[hopsmx]

Admitedly, this is a silly question about snap-caps:



How do you use them?





I mean, I'm sure you put them in your mag and then chamber one, pull the trigger....

"Click" -- Dry fire with out striker damage....



But what next? -- The slide didn't travel, so, do you need to rack the slide after each "shot"?



My M&P 40 came with the magazine safety...

 

[jtaliani]

Yes, you need to pull the slide back to recock the striker. Keep in mind that you don't have to pull the slide back very far, only far enough to cock not to eject the cap.

 

[dragonlibra]

Yep, that's the bad part about the M&P and Glocks. You gotta cycle the slide each time to pull the trigger. You might want to buy a couple of packs of snap caps so you don't spend all your time loading your mags with them.



That's the one thing I did love about the Sig I used to own, I could dry-fire on the same snap cap all night.

 

[Eric75]

To re-cock the striker, I only need to pull the slide back a little bit.

If you mess up the drill and partially eject the cap, it is better to cycle it all the way and load the next one than to try put it back in the chamber.



A got a pack of 5 snap caps that were made of red anodized aluminum. They have a little rubber pad that only lasts the first hundred shots. Look for them in smooth plastic so that they can be cycled without scratching or getting scratched.

The plastic ones I've seen have a brass lip for the extractor, and a spring mechanism for the firing pin. I'll buy those next time.



To help reduce wear and tear on the magazine, I load a snap cap, then replace the magazine with one that has the follower and spring removed.



Am I being a total lunatic here, or am I justified that cycling a lot of snap caps can cause significant wear to the gun? My magazines already have a worn spot on the follower.

 

[G56]

I don't think you need snap caps for dry firing, not in any pistol that I know of, some shotguns require them, but that's about it.

 

[bigkracka]

A got a pack of 5 snap caps that were made of red anodized aluminum. They have a little rubber pad that only lasts the first hundred shots.

Brand is A-Zoom, the primer lasts for more than 100rds. I've had the plastic type break on me and the brass primer gets wallowed out pretty quick. Didn't look like it was doing it's job after awhile.

To help reduce wear and tear on the magazine, I load a snap cap, then replace the magazine with one that has the follower and spring removed.

Huh?

Am I being a total lunatic here, or am I justified that cycling a lot of snap caps can cause significant wear to the gun? My magazines already have a worn spot on the follower.

Yes. Try Prozac.

 

[Bear93445]

If you reload you can make your own snap caps. Just take a once fired brass, clean, resize and de-primer. Then, take an eraser head (you can buy packs of them for mechanical pencils), shave it down to the size of the primer pocket and insert. If you make the eraser to small you can use a small drop of crazy glue to secure it in place. Lastly, cut off the excess length and voila snap cap at a fraction of the cost. Also, when you wear out the rubber just run it through your de-priming die and start over.

 

[m4arc]

I haven't found snap-caps useful for dry firing but for malfunction drills and trigger control works they are invaluable. Most of the classes I've attended required you bring at least 25 for carbine and 25 for handgun so I have a ton in my range bag and I use them just about every trip out.

 

[cet]

Gads, at about $3.00 per cap (A-Zoom pricing is around $15.00 for a 5-pack), they get to be expensive little buggers!

 

[ShipWreck]

To help reduce wear and tear on the magazine, I load a snap cap, then replace the magazine with one that has the follower and spring removed.

This makes no sense dude?!?!

 

[ClosetCaseNerd]

I think he is refering to the slide scraping over an empty follower each time you reset the trigger. I am assuming he needs a mag in because he has a mag safety.



Thats my stab at it.

 

[ShipWreck]

Just put two snap caps in then... (leave 1 in the mag).

 

[bigkracka]

Gads, at about $3.00 per cap (A-Zoom pricing is around $15.00 for a 5-pack), they get to be expensive little buggers!

Everything related to guns is exspensive.