So the case rim ripped right off...

[Mitchell, Esq.]

I was dryfiring with my Glock 19 using the red aluminum snap caps...and the fucking thing wouldn't cycle when I tapped & racked the slide.

Fucker was locked, so I racked harder and it opened.

The aluminum practice round's rim was ripped off.

Apparently, snap-caps have a limited life span, and 2.5 years of use has reached it.

I stripped the slide and inspected the extractor for chips, it looked like it was fine. Before I carry it again I'll shoot it, so I'll carry the Glock 26 backup with the exact same set up as Mr. G-19.

And I'm going to go buy new snap caps now.

[jar]

I was dryfiring with my Glock 19 using the red aluminum snap caps...and the fucking thing wouldn't cycle when I tapped & racked the slide.

Fucker was locked, so I racked harder and it opened.

The aluminum practice round's rim was ripped off.

Apparently, snap-caps have a limited life span, and 2.5 years of use has reached it.

I stripped the slide and inspected the extractor for chips, it looked like it was fine. Before I carry it again I'll shoot it, so I'll carry the Glock 26 backup with the exact same set up as Mr. G-19.

And I'm going to go buy new snap caps now.

If you reload, or have a friend who reloads, make some dummy rounds out of regular brass and bullets with no primer or powder. They last a lot longer, and are cheaper than buying snap caps.

[JV_]

make some dummy rounds out of regular brass and bullets with no primer or powder.But they don't do anything to cushion the impact of the firing pin/striker.

[CCT125US]

And it's in theory easier to mix in live rounds by mistake. There is just something I like about red or orange snap caps....

[JHC]

Before I carry it again I'll shoot it, so I'll carry the Glock 26 backup with the exact same set up as Mr. G-19.
.

There is a LOT of peace of mind from having identical or as in this case nearly so spares. If there's any doubt, you switch until you can confirm with a test fire. No changing holsters (within Glock frame families anyway), magazine, etc. Smart.

[EMC]

I know Botach is known as kind of a sketchy place to buy, but they sell the Azoom snap caps individually (instead of the 5 packs) for 2.25 each, free shipping. I recently picked up 3 of them. Like you, I'll run it until it wears excessively then start the next one. The glock extractor does scratch the rim pretty bad, but who cares so long as it protects the striker and breech face. Abuse them, then replace.

http://www.botachtactical.com/pacazsnap.html

[Argus]

But they don't do anything to cushion the impact of the firing pin/striker.

I re-seat a spent primer into the pocket to cushion the firing pin. I also drill a hole through the case so I can positively identify them as dummies.

[guymontag]

The aluminum practice round's rim was ripped off.

Apparently, snap-caps have a limited life span, and 2.5 years of use has reached it.

I loaned my friend a few used aluminum snap caps I previously practiced with in my CZ-75B. Five minutes later, a case rim sheared off in his P225.

I loaned my father a few used snap caps for ball and dummy drills. On the second magazine, one practice round locked up his Glock 19 when it went into battery.

I now throw away snap caps every two to three months. I now only loan fresh snap caps.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wrt81]

Mine are getting pretty chewed up as well. I've had these 10 about 2 years now. I've started to notice that every once in a while a case will get hung in the extractor on my P30. The rim on them looks pretty beat up. Guess it is time for some new ones.

[jar]

But they don't do anything to cushion the impact of the firing pin/striker.

You can re-seat spent primers or fill the pocket with hot melt if that's an issue for you.

I primarily use dummies so my gun and mags are realistically weighted for dry fire.

[JV_]

IME: Spent primers offer some cushion for a few hits, but they become largely ineffective very quickly.

If it's for malfunction drills, I'm sure they'll work fine, but I don't consider that a solution for dry fire.

[pangloss]

I have some read plastic ones with brass rims that are about worn out. Sometimes the extractor slips off and leaves the cap in the chamber. I think I might give those at Botach a try. I've ordered a few things from them before and never had a problem.

[LOKNLOD]

I have one Azoom 9mm that has started to mushroom a bit at what would be the case mouth (there's a tiny bit of a lip there). It locked my G17 up tight one day in a state of being almost in battery. Had to knock the crap out it to open the slide and remove it.

[JV_]

Had to knock the crap out it to open the slide and remove it.Remove the slide back plate, you can use a thin screw driver to move it down, and then take the striker, extractor plunger, and extractor out. You should be able to lock the slide back, without force, and work on the jammed round.

