45Fundi Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 What are y'all using to weight your mags and run dry fire practice? Snap Caps (A-Zoom?) or reloads without powder or live primers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trodrig Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I'm using dummy rounds....no primer or powder. I keep them in a totally separate, marked, bag from any other ammo. I keep the bag in the room where I do my dry fire so I reduce the chances of getting live ammo mixed in with dummies...or vice versa! Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulture Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I use no primer no powder bullets as well. I painted them red, which was a mistake because the paint flakes off into your mag. If you have dedicated practice mags that is not a problem, but i don't, so i will do it over. I also used bullets from range pick ups. When collecting brass you always seem to get a few loaded rounds which I will disassemble and use those bullets since they will never be fired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcarter Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Yep, Use the dummy bullets. The weight is very close to a live magazine but remember when you practicing changing mags you are getting rid of one that has maybe 1 or 2 left in it. Don't use a mag with a full load of dummy rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I use dummy rounds also but I use 40 cal mags for my 9 major. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I use a real mag loaded with dummy rounds. I bent the lips over so the rounds won't pop out of the mag if I drop it. I use the blue mags to drop on the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Real mags with 40 cal dummies (I shoot 9mm). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seth Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I have 2 STI mags that permanently have dummies in them and bright red base pads. ALL of my real mag basepads are black. No snap caps (worthless). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45Fundi Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) Is dryfiring with dummy rounds with a fired primer OK for the gun/firing pin? Do these primers wear out? Thanks Guys that was really helpful! God Bless Edited March 24, 2009 by 45Fundi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 It's fine to use fired primers--won't hurt anything--but I use dummies (brass and bullet, no powder) with no primers in them and verify that each round has no primer in it when loading the magazines. I also use a different type of bullet in the dummies (lead round noses vs. my match molycoated truncated cones) as another visual verification that the magazines are loaded with dummies and not loaded rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45Fundi Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 So when you dry fire with "primerless" cartridges it won't damage the firing pin or flare the firing pin hole? I used those cheap plastic snap caps with the brass primer on a spring and they eventually would bind up and it caused a Colt S70's firing pin hole to flare out so that the cartridge won't sit flat against the breech face. I now use A-Zoom but was hoping to find something that weighed more to replicate real cartridges. I started using snap caps back around 1980 because I was breaking Colt Python firing pins due to dryfire. They would evidently stretch and the tip would pop off. I have heard newer firing pins are of such high quality that this will NOT EVER happen. Should I swap out all of my firing pins for new ones ? BUt how do I stop the firing pin hole in the breech face from flaring in my older guns? Thanks! It's fine to use fired primers--won't hurt anything--but I use dummies (brass and bullet, no powder) with no primers in them and verify that each round has no primer in it when loading the magazines. I also use a different type of bullet in the dummies (lead round noses vs. my match molycoated truncated cones) as another visual verification that the magazines are loaded with dummies and not loaded rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SA Friday Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Just use a snap cap in the chamber and load the mags with dummies. I've used spent primers as a snap cap, and they only last about one dry fire session and then they are totally shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tzygä Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I use dummies (brass and bullet, no powder) with no primers in them and verify that each round has no primer in it when loading the magazines. I also use a different type of bullet in the dummies (lead round noses vs. my match molycoated truncated cones) as another visual verification that the magazines are loaded with dummies and not loaded rounds. +1 Plus my dummy brass are all nickel (I use normal brass for my ammo) with different bullet that I normally use so I wouldn't mix them with my ammo by mistake. I have different dry firing mags with different pads on them. I keep my dummies inside my dry firing mags all the time and two snap caps at the top of each dry firing mags. I never unload them. I keep my dry firing mags in different place where my other mags are. I check them every time before I use them. That is work fine with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filishooter Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 re-loaded dummy rounds like everyone else, but I top off the mag with a snap cap for easy ID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Nobody has dummy mags ? I have blue solid plastic mags with a lead insert. They also match the profile of mags with Dawson pads. I got them from Brownells and they seem to be about $20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Nobody has dummy mags ? I have blue solid plastic mags with a lead insert. They also match the profile of mags with Dawson pads. I got them from Brownells and they seem to be about $20. I take issue with these for dryfire practice for two reasons: 1) I shoot Production and would never drop a mag with 17 rounds in it. It simply changes the weight of the gun. 2) I will never drop a mag as heavy as one that has 17 rounds in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Nobody has dummy mags ? I have blue solid plastic mags with a lead insert. They also match the profile of mags with Dawson pads. I got them from Brownells and they seem to be about $20. I take issue with these for dryfire practice for two reasons: 1) I shoot Production and would never drop a mag with 17 rounds in it. It simply changes the weight of the gun. 2) I will never drop a mag as heavy as one that has 17 rounds in it If you pull the plug on the bottom they are light like an empty mag. Save the shot in case you want them heavy again. I use a real mag to load and the blue ones to drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 So I take it you can decrease the weight in these mags? That may change things... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badchad Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Heck, I just use my empty competition mags for everything. I know the weight isn't the same but between live and dryfire practice I haven't noticed any negative effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45Fundi Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 (edited) I do drills where I use each round in the mag for dryfire, so I want to be able to use all my dummies as snapcaps, but I want them to weigh more than A-Zooms. I was hoping there was a snapcap that weighed as much as a live round or that I could make up some dummies that would function as snapcaps with out damaging the firing pin or firing pin hole. Has anyone used these Action Trainers that Gunsite sells? Here is a link http://gunsite.com/store/page17.html better link http://www.stactionpro.com/action-trainer-...418bc31f2890256 Edited March 25, 2009 by 45Fundi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 So I take it you can decrease the weight in these mags? That may change things... The Mags I have are filled wih lead shot. The hole is just plugged. You can take he plug out and change the weight. They match your gear too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belus Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 So when you dry fire with "primerless" cartridges it won't damage the firing pin or flare the firing pin hole? How about filling the dummy cartridge/primer pocket with epoxy or a hard silicone? If they develop a deep hole from repeated strikes you can drill it out and refill fairly easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Reloads, no powder, no primer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Reloads, no powder, no primer. I use empty mags mostly, but sometimes weight them with dummy rounds. I used to leave the spent primers out, but now leave them in after I locked up my Para on a load/rack/shoot drill starting empty - the FP jammed foward in the empty primer pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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