Quick Tip: Is Dry Firing OK?

Firearm trainers advocate practicing your trigger pull by dry firing an unloaded gun. "Wait, no, this isn't safe!" say other folks, "It'll damage the gun!" Brownells Firearm Support Technician Caleb Savant sets the record straight on this burning question: Is it OK to dry fire my gun? On older .22 rimfires, it is NOT OK because the firing pin is actually made of harder steel than the barrel and can damage the edge of the chamber. Most modern rimfire guns have a firing pin stop that prevents the firing pin from hitting the chamber wall if there's no cartridge in the chamber. This varies from gun to gun, so be safe and check your gun's owner's manual. When you dry fire a centerfire gun, the firing pin just extends into.... empty air in the chamber. Nothing for it to smack into, so no risk of damage. (Caleb does have a special warning about certain older Colt revolvers.) GOOD NEWS: Snap caps enable you to dry fire guns that shouldn't be dry fired on an empty chamber. A good snap cap absorbs the firing pin's energy while you develop perfect trigger control!
C'mon, you're not ready to go back to work. Watch another Brownells video: www.brownellsvideos.com

[@Kyle-wc3nf]

This man looks like somebody's Grandpa took a potion that makes you young again.

[@deathlarsen7502]

Great call!

[@drawincode1800]

YEAH MAN HE LOOK ILL! MAYBE HE ON THEM OXY COTIN! LOL!!

[@youmasajp]

I would recommend a shower with a generous amount of shampoo and a nice clean shave. Could be a great guy under the slime.

[@rmblwgn]

@@drawincode1800 what does oc have to do with anything

[@drawincode1800]

@@rmblwgn nowt really lol

[@sylverbullit7192]

Take a drink every time he says, "With That Being Said".... I'm hammered now!

[@dmaxm2498]

Sylverbullit - Don’t make fun of how people talk

[@G0rad]

Im faded man

[@colby7625]

@@dmaxm2498 Only fat people

[@cfvrq]

DMax M249 , with that being said, I agree totally!

[@formhubfar]

I was just about to comment the same :-p

[@rustytaylor7708]

I shot a tv once but it had it coming far a long time.

[@thenglishannel]

Rusty Taylor don’t they all?

[@SailfishSoundSystem]

Sometimes you have to put CNN in their place.

[@rustytaylor7708]

@@SailfishSoundSystem lol

[@rustytaylor7708]

@@thenglishannel don't know if your old enough to remember but sometimes the screen on tv's would roll and have lines in it and you would have to adjust the little knobs to try and make it stop moving it was annoying as hell and of course always at the wrong time lol.

[@dmaxm2498]

That’s why civilians can be trusted to “Larp” and dry fire 😂

[@jinchoung]

lol... "if you're watching john wick or the mandalorian"! talkin' about hitting the nail on the head! kudos.

[@jstarr7506]

Finally a gun guy on KZbin without a beard

[@austinhuber3131]

You clearly haven't heard of Paul Harrell or James Reeves

[@mrexpendable1232]

Lucas botkin

[@jonmeray713]

He hates mr g n g sometimes

[@scottcarroll7782]

@@austinhuber3131 Paul Harrell once fought Chuck Norris, loser had to grow a beard. True story

[@thatoneguy12ize]

Hickock 45????

[@tubeonline629]

There use to be s old sporting goods store in a nearby town that had a sign at the gun counter that said " Dry fire all you want, $10.00 each time"

[@adamjensen8775]

That's a Fudd Shop

[@TheJMan1K]

Yeah cause lemme leave your firing pin spring compressed eventually wearing it down over time

[@Walkercolt1]

It's called a "re-sized spent cartridge". You run a spent round into a re-sizing die for reloading and you can dry fire on the spent primer until your hands fall off. A spent .22 LR or .22 Magnum will re-chamber just fine and you can dry fire on it. I keep all plastic "dry fire" shells in all my shotguns, except the one under my bed that's ready to go. The pawn shop down the street from me will let you dry fire any of their weapons for sale, after you buy them.

[@Walkercolt1]

@@TheJMan1K Let's see, I have my late Father's Mossberg 26(b) in .22 LR and it's been stored most of it's 76 years cocked. Yup, that firing pin spring is sure worn-out, it has never mis-fired but 5 times in my lifetime, and those were all Federal bargain shells. With Remington High Speeds, never a problem. I'm nearly 67...

[@blairbuskirk5460]

Stress occurs on springs while they are either being loaded on when they are unloading. Being under compression( within parameters) doesn't damage them.

[@TRIIGGAVELLI]

Caleb looks like he's straight out of Alabama in the 1950s. It's so awesome.

