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dummy round paint or dye?


johnhhuber

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I reload and want to make some practice dummy rounds for dry fire out of bullets and brass with no primers or powder. I want to make sure I never get these confused with an live ammo. Is there a way to paint or dye the dummy rounds to make sure they do not look like live ammo? I want to make sure I do not end up with paint chips or markings on my actual pistol. If there is not a dye or something, how do others make sure their dummy rounds are not live rounds? Thanks!

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Funny. I just did the same thing. The holes are a good idea. I loaded lead bullets on the dummys. I have some lead I used to shoot in some production guns, but don't use them now. Also, I keep the 6 dummy rounds I loaded in my safe where no other rounds are kept.

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One should dry fire with the gun weighing the same as when full of live ammo. Therefore dummy rounds should be as near to the weight as live ammo, as possible.

I use nickel plated brass, for my dummy rounds, as I never load live ammo in anything but plain brass. I leave spent primers in the dummy rounds, and seat the same bullets that I shoot in a match.

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You could also spend the $20.00 for some snap caps. I always wondered why people would buy those. I get it now.

snap caps are too light to be of any use for draw/reload practice.

I just leave the primers out of my dummy rounds, and I check before every dryfire session to make sure the two practice mags have primerless rounds in them (also check the chamber of the gun, even if I just put it down 10 mins ago.)

I did draw on the actual bullets with a sharpie as well, but that eventually wears off. Note that I do not do any practice that involves cycling the gun and loading dummy rounds into the chamber. They are strictly there so that I can dryfire with a full mag in the gun so the weight is the same, and so i can reload with mags that weigh the same and offer the same spring resistance to seating as in compeitition.

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Layout Die:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DYKEM-STEEL-RED-Layout-Fluid-2GKW2?cm_sp=IO-_-IDP-_-RR_VTV70300505&cm_vc=IDPRRZ1

They make it in various colors and in aerosol form as well. I like the red as it is easily visible. You can also mark your brass with it for easy pickup, but make sure your live rounds and dummy rounds are painted different colors.

I also loaded my dummy rounds with jacketed bullets that I found on the range floor and pulled. I only shoot lead so that is another easy way to see besides the die.

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I have never thought to paint dummy rounds. Mostly I just look at the primer pocket. If it is empty I assume it is a dummy. If it has a live primer, I presume it is live. A lot of people I know mark a black X on the base of a black powder round with a magic marker, but I guess most of the people on this board don't use holy black.

Edited by Bart Solo
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Appropriately weighted practice magazines are available for some guns. Bennie Cooley makes the best known brand: http://www.benniecooley.com/safetymags.html

For the rare situation where a round in the chamber is needed, I made dummy rounds from cases with a fired primer reseated after sizing the case, a jacketed bullet (the jacket takes the marker better) all marked in red Sharpie. Yes, it will wear off, but I just recolor them. The dummy rounds were stored in a marked magazine with my practice gear, and were still individually inspected prior to use in a practice area w/ no live ammo and a safe backstop.

If you need to drop the hammer on a dummy round, it's best to keep the primer in. Some strikers/FP's can jam in the empty pocket, locking up the gun badly (ask me how I know...).

Another option, if you shoot Glocks and have the money, is a SIRT laser pistol with its inert weighted mags. No drills needing slide actuation are possible, but pulling the trigger gets you nothing more than a laser dot on target. Snaps and dummy rounds need not apply.

spelling edit

Edited by kevin c
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Layout Die:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DYKEM-STEEL-RED-Layout-Fluid-2GKW2?cm_sp=IO-_-IDP-_-RR_VTV70300505&cm_vc=IDPRRZ1

They make it in various colors and in aerosol form as well. I like the red as it is easily visible. You can also mark your brass with it for easy pickup, but make sure your live rounds and dummy rounds are painted different colors.

I also loaded my dummy rounds with jacketed bullets that I found on the range floor and pulled. I only shoot lead so that is another easy way to see besides the die.

Another vote for red Dykem, dye the whole thing red and its pretty easy to tell. Dykem is also pretty durable.

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