- Location
- Mississauga
Can dry-firing damage the firearm or is it okay?
Dry-Firing?
- Thread starter wormwood777
- Start date
The main concern is older firearms and/or rimfire firearms.
If you dryfire a rimfire, the firing pin hits the edge of the chamber and can deform it or damage the pin.
Some centerfire firearms have designs that rely on a cartridge to stop the firing pin, without a cartridge the pin goes too far forward and can damage itself on the bolt face. Mostly happens with older designs, there are a few aftermarket parts for those specific firearms.
Refer to the owners manual for your specific gun. Most modern firearms can be dry fired many times without any probable harm, some actually require you to dry fire them in order to disassemble it.
There are also some guns that are fine to dryfire when assembled, but dry firing them when disassembled can cause damage, such as with an AR15. If you separate the upper and lower receiver and dry fire it, the hammer smacks into the receiver and can damage it or the bolt stop mechanism.
If you dryfire a rimfire, the firing pin hits the edge of the chamber and can deform it or damage the pin.
Some centerfire firearms have designs that rely on a cartridge to stop the firing pin, without a cartridge the pin goes too far forward and can damage itself on the bolt face. Mostly happens with older designs, there are a few aftermarket parts for those specific firearms.
Refer to the owners manual for your specific gun. Most modern firearms can be dry fired many times without any probable harm, some actually require you to dry fire them in order to disassemble it.
There are also some guns that are fine to dryfire when assembled, but dry firing them when disassembled can cause damage, such as with an AR15. If you separate the upper and lower receiver and dry fire it, the hammer smacks into the receiver and can damage it or the bolt stop mechanism.
- Location
- Mississauga
I've been dry-firing my Ruger revolver and then I started to get worried that I had mis-read the manual but on the website it says:
"Can I dry fire my Ruger revolver?
Yes. All Ruger revolvers can be dry fired without damage, and dry firing can be useful to familiarize the owner with the firearm. However, be sure any firearm is completely unloaded before dry firing!"
The only other gun that I've dry-fired was my S&W .357 Mag.
"Can I dry fire my Ruger revolver?
Yes. All Ruger revolvers can be dry fired without damage, and dry firing can be useful to familiarize the owner with the firearm. However, be sure any firearm is completely unloaded before dry firing!"
The only other gun that I've dry-fired was my S&W .357 Mag.
Last edited:
- Location
- Kelowna, BC
Some rimfires are safe to dry-fire as well.
If in doubt, don't do it! Read about your specific gun.
If in doubt, don't do it! Read about your specific gun.
I would suggest you do not dry fire any older or antique firearm just out of principle, the odd time is ok. Only dry fire rimfire firearms that the manufacture recommends and centerfire firearms. Dry firing is very good practice and doesn’t cost you anything.
thenewbieglockguy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Ontario (GTA)
If you are worried about dry-firing you might want to buy a pack of snap-caps to train and dry-fire with. Cheers.
FreedomIsn'tFree
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Buffalo.
Why is that ?
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Most break action shotguns should not be dry fired. I use spring loaded snap caps for that application.
Dry firing a cf is a well known and long used training technique for sight picture and trigger control. Door knobs at the end of a hall way make good POA's for dry fire practice. So do BG's on the TV, but be very sure the firearm is empty. Snicker.
Do not dry fire a rim fire for the reasons given by everybody.
There should be no reason not to dry fire a Tokarev.
Do not dry fire a rim fire for the reasons given by everybody.
There should be no reason not to dry fire a Tokarev.
Mumbles Marble Mouth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Lower Mainland
The owners manual for my 10/22 says its safe to dry fire.
Ontario Hillbilly
Regular
- Location
- Parry Sound
Unfortunately dry fires do inadvertently happen in rimfires, I have had failures to feed followed by that click that makes me cringe. No notable damage on any of mine yet but avoid dry fires if you can.
I checked my 10/22 and found that the firing pin comes to a stop before it will hit the end of the barrel. Not so for my S&W 22a, which had marks from the firing pin when I bought it. I bought some .22 snap caps but found they are only good for 6 or 7 "firings" before they are so badly dented that you can't use them anymore, so I just slide in a spent case so I can pull the trigger and leave the firing pin spring under less tension. al.