[@TRIIGGAVELLI]

@@flyinggoose1456 You're probably right but I avoided that game like a coughing Chinamen.

[@kassilewis5511]

He does somewhat resemble Hank Sir.

[@CalebSavant]

The comment section never disappoints!

[@super5oldier139]

@@TRIIGGAVELLI i hope in the next 10 years this makes it into our regular vocabulary

[@wizardofahhhs759]

He looks like the guy from the Annabelle and Insidious movies.

[@brodyscarlett5527]

I really appreciate these quick tip videos. I learn a little more everytime

[@WhiskeyTactical]

me too the production is awesome

[@certainpointofview3860]

Isn’t learning so much easier when your already interested in the topic lol

[@Oscarmike247]

Another cool use for snap caps is to help you control your recoil impulse with pistols (when you jerk down while firing). get out enough ammo for a magazine, and throw in several snap caps. load the mag blind or have someone else load it for you. You'll now have an unknown number of dead rounds in an unknown order. When you hit that snap cap, it really helps you identify how badly you are jerking the gun and helps you actively counter the impulse. It improved my pistol accuracy dramatically after practicing this.

[@metcalfe87]

This is why I read comments. Thank you!

[@alepepperoni2563]

Real tips always in the comments.

[@glenk2254]

Yes, you can have an embarrassing flinch with even a 22LR with snap-caps and dummy rounds. You also have to continue to treat each failure to fire as if it were a squib or bad round. Good training in both conditions.

[@Wetlax11]

With that being said, another great video!

[@LedGuitar1218]

Somebody told me “with that being said” is said a lot here, and I’m really into that phrase. So.......with that being said...

[@Dragonangel426]

With that being said...That's what she said.

[@cbb9553]

Well said about "with that being said"

[@Ranstone]

Somebody once told me the world is gunna roll me.

[@MoviesFreeGalore]

Basically, rimfires, no. Centerfires, are fine. But always consult your owners manual or Google.

[@humblehunk9022]

Yes, 99% of the time that's correct.

[@ch319ris]

I have a .32 acp Beretta tomcat and I broke the pin dry firing. Small caliber firing pins are small and you should use snap caps.

[@tubeonline629]

Not just old rimfires, I bought a new Smith Wesson sw22 victory and in the owners manual it says never dry fire your pistol, damage to the pistol will result.

[@MoviesFreeGalore]

@@tubeonline629 It was kind of a general statement, I'll edit my comment so there's still a deferment to the owners manual. I dry fire my shotgun atleast 3x a week from unloading it.

[@tubeonline629]

@@MoviesFreeGalore Yes I never understood why it would harm shotguns or center fire, most of the newer rimfire say it's ok. I was actually surprised to read that in my SW22 manual. I have a old H&R 9 shot .22 and it had been dry fired so much that the cartridges would hang in the cylinder when trying to eject them. It was from the firing pin hitting the edge of the cylinder causing it to peen the metal just enough to tighten the chamber. I used long taper punch to swage it back out. Brownells use to sell a tool for that but it's no longer available.

[@waynewilhelm1199]

I was once told if a gun breaks from dry firing it. Then it's a gun neither of us want

[@innawoodsman]

A nice piece of wisdom for sure

[@shawnwells5719]

What a load of crap. Many classic guns will break firing pins if dry fired without a snap cap in place: Marlin levers with two piece pins, Remington 760, Savage 1899. Even broke a pin in a Savage 110 bolt gun once. My First Generation Colt SAA is never snapped without caps in the chambers.

[@waynewilhelm1199]

@@shawnwells5719 not a gun i want

[@shawnwells5719]

@@waynewilhelm1199 WTF asked you? Do you even own a gun?

[@Snubrevolver]

Smith and Wesson Model 10

[@nightmarethunderfist]

"Just make sure your firearm is unloaded." BLAM! *new hole in tv screen*

[@elmothewise3915]

My uncle was trying to see if our little 22 rifle was unloaded, so he racked the slide a couple times and about 7 rounds come out, does it again and nothing comes out, so he decided to pull the trigger to be sure and BOOM, hole in our window.

[@rmblwgn]

@@elmothewise3915 I've never thought that this would happen but nonetheless I always try fire at the floor . Some subconscious tick makes me do it, like it feels unsafe to point at a wall and pull the trigger

[@elmothewise3915]

@@rmblwgn well for us wasn't a big deal, he was a carpenter and we were living in the woods.