[Nephrology]

Had the same exact thing happen to me with my Glock 17. Extractor should be GTG.

[EMC]

What causes the case mouth edge on those azooms to mushroom like that? I noticed my G19 is pushing a lot of material in that spot of the snap cap. Is it just the edge of the feedramp/chamber junction, or something inside the chamber?
I wonder if a metal file to the case mouth lip area to smooth it down would work.

[EMC]

Answered my own question. Turns out a fine metal file (like the diamond coated one on a leatherman wave) works great at smoothing out the mushroom effect. Nice smooth chambering now.

[Slavex]

Hi viz factory snap caps are cheap cheap insurance against live rounds getting loaded into a gun by mistake. If you are a serious shooter and you use home made snap caps you are one dryfire session away from an accident. If it's realistic weight you are after put weighted baseplates on the mags, but honestly evaluate if you can really feel the difference between a mag loaded with Azooms or similar when practicing at speed.

[Mitchell, Esq.]

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/426288_396862747007466_100000512335796_1521273_182 9821629_n.jpg
Pictures...finally.

[Shellback]

I've always dry fired with an empty gun, Glock 19, and was under the impression that this was good to go. Should I be using snap caps or similar? I've heard both and would like a definitive answer if there is one.

[Mr_White]

I've always dry fired with an empty gun, Glock 19, and was under the impression that this was good to go. Should I be using snap caps or similar? I've heard both and would like a definitive answer if there is one.

I used to dry fire with an empty gun too. Then I busted the breech face of a G17 from lots of dry fire. Glock gave me a new slide and advised that I should be using inert cartridges for dry fire to reduce wear and tear. Now I do.

[Shellback]

I used to dry fire with an empty gun too. Then I busted the breech face of a G17 from lots of dry fire. Glock gave me a new slide and advised that I should be using inert cartridges for dry fire to reduce wear and tear. Now I do.

Cool, I'll make the switch, thanks.

[barstoolguru]

I like the tipton snap caps. I have been using them for years with no problems

[JeffJ]

Soooo, I feel stupid even asking this - is there some trick that you guys do when dryfiring with a snap cap to keep from ejecting and reloading constantly?

[JDM]

Soooo, I feel stupid even asking this - is there some trick that you guys do when dryfiring with a snap cap to keep from ejecting and reloading constantly?

What gun? Most striker fired guns reset the trigger with about 1/4" reward slide travel. Just don't pull the slide back so far.

[JeffJ]

Its a glock - I've just always ripped the slide all the way back if I'm going to touch it at all - I picked that up somewhere along the way as a "muscle memory" necessity -- giving that some rational thought it probably isn't necessary

[barstoolguru]

What gun? Most striker fired guns reset the trigger with about 1/4" reward slide travel. Just don't pull the slide back so far.

when training is this a good habbit to do;to short cycle the slide?

[Nephrology]

I used to dry fire with an empty gun too. Then I busted the breech face of a G17 from lots of dry fire. Glock gave me a new slide and advised that I should be using inert cartridges for dry fire to reduce wear and tear. Now I do.

Out of curiosity, how much dry fire did it take for this to happen?

I know that I have some .45 snap caps that are solid plastic with a brass rim and primer insert. I should try to track down some for my 9mms.

[Mitchell, Esq.]

when training is this a good habbit to do;to short cycle the slide?

When I'm dry firing with the Glock, I'm practicing only the press out & trigger press, not other actions to manipulate the gun.

I put a spent 9mm or .22lr case on the front sight at the #3 position, then press out and execute the trigger press. If the case stays on when the trigger is pressed, I did it right. If it falls off, then it was a bad execution of the action.

Once pressout to trigger press is complete, that rep is over, I bring the weapon back in to #3 and stop for a moment, let the case fall off (if it's still on and made the trip back...), then reset the gun, put the case back on, and it starts over from #3.

Yes, I've got extra movements in with the glock's handling; however, I don't think I can eliminate them for dry fire the way I've been doing it.

Doing drawstroke to shooting & shoot-reload-shoot with the glock is done mostly on the range with a .22lr kit so I can get reps with target feedback.

I tried dry fire without the spent case on the front sight, and I didn't like it. Watching the front sight for movement seems like cheating to me. You can tell yourself if didn't more and you did it right...but the spent case either stays put, jumps a bit and stays on...or falls off.

