Bolts slamming home on an empty chamber

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Roddy

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I'm sure this has been discussed before but I did a search and couldn't find anything. I also asked in the Tavor FAQ but I don't know how many views it gets. Is it okay to let the bolt slam shut on an empty chamber with the modern black rifles popular in Canada, and red rifles and battle rifles for that matter? Are snap caps at all necessary to protect the rifle?

I know this can be safely done with AR-15 type rifles (well the army does it) but I don't know about lot of others. I have a Tavor and I figure because its a modern design the bolt can slam on an empty chamber and live firing is probably far more abusive, but I don't know for sure. I try to baby my rifles but I like dry fire practice and letting the bolt slam shut makes sure they're closed.
 
Tavor is a military rifle so it should be able to take all kind of abuse. I will be surprised if it can be damaged that easily.
 
I always thought that snap caps were to protect firing pins. That is why guys with break action shot guns use them.

For Service shooting with the ORA, we follow CF SOP. Bolt closed, dry fire, close dust cover (for ARs). If a Tavor can't take the stress of slamming the bolt home, how the heck could contain the pressure of a fired cartridge?

I think you are worried about a non-issue. Tavors have a rep of decent quality. You are fine.
 
I have never heard of a rifle being damaged from closing on an empty chamber. Lord knows it's not an issue with the AK series, in which most lack a hold open. Or with 99.9% of all .22lr semis on the market.

Just don't dry fire it. I have broken a firing pin by doing this.....just like people told me I would. Live and learn.
 
Walther_PPK said:
I have never heard of a rifle being damaged from closing on an empty chamber. Lord knows it's not an issue with the AK series, in which most lack a hold open. Or with 99.9% of all .22lr semis on the market.

Just don't dry fire it. I have broken a firing pin by doing this.....just like people told me I would. Live and learn.
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You have broken CENTER FIRE firing pins? In rifles? First I have ever heard of it.
 
I've never had any issues with closing on an empty chamber. From SVT40, CZ858, AR, RFB and Tavor. No issues.
 
If you can't dry fire your gun how can you show safe after a course of fire in competition? You know the part where you show empty drop the slide and pull the trigger. While pointing the firearm down range of course.
 
Walther_PPK said:
I have never heard of a rifle being damaged from closing on an empty chamber. Lord knows it's not an issue with the AK series, in which most lack a hold open. Or with 99.9% of all .22lr semis on the market.

Just don't dry fire it. I have broken a firing pin by doing this.....just like people told me I would. Live and learn.
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Good point about the AK, but it's famous for the abuse it can take. People don't baby those rifles anyways. I let my CZ 858 bolt fly home all the time empty. Dry firing my rifle is kind of the whole point of this though. If I didnt dry fire I would get less than half as much trigger time.

Bolivar, what I had heard about snap caps (and this is all stuff I heard from the internet, not gunsmiths) is that they help absorb the intertia of the bolt closing so it doesn't slam so hard, if slamming was ever a problem in the first place.

For the Tavor specifically the manual says to work the bolt three times to ensure it is unloaded but it doesnt mention if you should ease it home or let it slam. I guess if it breaks from getting run hard it wasn't the quality piece it should be.
 
formerfarmer said:
If you can't dry fire your gun how can you show safe after a course of fire in competition? You know the part where you show empty drop the slide and pull the trigger. While pointing the firearm down range of course.
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You can actually show a firearm is clear without closing the bolt and dry firing. You have to show the mag out and chamber empty. If the bolt stays open, it is still clear.

I'm not 100% clear on why the military does it with closed bolt, hammer down. Perhaps because it is easy to hit the bolt release and have the bolt closer buy accident? The sound of an action closing behind the firing line is....un-nerving
 
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