[@uncleval1250]

Lemme guess, a Marlin Model 60? ... Notorious for that "last round" 🤠👍

[@TomDoesUtube]

@@elmothewise3915 hahahaha ...yes ...love it ...shit happens .. to me the gun is always loaded .. ( I did sort of the same thing in the Nam but got away with it ... missed everything)

[@BT1776]

Any collector or hard to find/replace parts, I would skip dry fire altogether.

[@dmaxm2498]

GID BT - Yah they said that in the video!

[@blacksuite1]

These last few vids have been really helpful to new and beginner shooters. Thanks!

[@BillMcGirr]

blacksuite1 Yup... good common sense here. And concise explanation. It makes sense and covers it all in reasonable language. Good stuff.👍

[@IsaacSchultz]

Well here we are 4 years later? Have you been dry firing this whole time, because if you spent 1 hour a week doing dryfire I bet you can pull a trigger without your heart beating by now.

[@Actheman1978]

Concise and to the point…thanks Brownells for not stretching this video out to 10 or 15 minutes like most channels.

[@AVENGERX805]

A+ for mentioning John Wick and Mandalorian

[@kingduckford]

With the current price of ammunition and the shortage of reloading components, looks like dry fire is all we're going to get for the next couple of years.

[@benjamindminor7552]

I will sell you some ammo I have had no problem getting any.

[@nerychristian]

Use snap caps

[@Ranstone]

Years? The reason ammo prices are so high is because we're on the brink of a civil war. In 6 months time, ammo will be either back to normal, or we'll be in foxholes.

[@ytucharliesierra]

For budget's sake I use a Beeman P17 airgun for target practice with H&N Excite Econ II pellets. It is a very precise gun with a matchlike trigger and as a precompressed gun, dryfiring is no issue. The trigger can even be engaged for dryfiring without having to compress the air by quarter-cocking it. The pellets mentioned above are ridiculously cheap for their high quality. I buy them in bulk and they never let me down. A pellet trap is easily assembled out of home improvement scrap and set up in the backyard. That way I don't need to go to the range all the time, which saves me a lot of gas money as well.

[@isaacweinheimer2573]

@@benjamindminor7552 you still have no problem getting ammo for a decent price ?

[@dasnegotiator]

Yellow drywall anchors are the same size as a .22. I have used them for years.

[@devlinfoster4503]

Hahaha!

[@BillMcGirr]

If this is true... Awesome. If not you’re a very bad person.🙄

[@dasnegotiator]

This wasn't posted as a joke. The firing pin leaves a dimple in the back of the anchor. Try it with a newer firearm to make sure.

[@kirkrasmussen9629]

Jonathan - no joke, I use the same in my .22 as well. You can get about a hundred of them for just a buck or two and you get about 10 dry fires for each.

[@blairbuskirk5460]

I never understood the cost of snap caps considering their simplicity

[@jibb1451]

I will say this: I owned a CZ-75 B Omega in 9mm. I dry fired it quite a bit after buying it new. After about 9 months, the actual firing pin retention pin on the slide sheered off on the inside of the gun, making it completely fail to fire until I bought and replaced the roll pin. If you are dry firing a hammer fired handgun like a 1911, or a CZ-75, M9, etc. I suggest popping an ear plug between the hammer and the firing pin. It will completely eliminate the force of the hammer on the pin, and prevent it from bottoming out. Also, it doesn't really impede the actual pull of the trigger so your drills wont be greatly effected either.

[@tontonton9824]

thanks for the info

[@adrianc6534]

I’ve dry fired my m9a4 and p01 thousands of times, still going strong

[@aidandodge466]

I love these videos. Honestly some of the most wholesome content on KZbin in the firearm department.

[@2wheeleddemon999]

Practicing quick drawls on the TV? Have you been spying on me? Hahahaha I'm usually wearing nothing but a gun belt and chest rig anyways 😂

[@itsfree2639]

Remind to never buy anything used from you...

[@peanutbuttersandwich5015]

This is my rifle, this is my gun. 😂

[@jcllh3276]

Hahahahahaha I do the same thing except I do it in my boxers while wearing a camel pack so I don’t get dehydrated

[@fproszek]

A cop dressing for dinner, his horny wife attacked him. She said when she saw his sweater and shoulder rig, he looked like the "bullet" steve mcqueen poster she had on her college room wall.

[@SailfishSoundSystem]

I did not know that the Ruger Mk series was safe to dry fire. Thank you.

[@jonbrooks6748]

I didn't know that a 10/22 was also safe to dry fire, tho the only time I've done it was when the magazine was empty.

