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Posted: 12/9/2006 5:01:25 PM EDT
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my first ar. wanted to know the staus on dry firing. after cleaning and after shooting. i dry fire before storage. good, bad or ugly? any broken pins out there. any comments appreciated. thank you |
Tagged. I've always wondered how dry-firing could possibly harm a newer rifle like an AR or AK.. FWIW I do it when I clear it, but I don't sit around dry-firing it for no reason. Just when needed. |
| Dry firing will not harm an AR and is good practice. Make sure that you allways have the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Never let the hammer fall if the bolt carrier is not in the rifle or the rifle is broke open as this will cause the hammer to hit the bolt stop and the back of the mag well. Not good for either. |
couldn't have said it better myself |
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I think just about every time I've handled my AR (which is a minimum of 1 or 2 times a week) over the period of, let's see, 1987 until now would be ALMOST 20 years, I've dry fired it at least 2 or 3 times before putting it away again... have never observed any problems with my firing pin, hammer, springs, or anything else in my gun. That's only my personal experience, I know some people say NEVER dry fire without a snap cap, but I've been shooting both pistols and rifles since 1977 and except for 3 years when I worked at an indoor range, I have never used snapcaps, and have never broken a firing pin, spring, or hammer, or had a gun go out of timing/lockup because of it. And I do that with semi-autos, bolts, revolvers, and shotguns, but once again, that's only my personal experience and I'm not recommending you do it. Although I am interested to see what other information will be posted. |
| The only time I have ever had trouble with dry firing is with a .22 rimfire. With the rimfire the firing pin can slam into the area the rim rests on at the chamber. I broke a firing pin in an Anschutz target rifle. Now I just take home empty .22 casings to cushion the firing pin. I have never had any problems with a centerfire rifle, handgun, etc. |
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| If dry firing was bad for the AR, the M16's used in Basic training units would need to be repaired between each cycle. During Basic Rifle Marksmanship, you will dry fire thousands of times. Even on the actual ranges, you will dry fire when you aren't on the firing line. Mostly the "dime/washer" exercise. Coin balanced on barrel (or for the really smooth) on a cleaning rod that's been inserted into the barrel. Dry fire with the intent of doing it so smoothly, without any jerking or sideways motion, that the coin does not fall off. |
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On 22 rimfires... Ruger 10/22's firing pin rides in a channel at the top of the bolt. It is impossible for the pin to get pushed further than the bolt-face. In order for the pin to hit the barrel, something as small or smaller than the firing pin itself would have to push on it from the back of the bolt. The 10/22 hammer is MUCH wider than both the pin and the channel. Ruger MKII's have a pin in the bolt to prevent the firing pin from going too far. Dry-fire with both, it will not hurt anything. I thought everyone here dry-fires their AR at the TV, no? Dawn of the Dead? Moving zombie dry-fire practice? I KNOW I'm not the only one... 
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The Marine Corps dry fires on a empty chamber for a week before going to the range for qual. It's called "snapping in" and sucks to no end. Never seen a weapon damaged from it though. Generally any "inertial firing pin" setup is OK to dry fire without snap-caps or a fired case. |
| When I was in the USAF Security Police (1983 - 1988) we used to do it twice a day. Once at the beginning of our shift and once at the end of our shift. The rifle went "bang" every time we pulled the trigger on a live round and I never saw any broken parts, so yeah, I would say it is safe to do. |
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