Feedback. If you are getting the wrong feedback, do something differently and fix yourself.

When I dry fire using my J-frame (which I do more often...to the point it's now broken. AGAIN:(...) I put a penny on the front sight at position #3 and press out, then shoot till the penny falls off. With the J, I do more draw stroke work on the theory that clearing a cover garment and acquiring a grip on a handgun is pretty much universal when carried in the same place.

[Mr_White]

Soooo, I feel stupid even asking this - is there some trick that you guys do when dryfiring with a snap cap to keep from ejecting and reloading constantly?

I use the necessity of partially racking the slide as an opportunity to practice my chamber check.


Out of curiosity, how much dry fire did it take for this to happen?

Not really sure. I would estimate near daily dry fire for most of a year, for anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours at a time. No idea on the repetitions. Whereas now I really go overboard with the amount of drawstroke practice I do in dry fire, at the time I was doing all trigger control and trying to master the NY1 with standard connector trigger configuration (~10.5 lbs pull weight.)


I tried dry fire without the spent case on the front sight, and I didn't like it. Watching the front sight for movement seems like cheating to me. You can tell yourself if didn't more and you did it right...but the spent case either stays put, jumps a bit and stays on...or falls off.

I think you are very correct that a person can unintentionally be sloppy in dry fire (don't ask me how I know.) But there are also trade-offs, and I have not liked the amount of time I spend trying to put the casing or coin on the front sight, and sometimes having it fall off before I even get one repetition done. Plus, since I use a Glock, I can't reset the trigger without disturbing the casing or coin and having to reposition it again.

What I do for feedback other than just watching the sights is put a cheap laser bore sighter in my gun, dry fire for a while while looking at the laser dot to connect and reaffirm what a good trigger press feels like; then take the bore sighter out and connect and reaffirm what that same good-feeling trigger press looks like in the sights.

Not at all saying that your way is bad. I think there are trade-offs and prefer another way myself, but that way requires being harshly critical of what you really see in the sight picture as the trigger breaks - no doubt it can be a pitfall.

[JDM]

when training is this a good habbit to do;to short cycle the slide?

Depends on what I'm training. If I'm practicing IA drills, no. If I'm doing wall drills, yes, it makes perfect sense.

[JeffJ]

And that was what I meant when I wrote that after some rational though maybe I don't have to firmly rack the slide every time. I'd like to think that my brain can handle the difference between "Oh S***, it clicked instead of bang" and dry firing while doing wall drills

[barstoolguru]

we are talking about mussel memory here and when you short cycle the slide you can't clear the gun of a primer fail or a jam.

Sure when you are in a position to tell the difference its OK bet we are talking under stress and you rely on training; you grab that slide and possibly short cycle it and fail to clear the chamber

[JDM]

we are talking about mussel memory here and when you short cycle the slide you can't clear the gun of a primer fail or a jam.

Sure when you are in a position to tell the difference its OK bet we are talking under stress and you rely on training; you grab that slide and possibly short cycle it and fail to clear the chamber

You put your seatbelt on every time you sit down in your truck right? You've done it thousands and thousands of times. That action is muscle memory. Do you try and put your seatbelt on every time you sit down at the dinner table?

Just because a gun is in your hand doesn't mean you have to do the same thing the same way every time. When I'm doing wall drills, some of my trigger presses might take two or three seconds. I can assure you that is hardly the time it would take me to press the trigger in a SD shooting situation.

[Shellback]

we are talking about mussel memory here

A little wine, butter and garlic and they have no memory!

http://thescuttlefish.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/mussels.jpeg

[barstoolguru]

A little wine, butter and garlic and they have no memory!

http://thescuttlefish.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/mussels.jpeg


thats it first thing in the morning I am firing that spell checker

[Shellback]

thats it first thing in the morning I am firing that spell checker

I couldn't help myself. :)

[Mitchell, Esq.]

And another snap cap bites the dust.

I had...well, had, 2 sets of 5, and apparently, one of the sets has much thinner case rims than the other.

The older ones are still not showing the rims mushrooming and deforming, while the newer set is falling apart.

[UNK]

But they don't do anything to cushion the impact of the firing pin/striker.

All you have to do is use an eraser from a #2 pencil. Shave it till it fits in the primer pocket and then cut it off flush.