[@Riceball01]

I've always figured that dry firing center fire rifles was ok since they had us do that a lot during rifle qual in Marine Corps boot camp and to a degree afterwards too. They called this snapping in and we'd aim at little black dots on a white 55 gallon drum to practice our trigger pull, breathing, and aiming our rifles. Of course the Corps has the advantage of dedicated armorers to check over the rifles as they are turned in but I can't imagine them wanting to spend that much replacing firing pins/fixing rifles if it was a bad thing.

[@CalebSavant]

Fact, If I had a dollar for every time I dry fired a firearm in the military I would be set for life!

[@chriswonsmos1007]

They had us balance a dime on the flash suppressor. If you were using good trigger control, the dime would stay there.

[@doughesson]

USMC Scout/Sniper candidates are prohibited from dry firing & are charged for the cost of the firing pin if they are caught doing it.My neighbor has personal experience on that.

[@BertShackleford]

A-Zoom Striker (rimless) Caps made by Lyman are your friend when dry firing. They allow you to _continually_ practice without ejecting the round each time you cycle the action. Certain firearms such as the CZ P-07 had a known problem when dry firing. CZ now includes one black snap cap with extra green rubber primers to aid in your dry fire practice. I mention this because my wife recently picked up a CZ P-07 in OD Green and I hear her practicing her trigger control throughout the day. Meanwhile, I'm in my bunker (as she calls it) practicing my trigger control with my new CZ P-01 Omega. There's been a whole bunch of trigger pressing going on since the order to work from home. Our house echoes with the sounds of trigger mechanisms all day long. For those who are unaware. The Lyman A-Zoom Striker caps allow you to practice dry firing _AND_ racking the slide without ejecting your snap cap as I stated earlier. They not only protect your firing pin, but also allow you to practice both trigger press and trigger reset. Be sure to get the _rimless_ snap caps (known as Striker Caps) which are orange in color and come with extra o-rings that help to keep the round seated in the chamber. The package only comes with two snap caps and a few extra o-rings, but since they're bright orange, you'll be less likely to loose them. Unlike the ubiquitous brown snap caps that we all know and hate. Never ceases to amaze me where those things end up. The same can be said about detent springs. I know we all have a plethora of those things hidden somewhere behind, under, next-to some furniture. Keep up the good work my friends. EDITED for double spacing.

[@project86xero]

Careful the CZ p01 can have issues even with the snap caps. My P01 omegas fireing pin took chunks out of the retaining roll pin and got stuck even with the snap cap. Depending on the angle of the roll pins opening it might take a few thousand dry fires or a few hundred. When I contacted cz they were pretty blase about it. So I called Cajun Gun Works. They said it's a known issue with any of the CZ models that have the roll pin retainer. Basically anything that has a fireing pin block has the roll pin retainer. Now most of their military service models, an a few odd balls like some of the shadow series, don't have the fireing pin block. So it's not usually an issue. But here in the US most CZs have the firing pin plunger block. Cajun Gun Works recommend their fireing pin and spring upgrade kit. Which was like $60 shipped. Had it installed by my local Smith and it's all good. Although, even though they said it would be fine with the upgrades, I still don't dry fire it anymore because it's my primary ccw.

[@BertShackleford]

@@project86xero Excellent advice James. We had already planned on upgrading both CZ's. The P-07 with the Cajun Gun Works Pro Package and the P-01 with the 75700 Omega Kit from CGW. However, since we live in Arizona we may just take them down to Mesa and have the CZ Custom Shop perform the equivalent services on both pistols. In fact, I think that's what we prefer to do. We always support local AZ business first and foremost. Plus everyone recognizes and respects the CZ Custom Shop. Not to mention, I'm not fond of sending my firearms out of state for upgrades. Either way it's a win-win situation. Thank you my friend. EDITED for double spacing.

[@bertg.6056]

Thank you Brownells for these great videos. Caleb, you're the best !

[@marcfredo7523]

He didn’t mention it, and I’m sure almost everyone knows this, but worth saying that it’s ok to discharge, or “dry fire” a striker, once you’ve obviously dropped the mag and ejected a chambered round. With some pistols, like the Sig P365 I now carry, once you chamber a round, the striker is charged. If you want to safely discharge it, the only way is to go through what I just mentioned. And with respect to the video’s topic, yes, it’s fine to “dry fire,” once you’ve done that. As I said, I’m sure that’s a huge “duh” for most of us, but there’s more and more new gun folks every day, which is a good thing, and we want them to be safe and enjoy what our Constitution has guaranteed them.

[@Spoons7414]

Marc Fredo Right on

[@mouthbreather280]

I’d like to say the same but I’m Canadian. But my constitution did guarantee that "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person". So they break the constitution in essence by denying self defence rights with a tool of my choosing.

