Is Dry Firing safe

[kfrog]

I have been told for 40 years to never dry fire a gun. But now I see dealers and other people dry fire there guns so is it safe to do this or not ?

[avagadro]

Unless its a rimfire, I dry-fire all my centerfire rifles and pistols.  Great practice to learn trigger control.

If you're that worried, get snap-caps (or dummy rounds) which are made for dry-firing.

[rifle_man]

Using snap caps or a fired case would pervent the fireing pin from slaming into the bolt.There is a very real concern with dry firing older guns, say made before WWII. The problem lies not so much in the spring, it lies in the metallurgy of the firing pin. During WWII, there were exponential gains made in steel composition, and heat treat. A little Vanadium will keep things from work hardening, becoming brittle, and breaking. Work hardening is the culprit, and that's why the old pins break.
Now is there an actual mechanical engineer or metalergist out there that will state that rappid deceleration of modern firing pin going metal to metal is a real benifical thing for your gun and will make it better? Modern guns are made so dry firing a gun shouldnt break it and it could be done hundreads of times before a failure but that dosen't make it a good thing to do.
And if a weapons design engineer could state exactly how modern guns are designed in order to prevent the damaging metal to metal contact of older guns not just that the metalergy is better in firing pins Now that would be something we all could learn from.

[kfrog]

Weather it is safe to dry fire or not what i do not like is Dealers letting people dry fire a fire arm that they are not going to purchase.
To me if someone dry fires a gun they should buy that gun, I do not like some  knucklehead playing with a1000 to 2000 dollar mark v dry fire it and then look at the dealer and say all I was just looking at it.

[Cu-Melter]

You'll never hurt today's bolt action centerfire rifle by dry-firing.
If that would happen, that rifle would be defective anyway.
It's always best to dry fire before you purchase.
It's called kickin' the tires & slammin' doors.

[airlock]

I have a Tikka in 222 and as far as i know dry fire is safe. Because it also has a rubber primer so you can not damage your firing pin.

[Howdeee]

Question...which is better for DRY FIRING my Weatherby, nothing in the chamber, snap caps, or maybe even a spent cartridge?

I am trying to improve my shot groups and have been doing alot of dry fire as prescribed by most all professional marksmen and have wondered which is actually better for the gun?

I have been using snap caps but the rim of the snap cap where the bolt grabs the brass is wearing and I wonder if long term it might do more harm than an empty chamber with the pin not hitting anything?

Anyone have any experience on this topic? Thanks in advance!

[Selous]

Dry firing IS safe, IF you are using either snap caps or a spent cartridge case to give the firing pin something to fall on. I do this, (using snap caps for a 7.62 and a cartridge case for a 6.5X284) often, but I replace a case after 3 hits on the spent primer. I find that it is one of the greatest aids in discplining myself to concentration on trigger control, follow through and above all else FOCUS on the crosshairs, (or front post), as the shot breaks. It is an added benefit to those who cannot get to range as often as one likes, while; given us the chance to perform, at home, all the functions necessary for excellence in marksmanship. When considering the obvious number of shots that can be done in this manner, a person might become a SHOOTER after several months of such training.

[Cu-Melter]

You won't hurt your centerfire rifle by dry-firing.
Period.
Today's typical centerfire rifle is proofed at 100,000 psi.
If you think you're gonna hurt the firing pin by dry-firing...
better get a different hobby.
There's more than 55,000 psi right under your nose each time you pull the trigger.

Now in a few seconds, this will sink in.


Then the rest becomes very clear.
You won't hurt your center-fire by dry-firing.
If you did....that gun should never have gone past quality control.

[Howdeee]

Thanks Selous and Cu- Melter!