Author Topic: ok to dry fire?  (Read 859 times)

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Offline greyling

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ok to dry fire?
« on: February 24, 2007, 12:48:01 PM »
I grew up with some old NEF style shotguns, and if you dry fired them it broke the firing pin. Is it ok to dry fire a current manufacture handi? I assume yes but habbits you are raised with are hard to shake and I would really hate to break my new gun.

Offline myarmor

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2007, 12:53:13 PM »
The same applies except not necessarily the firing pin, but It will break the transfer bar and or linkage.


-Aaron

Offline quickdtoo

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2007, 01:18:00 PM »
What Aaron said, the t-bar is the weak link, no pun!! It clearly states not to dry fire in the Owner's manual on page 3. ;)

Tim
"Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest" -  Mark Twain

Offline greyling

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2007, 04:24:56 PM »
well my brand new gun did not come with an owners manual. so it's a good thing I asked. and other jewels like that I missed out on?

Offline quickdtoo

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2007, 04:28:50 PM »
Contact H&R CS, they'll send ya one, there should have been one in the box, there's been one in every one I've bought, even most of the used ones. ;)

Tim

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Offline greyling

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2007, 06:56:29 PM »
sweet thanks. all I got was the gun and a child lock in the box. I was wondering why my life felt so empty.... :)

Offline quickdtoo

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2007, 07:17:37 PM »
If you got a rifle with no sights, you should have got a hammer extension in the box too, along with an accessory barrel program pamphlet and some other propa.....er.... advertizing stuff. ;D

Tim
"Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest" -  Mark Twain

Offline sluggo

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2007, 12:17:16 AM »
...i got a fruit cake with mine, it was close to CHRISTmas.... ;D
...there are many kinds of wounded, and only one kind of dead. Do it the Handi way, one shot, one kill.

Offline Brett

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2007, 03:05:26 AM »
I guess I'm old school I don't dry fire any of my guns without "snap caps".   

It's very easy to make your own "snap caps" by depriming and cleaning a few spent shells and pumping a little silicone sealant (exterior caulk) down into the empty shell until a little protrudes threw the primer hole.  Let it set up and walla a low cost "snap cap". 
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Offline mt3030

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2007, 06:49:00 AM »
.....Is it ok to dry fire a current manufacture handi? ....
NO!
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Offline mookster79

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2007, 07:21:14 AM »
Great idea on the low budget snap cap.  I also had never dry firing any firearm driven in to my head since  I was younger.
TJM

Offline Is64.8

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Re: ok to dry fire?
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2007, 04:17:13 AM »
Just to ramble a bit........

The main reason my Dad taught us to never dry fire a gun when I was younger was for safety reasons.   He used to say "Noone ever gets shot by accident with a LOADED gun."  Checking the action/chamber/magazine for shells/cartridges became a check, double-check, triple check, etc. occurrence for me.

I learned later through reading and from others that it could damage the gun, too.

Several years ago I took a Ruger Blackhawk into the shop where I bought it.  It had been rebuilt into a five-shot .454.  The owner's son looked it over, made sure it was not loaded, cocked it and put his thumb between the hammer so he could check the trigger job out for himself.  That seemed like a good idea except I use a leather strap to catch the fall of the hammer when doing so.  Seems like another way to save some wear & tear when practicing trigger control.