[@marcfredo7523]

plopnow Now you’ve got me curious about your government. Just exactly what do they suggest for a Canadian citizen to use, in order to ensure “security of the person?” When I read your comments, I realized how even I, sometimes take for granted just how important the 2nd Amendment really is.

[@mouthbreather280]

Marc Fredo oh yeah. Be glad the founding fathers spelled out in crayons 🖍 PRECISELY what they meant in an entirely separate amendment. Otherwise they knew that those rights would have been taken away.

[@djarnispunk-rock8026]

It's amazing how Brownells can make a video in 2020. And yet you are instantly in doubt whether this is actually from the late 70's.

[@armija]

For my rimfire I simply use spent cartridge

[@flowerfire7]

Can we insert 22lr empty shell in chamber then dry fire? Directly in chamber or through magazine?

[@djsgravely]

That’s the most truth I’ve ever seen about dry-firing. I’ve always questioned whether or not I was doing any potential damage. Now I know that I’m okay. Thank you.

[@dmaxm2498]

There’s probably a million forums about this! 😂 Trust Brownells! 👍🏼

[@BillMcGirr]

DMax M249 That’s cute. But there isn’t anything in your comment or emoji that refutes... Or adds to anything. Not particularly thoughtful.😉👍

[@squeegied3rdeye713]

With that being said, Brownells has become my go to

[@BillMcGirr]

Spencer7445 _ It should read... Just (second graders learn a capital letter starts a sentence) like your comment, (third graders understand a comma goes here not a period) a waste of time. You’re welcome. School is out.

[@brownells]

With that being said, we appreciate it.

[@Big-Monkey-Man]

Most people I know can't be trusted with a Wii-mote in front of the TV much less a gun

[@gunsngunpla]

Man, I remember watching infomercials from the 1990's with this soundtrack.

[@bmonz7211]

With that being said I think I've heard this sound track on late night infomercials

[@ABusFullaJewz]

"just make sure your firearm is unloaded." Well now you tell me. On an unrelated note, anyone know a good TV repairman?

[@theroadlesstraveled5517]

“That being said” yet another informative video.

[@paulhughes3961]

Great information, I did not know that about rim fire guns.

[@MajorKazukien]

This is a really good P.S.A that all gun owners should learn

[@slickstretch6391]

Nice vid. Thanks! I was confused because my g-pa always told me that dry-firing your guns could damage them, but now people are saying that you should practice dry-firing... Now it makes sense.

[@cvshav]

Brownells does an excellent job with these videos

[@frankdn109]

Centerfires: I broke an 1893 Marlin's firing pin by dry firing it so often the pin snapped in half due to metal fatigue. Rimfires: all the aluminum .22 snap caps I've seen include a disclaimer that they are to be used in testing/demonstrating how to load, clear and unload; but are not to be used for dry firing. For a rimfire, buy a package of wallboard anchors at your hardware store.

[@loganderksen4725]

You know.... I've probably put a hundred thousand rounds down range, & only had 1, broken firing pin. Yes, my experience has overwhelmingly be on the C9. (Canadian version of the M249 SAW), no I don't own "rim fire" firearms. But... most of our modern firearms are robust. An 870 Remington has had My only broken firing pin, & it was built in the 60's.... my thoughts.... If you can ride the bolt down, or the hammer forward, do that. Then you can control it.

[@RunCMD97]

Damn I've been dry firing my Winchester so I'll be careful

[@KP762a]

Snap Caps are great for dry firing, but it should be noted that they will need to be replaced from time to time, especially for rim fire versions. Also, i have found that some extractors tend to chew the edges of rims (in this case on 12ga shotgun versions) when being cycled.

[@adampeck6617]

Excellent explanation sir! Thank you! Finally cleared that up for me👌

[@robertdeen8741]

I'm the first to admit that I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I've never heard that the 10-22 is built so the firing pin can't reach the chamber. The, let's call it go-nogo clearance, the thickness of a .22 rim, which I'm sure must vary, is small. I'd rather give up dryfiring in exchange for guaranteed detonation. Is my thought valid or am I an idiot? To me the thought that the pin can't reach the whole way is not a great idea. I clean my arms after every use but some folks don't. How much crud would have to build up so the pin doesn't strike the primer with enough energy to detonate. In life and engineering, there's always a trade off. And since I'm putting in my 2 cents, it behoves me to thank you gentlemen for your most excellent videos. I've learned a great deal of very valuable knowledge. You a providing a service that is much needed. Let's stamp out all the Fudd Lore. There's far too much stupid thoughts out in the world that people sware is true. Suppose Hollywood is to blame for much of it but how can we expect politicians to make good gun laws when they are truly clueless. Alas, I'm in Canada and it's much worse up here. Like our useless over budget longarm registry. I guess we gun owners are to blame for that but, the idiots did let us register our glue guns, soldering guns, stappleguns, and grease guns (not M3s), so it became the perfect model for garbage in garbage out soft ware. God bless John Moses Browning and all the wonderful things he created.

