strip it. But that's part a a very deliberate cleaning ritual.

"Press check" is SLIGHTLY pulling the slide back to look for a round. You shouldn't be pulling it so far back that it's charging the pistol/resetting the trigger.
Some barrels have a LCI (loaded chamber indicator). A little cut where you can look right in and see a round.
The less manipulation of a pistol, the better.

You need to carry with a round in the chamber. You may not have the use of your support hand to rack the slide before shooting.

Well said, Blaster

 

[JoeCon]

That's what someone else told me, BUT I don't see where snap caps are involved in this scenario. My post stated that I check the chamber before leaving the house (before I insert mag), and when I get home after I drop the mag. What does that have to do with snap caps?

 

[Garet Jax]

I always dry fire my guns while looking down the barrel to see if they're loaded.

 

[slsc98]

….perhaps Hunter Biden should have dry fired.

Had FJB’s own father dry-fired; “Oh, What A Wonderful World It’d Beeeeeeee …!”

 

[lazarus]

Yeah don't worry about it. There are some pistols that have decocker like Walther P99 (striker fire) or hammer fire where you unload magazine and making sure chamber is empty then lower the hammer with your pinching fingers while slowly pull the trigger.

It depends on what pistol you have.

Late to the party, but to add, decockers often create wear on the parts to, as often the hammer is striking a cross bar. That is wear on the hammer and the de cocker. A few pistols, like the Cz50 are known over time that the de cocker can break from this.

But also, are you doing it tens of thousands of time? Probably not. So fine.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

Radom P-64s are also known to break the decocker. I leave one of mine loaded and decocked since I carry it occasionally. The only time it gets unloaded is if it goes to the range. It will then be cleaned, checked, loaded, a round chambered, and then decocked so it is ready for the next time it is carried. I try to minimize the cycles on the decocker as much as possible.

Dry firing on some pistols can cause damage to the breach face over time, although very rare. It takes a lot of dry firing, but it is possible. I use snap caps most of the time, and usually just to check function, not practicing. Some of my toys are older and I am probably being over cautious with them.

 

[onedash]

 

[pleasant1911]

Well if you know better, then keep dry firing it. What is the point of resetting the trigger on an empty gun? I seen hickcock45 do it in his videos.

Is dry firing an empty gun like shooting a bow without an arrow?