Dryfiring a rimfire rifle

Potashminer said:
I do not know "correct" answer, so reading this thread to learn. How can Post #8, " ... I seen 1022 with firing pin dents.", and Post #14, "Every single Ruger ever made has such a stop, ..." both be true?
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Hmmm, I say that yes, it is possible. If one of the stop or the pin is made out of spec, or becomes damaged, you could have problems because the design is no longer functioning as intended. That is a malfunction, and of course any mechanical system can have malfunctions.

It also can cause the the metal of the pin to crystallize and become brittle, certainly a problem on older guns.
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This one is a complete fairy tale. Essentially all solid metals are crystalline, it is not a failure mechanism, ever. Most brittle-appearing failures in metals are due to poor heat treatment, or corrosion mechanisms.
 
The only time that I dry fire a rifle repeatedly is when setting up the
trigger , then I use good quality snap caps .

Other dry firings happen infrequently , some can
not be avoided (oh well).
 
BattleRife said:
As Hitzy said, if the gun was designed with a stop, it's fine.
Every single Ruger ever made has such a stop, they can all be dry fired indefinitely. I recall seeing on the US forums some mention of a US Army doctrine that existed for a while of doing pistol training with Ruger Mk II pistols, and heavy emphasis on dry firing. Apparently those guns were dry snapped many, many thousands of times.
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But MK II were also made when Ruger gave a ####. Lately their QC has been meh when it comes to rimfires. They probably say you can for insurance reason. But dispite the manual saying you can. Their are reports of damage. You hammer on harden steel enough, it gets damaged.

I purchased a SR22 10/22 barrel where the firing pin dented the barrel face. So it can happen.
 
I load magazines with the 'last round' a snap cap. Some of my rifles don't have 'last shot lock-out' and I often lose count !! As for instructions, 'Trust a stranger' that has no investment in my property ?? Not today . . .
 
Buck1950 said:
I load magazines with the 'last round' a snap cap. Some of my rifles don't have 'last shot lock-out' and I often lose count !! As for instructions, 'Trust a stranger' that has no investment in my property ?? Not today . . .
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By stranger you mean the people that designed and built it, also have to warranty it if it stops working, correct? You trust their ability to engineer something that works with 20k psi about 4" from your eye but not engineer something that can be dryfired when they say it can be because they have no vested interest in the rifle or issues that come from the rifle?
 
This is the damage you can expect when dry firing a 10/22 often. I am third owner and it’s circa 1980. I can guarantee it has been dry fired at least a thousand times by me and my family as the clips empty when you get a dry fire. I knew the previous owner and iirc that’s how he rolled. Still has original firing pin as well.

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I am not advocating you do anything other than doing you. This is just my experience and I have same results on all my other .22 rimfire. Also not saying stuff doesn’t happen either, exceptions or norm?

Happy Easter Monday.
 

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Bought a used Ruger MKII once and stop pin was missing. Sure enough the breach face was damaged. Lefebvre's sent it somewhere probably Ruger in thoes days and they fixed it for free.
 
I accidentally dry fired my 1952 Remington 870 Wingmaster at the Langley Rod and Gun Club Boxing Day turkey shoot around 15 years ago. The firing pin broke in half.
 
Chumlee Bumsnag said:
I accidentally dry fired my 1952 Remington 870 Wingmaster at the Langley Rod and Gun Club Boxing Day turkey shoot around 15 years ago. The firing pin broke in half.
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Southcountryguy said:
That’s a weird model rimfire.
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Chumlee Bumsnag said:
Haha. My disdain of dry firing knows no boundaries. Thanks for reeling me in.
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But a firing pin is a firing pin, so I find the story instructive. At least no one has posted that not dry firing will allow the springs to retain their strength by remaining compressed, although if the tread's around long enough I guess that's sure to happen.
 
Big Bad said:
But a firing pin is a firing pin, so I find the story instructive. At least no one has posted that not dry firing will allow the springs to retain their strength by remaining compressed, although if the tread's around long enough I guess that's sure to happen.
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Firing pins are firing pins but rimfire pins will strike the breech with no round loaded where shotgun and centerfire have nothing, So all the force of the spring is put on firing pin stop.
 
If you can remove the bolt and push the firing pin forward mechanically and see the that the firing pin protrudes PAST the face of the bolt when doing so AND the firing pin would then contact/smack the rifle breach steel in some way then I wouldn't. Possibly flatten out or wear down the firing pin face over time and start getting misfires potentially
The only gun I ever owned where this was possible was a Savage Rascal .22LR I had for my kids way back.
If its a bolt action just pull the bolt back, hold the trigger down, push the bolt forward and slowly put the handle down. Semi auto you're pretty much dry firing no matter what.
 
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