[JimA]

What is the harm in dry firing? The Ruger site under FAQ's says all Ruger semi autos may be dry fired. Am I missing something?

 

[HowardCohodas]

What is the harm in dry firing? The Ruger site under FAQ's says all Ruger semi autos may be dry fired. Am I missing something?

Not while using a snap cap. ;D

 

[Slappy]

I may be young but I must be old fashioned when it comes to dry firing. I dont ever do it unless I put a nice foam ear plug in front of the hammer on my Sig. I have always been taught that its not OK to do it, so I dont. +1 with Snap Caps, I just havnt been wanting to spend $20 bucks on 5 when I only need 1.

 

[jpwilly]

Bump...I'd like to know whether it will do damage or not too.

 

[Legionnaire]

I dry fire my modern semi-autos and revolvers extensively ... except for the .22 LRs. I've never had any problem. I understand that older S&W revolvers, and others with the firing pin on the hammer, could be damaged by dry firing. I can't give you chapter and verse, but I have heard many times over the years that it is "not a good thing" to dry fire a .22. But my other handguns have all had hundreds, if not thousands, of dry fires. YMMV.

 

[picketeer]

If I am not mistaken, the LCP manual will address dry firing your pistol..............Simply stated, I believe it is strictly a NO NO without snapcaps!

 

[HowardCohodas]

picketeer's post reminded me that I had not read my manual in a while. Thanks for the reminder.

I found one in electronic form at the Ruger site. http://www.ruger-firearms.com/firearms/PDF/InstructionManuals/65.pdf. I electronically searched the manual and could not find any reference to dry-firing except for cautions about where you aim.

I searched the Ruger site and found this FAQ. http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FAQs?site=Firearm&cat=7#Q60.

Question: Can I dry fire my Ruger P-Series and .22 pistols?

Answer: Yes. All Ruger pistols can be dry fired without damage, and dry firing can be useful to familiarize the owner with the firearm. However, be sure any firearm is completely unloaded before dry firing!

Bottom line.. It looks like you don't have to use protection. I will still practice safe dry-firing by using snap caps.

 

[2gnt97gs]

This might be a good idea for the LCP store. Buy some snap caps and break up the quantity to where you can buy just one or two if you want fewer. I would buy a couple. Shipping should be dirt cheap.

 

[snobird]

Yes......I would also buy a couple of snap caps from the store. Good idea.

 

[LCP_Dogg]

Yeah I read the PDF manual cover to cover before I bought the gun and it says nothing about dry firing, but probably should.

I'm glad someone found that FAQ, now I can stop worrying if the last 100ish dry fires has ruined my LCP.

 

[picketeer]

At the risk of sounding ugly, I will ask this question.........Does not the Kel-Tec P-3AT manual say no to dry firing? And if so, if this Ruger is so much like the Kel-Tec, wonder why it is okay for it and not the Kel-Tec?

 

[HowardCohodas]

At the risk of sounding ugly, I will ask this question.........Does not the Kel-Tec P-3AT manual say no to dry firing? And if so, if this Ruger is so much like the Kel-Tec, wonder why it is okay for it and not the Kel-Tec?

You are exactly right. http://www.kel-tec-cnc.com/images/downloads/p3atv2manual.pdf

Do not dry fire your P-3AT. As with any gun, dry
firing should be avoided.

That said.. There are design changes in the LCP. Whether these changes affect the ability to be dry fired is, so far, not discernible.

 

[offcamber]

I read the Keltec manual cover to cover...where does it say you shouldn't dry fire it??

 

[HowardCohodas]

I read the Keltec manual cover to cover...where does it say you shouldn't dry fire it??

Page 13 right above the picture of the components laid out after field stripping.

 

[picketeer]

And I quote from the Kel-Tec User's Manual, "Do not dry fire your P-3AT. As with any gun, dry firing should be avoided!"

 

[offcamber]

That sounds like a CYA line...I have never been told to avoid dry firing a weapon due to wear and tear....safety reasons maybe but not because it would hurt the weapon.

I am not worried I will hurt the LCP for the few times it gets dry fired. Obviously Ruger agrees...

 

[picketeer]

Guess the dry firing of your weapon is pretty much left up to you then! I have not heard too many times where it has damaged a weapon myself but personally, I will still use snap caps.........

 

[HowardCohodas]

I am not worried I will hurt the LCP for the few times it gets dry fired. Obviously Ruger agrees...

I dry fire my EDC handguns 4 to 6 times a week for about 1/2 hour to practice trigger control. These skills decay exponentially with time, so frequent dry-firing is required for me to keep up my ability.

 

[LCP_Dogg]

I have been practicing with snap caps occasionally, but it is quite annoying because since there is no fire, there is no reloading/racking of the slide, so I have to manually do it, and then the round ejects, so I have to manually reload it too. It is quite frustrating, which is why I just dry fire and call it good. I've done it probably 100 times now and recently put 50 rounds through it for my CHL course, without a single issue.

 

[funbobby522]

Well, that Kel Tec statement sounds VERY generic with no reason why.

Since Ruger specifically says it's ok, and in fact, encourages it for practice, I see no reason to refer to the Kel Tec manual on this one.

Is there anyone out there who has ever had a failure of the firing pin (the only component I can see that could possibly be affected) caused by dry firing any modern semi-auto pistol? Picketeer, sounds like you've heard of a few?