Empty Brass instead of snap caps

[YoungMilsurpGuy]

Quick question:

Would putting a spent case in the chamber do the same to save wear on your firing pin while dry firing as a snap cap?

 

[Double T]

Firearm make/model?

I dryfire with nothing, strikers are pretty cheap to replace though.

 

[SSGSAD]

Quick question:

Would putting a spent case in the chamber do the same to save wear on your firing pin while dry firing as a snap cap?

I reload, so I resize my cases first, but I have had no problems .....

 

[YoungMilsurpGuy]

1950s vintage Tokarev, S&W Model 10, Tarus 617, Ruger 10/22

 

[Cameramonkey]

For safety reasons, Id stick with snap caps. They are cheap, and there is absolutely no chance you will mistake the brightly colored tail end of a live round with a snap cap. The tail end of a live round when you think you are looking at a empty brass is a whole 'nother matter. "dont worry dude, it only LOOKS like its loaded. Its just a spent... *BOOOM!*"

Not cool. Dont even risk it.

 

[MCgrease08]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Cameramonkey beat me too it.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[halfmileharry]

Get the Snap Caps and "Don't worry, be happy"

 

[SSGSAD]

For safety reasons, Id stick with snap caps. They are cheap, and there is absolutely no chance you will mistake the brightly colored tail end of a live round with a snap cap. The tail end of a live round when you think you are looking at a empty brass is a whole 'nother matter. "dont worry dude, it only LOOKS like its loaded. Its just a spent... *BOOOM!*"

Not cool. Dont even risk it.

If you can't tell the difference, between a LOADED round, and an EMPTY, should you even own a gun ?????

 

[nascarfantoo]

Like SSGSAD, I reload. In process of getting the press set up I "loaded" about 20 rounds without powder or primers. The primer holes were filled with silicone caulking.

 

[halfmileharry]

If you can't tell the difference, between a LOADED round, and an EMPTY, should you even own a gun ?????

I gotta agree with SSGSAD on this one.

 

[CitiusFortius]

If you can't tell the difference, between a LOADED round, and an EMPTY, should you even own a gun ?????

When it's chambered how could you tell? Look down the barrell?

 

[SSGSAD]

When it's chambered how could you tell? Look down the barrell?

LOOK, B4 you LOAD !!!!!

 

[halfmileharry]

LOOK, B4 you LOAD !!!!!

Guns ain' t that complicated as long as you follow the basic safety rules. ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!! Every move you make has to be safe and responsible

 

[parkerj112]

Primer anyone? Still a bad idea in my opinion.

Parker

 

[CitiusFortius]

LOOK, B4 you LOAD !!!!!

Ohhhhhh..........ya, because people never make mistakes. Spend a few bucks so you can see the bright red, it's kind of dumb not to.

 

[Slawburger]

If you used an empty brass casing that had previously been fired in the same firearm it would probably work as a snap cap.

However, I would prefer that dummy rounds look like dummy rounds (front, side and back).
In classroom training live ammo is generally prohibited to avoid any "oops".
In your home the snap caps and live ammo are probably present in the same room.
Snap caps or dummy rounds that look like live ammo just seems like a bad idea.

 

[jve153]

spend the money on the snap caps, they are cheap. you can dryfire the crap out of that 10/22 before it causes any real damage, and firing pins are cheap anyways. i know a few appleseed instructor rifles that have multi thousand dryfires and no issues at this point from it. if i remember correctly, most centerfire is ok to dryfire as well.

 

[freekforge]

I use spent cases in my tokarev as snap caps since they feed without a bullet. I just painted the back end with dykem so i could easily tell what they are by doing a chamber check, all live ammo is in the other room in an ammo can, and i "aim" at a ballistic vest just in case i screw up.

 

[Cameramonkey]

If you can't tell the difference, between a LOADED round, and an EMPTY, should you even own a gun ?????

The point is that at a glance, you may not notice the primer dimple of a spent round. While on paper "well DUH! look for the dimple" sounds bloody obvious, sometimes people arent that observant. Why put someone in that position where there is a VERY inexpensive tool available ?

I'd rather somebody pony up the $10 for the snap caps and be safe than be standing there talking to the police after the fact saying "I could swear when I GLANCED into the chamber I saw a dimple. Honest! I swear I saw a dimple!" How much more confident would you be seeing a red casing knowing without a doubt that its a snap cap? Oh right. Nevermind. you are a God that never makes mistakes and never gets lazy. My bad.

Reminds me of the story I saw on Facebook the other day. New gun, during a party, the owner removed the mag and bullets and started passing the gun around to various folks who coonfingered the gun. Afterward the owner re inserted the mag, chambered a round and put it back on the table. Later, his girlfriend, not realizing he reloaded it, picked it up off the table, pointed it at his chest, and playfully pushed the bang switch (and I assume muttererd "pew"). I think you all can see where this is going.

And dammit, if you are that concerned about the $10, I'll buy your damn snap caps. Life is too short to cheap out! Just dont do it!

ETA: Im more concerned with somebody who does a press check or glances through the back of the revolver and only sees the back of the round. Obviously when loading the weapon you can tell the difference between brass and a regular round...

 

[ckcollins2003]

If you can't tell the difference, between a LOADED round, and an EMPTY, should you even own a gun ?????

The point is that at a glance, you may not notice the primer dimple of a spent round. While on paper "well DUH! look for the dimple" sounds bloody obvious, sometimes people arent that observant. Why put someone in that position where there is a VERY inexpensive tool available ?

I'd rather somebody pony up the $10 for the snap caps and be safe than be standing there talking to the police after the fact saying "I could swear when I GLANCED into the chamber I saw a dimple. Honest! I swear I saw a dimple!" How much more confident would you be seeing a red casing knowing without a doubt that its a snap cap? Oh right. Nevermind. you are a God that never makes mistakes and never gets lazy. My bad.

Reminds me of the story I saw on Facebook the other day. New gun, during a party, the owner removed the mag and bullets and started passing the gun around to various folks who coonfingered the gun. Afterward the owner re inserted the mag, chambered a round and put it back on the table. Later, his girlfriend, not realizing he reloaded it, picked it up off the table, pointed it at his chest, and playfully pushed the bang switch (and I assume muttererd "pew"). I think you all can see where this is going.

And dammit, if you are that concerned about the $10, I'll buy your damn snap caps. Life is too short to cheap out! Just dont do it!

I mean really, the chances of chambering a live round instead of a snap cap are the same as chambering a live round instead of an empty case. This is why you never point the gun at anything you don't intend to destroy. I agree that life is too short to cheap out on reliable safety equipment, but that story of someone's girlfriend pointing the gun at her boyfriends chest and shooting him is not even in the same ball park as choosing snap caps over empty brass for dry firing. That gun owner (as well as his girlfriend) did not use common sense or even think about safety. Who the hell leaves their loaded gun lying on a table at a party for any drunken retard to pick up and play with? There's this thing you have to take on when you are carrying a firearm and that thing is called responsibility. You never point a gun at someone and pull the trigger. I don't care if you've triple checked the chamber to make sure it's empty. Firearms are not toys and they showed that they were not mature enough to be around them.

Empty your magazine of all live ammunition. Place the live ammunition away from your firearm. Load your empty brass. Double check it isn't a live round. Proceed to dry fire. Take responsibility for your mistake if you don't use common sense and you don't double check your actions.

ETA: Do those same steps if you use snap caps.