[@henrybittle5234]

With that being said, Thanks

[@nmhvactech5474]

I’ve been arguing this exact point to people for so long. Thank you for this video so now I can “educate” them!!😉

[@alexmaurice4274]

This video was so helpful to me and easy to understand too. Thank you sm!

[@brownells]

Thanks for watching!!

[@jonmajarucon51]

This was so great. I have had my Ruger Bull barrel .22 for years and NEVER dry fired. Then again, no one ever told me why I should NOT dry fire a Ruger MK. Thanks

[@Rotgutify]

2:38 Ah, a man of culture

[@Tragicide]

I almost desk popped inside my house while practicing reload drills. I loaded an empty mag, charged it, and I noticed I felt something different. Then I realized I had just loaded a round into the chamber. Thank God for trigger discipline.

[@edwinlee2343]

I loaded an empty mag I had just loaded a round into the chamber

[@clarkallen6790]

Thank you, sir. This video was helpful.

[@TheMeazy1]

I was always told not to dry fire, you could break the pin. I see it is mostly with rimfire guns that you shouldn't do it with. Thanks for clearing that up. I have this PLR 22 from last year and the hammer has been back ever since. I never took it to the range, just kept it clean and oiled. Today, I released the hammer without hitting the firing pin. This gun folds in half and I was able to slowly release the hammer. Thanks for the advice about dry firing rimfire guns. I never thought to just open it up and release the hammer, I never dry fired it.

[@jonbrooks6748]

I reckon you should be able to use an expended shell casing if you can't find snap caps.

[@AdmiralXyes]

I'd avoid it if possible. I once tried to do that with an expended shotgun shell. It went in fine but it got stuck on the way out. For a short while I thought it was permanently stuck but I managed to get it out using a *lot* of force.

[@derweibhai]

CZ B series handguns, and Beretta 92's will break firing pins or damage retaining pins if dry fired. Not all centerfire guns can be dry fired. I believe that you can crystallize the metal in your firing pin on some guns as well, best use snapcaps.

[@Whiskey.Tango.Actual]

I've dry fired my 92's tens of thousands times...no damage and still run 100%. Why do you say this? Am I missing something?

[@Semyon_Semyonych]

@@Whiskey.Tango.Actual I second that. I've dry-fired both, my CZ-75BD and Beretta-92F a countless number of times. Nothing bad has ever happened. On the other hand, a firing pin form a Kel-Tec that I bought back in 2003 had endured aboit 1000 shots and snapped in half. They sent me a free replacememt -- same story: a broken firing pin after just a few hundereds rounds. So, this is not about the dry-firing, nope. This all is about quality and quality only...

[@IamTheGoatstroker]

Explain “crystallize the metal in your firing pin.” I bet you can’t.

[@Whiskey.Tango.Actual]

@@IamTheGoatstroker if you're asking me to explain that I will I guess...put simply, one can not crystallize the metal in a modern high quality firing pin without significant heat... Using the term in this context doesn't make any sense.

[@IamTheGoatstroker]

@@Whiskey.Tango.Actual I’m with ya. I was asking the OP to explain his comment.

[@MikeS0418]

Had a 151mb for a while, great little guns. Sold it because I have a 46b post war that scratched the antique .22 itch a little better, but I love the butt feed .22 all the same. The way that particular action loads rounds is interesting to say the least

[@tominfoengnet]

Makes perfect sense about centerfire vs rimfire, which is why I was confused when on a forum people were stating you shouldn't dry fire the Star .380. I don't see how you can possibly damage a firing pin that doesn't strike anything.

[@billw4481]

Great work, Caleb, and a very clear explanation many shooters will benefit from hearing. I still own, and occasionally shoot an older Beretta Model 70S, semi-automatic pistol, chambered in .22 caliber. It’s a classic old gun (purchased new in c.1975), which I believe has been used by Israeli intelligence officers, and I would hate to damage it. Do you know if it can be dry-fired? Thank you! Will in Chicago

[@edwinlee2343]

That is what I always figured about center fire pistols. I never understood why people said it would damage the firing pin. Anyways, I have some John Wick scenes I have to go reenact.

[@andrewmacintosh2287]

You did a good job on your video. I say that only on occasion. But good job. Simple quick and accurate.

[@jacktripper369]

Always great content. 🇺🇸

[@thenglishannel]

With that being said, I thought the firing pin could eventually shatter or something

[@kylebradley3]

I think it was more of a concern back when we were using corrosive ammo/primers. The salts would get into the channel the firing pin sits in and break it down over time, and one day it shatters.

[@DreadX10]

That's what they told us back in the day too. Having the firing pin strike at nothing could cause the tip to break off (due to the reflected tensile-wave going back through it). We were using FN-Fall's and FN Browning HP's. I learned later that this would happen if the firing-pin already had (developed) a flaw in it or the heat-treatment was too much on the brittle side of things. In other words, if you dry-fire and the firing-pin breaks that is good news as you now have to replace it for a decent one that won't fail when you need it.

[@brutlstrudl6748]

DON"T dry fire a Double barrel Shotgun. I keep snap caps in mine so I don' have to think about it.

[@benr8772]

Hmm, I can dry fire this old Spanish sxs once, no big deal. Snap. Ping. Tinkle tinkle. Hey, gunsmith, what's it gonna cost me to mill a replacement pin?!

[@TheCharleseye]

Same. My old Stevens got its own snap caps as soon as I got it. A worthwhile $10 insurance policy.

[@yujin8168]

could you explain why not?

[@benr8772]

@@yujin8168, I am no expert, but I have one personal experience, and Google. I had an old side by side 12ga, I shot several dozen boxes of shells through it, dry fired it once, and shot the firing pin out the barrel and against the far wall of the living room. Google searches show a mixed opinion; 1: Any "good" center-fire can be dry fired. 2: You should use snap caps in old shotguns, they're cheap insurance. In my experience, a $10 set of snap caps would have saved me $120+ to have that vintage firing pin milled. YMMV

[@brutlstrudl6748]

@@yujin8168 Because i will kick your ass if you do

[@robertwhite]

With that being said.... Thank you for a great video!

[@goosecouple]

Thumbs up. Very clear explanation.

[@joeh8785]

What about drywall anchors? Iirc, #4 yellow drywall anchors...?

[@johnknouse8846]

That being said, just use snap caps and then you won’t have to worry about it!

[@dadecountyriders]

Great video thanks

[@F1god04]

A very helpful video. Thanks!

[@jmon84015]

I watched a video that said it was damaging to let the slide slam forward without a round to chamber in a 1911 does the same go with a cz 75?

[@CalebSavant]

True for the 1911, CZ 75 should be fine in that regard.

[@the1rawdawg]

Thanks cause I have a 1911 and I do that sometimes.

[@dELTA13579111315]

@@CalebSavant why is that true for a 1911? I don't own one yet so I haven't heard this

[@bangochupchup]

My axiom is never put undue stress on a critical component, ie, a combat handgun. I've carried 1911's for over 30 years and CZ75's for over 20. That's my two cents. ;)

[@andrewstoll4548]

I use snap caps on any rimfire firearm I own.

[@earlgunman6325]

I have never used a rimfire snapcap. How is the longevity of them? I would assume that the firing pin would deform the aluminum over time.

[@andrewstoll4548]

@@earlgunman6325 yes it gets deformed a little. If it stayed in the same position each time you will have to replace it sooner. But you hit it a couple times every couple degrees. It should last for quite awhile.

[@Th3Su8]

@@Jezus42 And if you are real cheap you could make your own "snap caps". At least for center fire cartridges. Just glue a piece of rubber eraser into the primer pocket of a properly sized cartridge with a bullet seated in it. Trim the excess eraser flush with the case and you are ready to go. You may need to change it out eventually.

[@bemo4313]

thanks for this very informative video.. with that being said, good night 😉

[@OPMDK]

Surprisingly informative 👍

[@IslamBigGay]

I thought this video was 8 years old or something the entire time until he said mandalorian 😂

[@jacobstaten2366]

It certainly has that 90's American Shooter/infomercial feel.

[@mensb1936]

me 2 lmao

[@lonewolf8820]

I came here for the guns but no homo, his hair is perfect

[@brownells]

Facts...

[@aquablue6301]

Brylcreem

[@Darkness-ln9by]

Great video!

[@wilfdarr]

So it's the pin stop say makes the difference. I was wondering what the difference between my older guns that said no and my newer guns that said yes was. That's awsome info. Thanks!

[@Hrajnoga]

But CZ52 pistol is centerfire and will break when dryfired :-O

[@blueplasma5589]

also an HK4 in any of the 4 calibers, the firing pin is not very stout.

[@JusticeBackstrom]

So it's like most of this type of question: Older guns: No; Newer Guns: Yes. Is it okay to carry on a loaded chamber? Not with old revolvers, but yes, for new revolvers. Is it okay to store loaded guns, for long periods of time? Not, for old guns, and ammo, but yes, for newer guns, and ammo. Is it okay to dry fire your gun? Not with old guns, but yes, for newer guns.

[@cruzzindodge]

In the army they taught us to check the trigger operation on a m16/m4 that included dry firing and holding the trigger back afterwards to check for the click once released.

[@tuscanollie1242]

thank you this was very helpful

[@a.s.7386]

"With that being said. . ." Even the firearms I own that are deemed OK to dry fire, I keep it to a minimum. Any dry fire creates stress somewhere, be it the side of the chamber, the firing pin itself, inside the bolt, or somewhere on the hammer. . . It's just not a good thing to be doing to your firearm.

[@aricowens2289]

A. S. This only applies to rim fire weapons and some very specific models. Literally every other center fire weapon is completely fine to dry fire.

[@jellyfrosh9102]

How is dry firing a centerfire gun creating stress anywhere?

[@ViktoriousDead]

Jellyfrosh it doesn’t, he just decided that was his opinion and is going to try and convince people he is right.

[@a.s.7386]

@@ViktoriousDead Quite the opposite. I don't give a rat's ass if anyone thinks I'm right or wrong. I just stated my belief that it causes undo wear. You know, someone a lot smarter than me once said, "Every action blah, blah, blah equal and opposite reaction." You're releasing a powerful little spring there and that energy, as it's absorbed, has to be doing something somewhere. But, you do whatever you like. Just not with any weapon of mine. And you're right. . . My opinion.

[@mopar21]

So, don't dryfire a rimfire, like everyone has said for decades.

[@KB4QAA]

No, that is not what he said.

[@mopar21]

@@KB4QAA commonly sense would deduct that from the video.

[@grimm2085]

Great video, great channel, thank you for sharing your knowledge, God Bless All ❤️

[@ggawgs1420]

One to be careful of is the Ruger Bearcat (new model). The owners manual states that it is safe to dry fire without damage, so I did. When I took it to the range, I couldn't load it because all the chambers were badly peened from the firing pin. Sent it to Ruger for repair.

[@johnterpack3940]

"That being said" indicates the following statement contradicts or provides exceptions for the previous statement. It is not a generic transition.

[@johnbeauvais3159]

It's a crib, just a default transition while actively thinking of the next set of statements, I use "Moreover" frequently or "But I digress" it's a hard tick to break especially because it feels so minor and natural.

[@johnterpack3940]

@@johnbeauvais3159 I agree, I understand what's going on. It's just annoying to a semantics Nazi like myself when somebody uses the wrong one. As you point out, "moreover" and "but I digress" serve the same purpose and there are many more to pick from. They all have different meanings which work in different situations. I can't help but think of the "ascertain" skit by "The Kids in the Hall".

[@bonedigger666]

Error on the side of caution, never dry fire.

[@thegt101ish]

With that being said!!!!!! Good info

[@effective455]

P90, I dry fire it A LOT. Good info. Thank you.

[@thechuckennoris5751]

Is it safe to dry fire a crossbow, i wanna see an experiment Jk dont

[@tindoortailgator]

Common Sense says use Snap-Caps - End of Discussion

[@Stephen-br6il]

I bought some 9mm snap caps to practice with after reassembly after cleaning. Works good for practice. Just get the ones with brass in the center.

[@soopcan4980]

Very informative! I love to just fiddle with my Norinco Mak-90 and PM Makarov (East German) all day at my desk!

[@jpc123ful]

I heard from a friend that he knows a guy who lives in a singlewide and dry fires at the TV during the socialist debates while swilling down a case of PBR. That being said: God Bless Murica!

[@rayserrato9519]

Very informational.

[@BamaChad-W4CHD]

This is a great video! Y'all leave Caleb alone. He does a awesome job. With that being said, continue on everyone. 😏😏😏

[@Saintlawrence100]

Great info!!💯⭐️

[@versoarmamentcompany]

Great video

[@mikey5848]

Good video. Thank you!

[@eddiejohnhurst1]

Thanks man!!!

[@Form44208]

I have a couple of surplus firearms that are not good to dry fire. A semi auto pistol vz. 52 which has a brittle firing pin. Luckily there are aftermarket pins made for it. A MAS 49/56 rifle which has a very strong hammer spring and have been known to crack the hammers. I made my own snap cap for this using a new 7.5x54 case and I filled the primer hole with part of a .22 LR snap cap that I cut down to fit.