"Snap cap" warning

This is what we do.
Post Reply
User avatar
Ghostofwar
AA Poster
AA Poster
Posts: 313
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:20 am
Location: Aiken, SC

"Snap cap" warning

Post by Ghostofwar »

For those of you that are using dry wall screw anchors as snap caps, make sure you check your bore before loading live ammo. I like that I can buy a box of these for cheap at Home Depot, but they are not without their drawbacks. This is the first time I've had this happen, but I'll be checking every time I go to the range now. It seems the flimsy little "rim" came off and the rest went down the bore.

Image
User avatar
SteveD
AA Poster
AA Poster
Posts: 349
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:33 pm
Location: Dayton, OH
Contact:

Re: "Snap cap" warning

Post by SteveD »

Thanks for the heads up.

Which particular ones were you using?

Are there any good quality snap caps around be it HD dry wall screw anchors or brand name stuff?

I dry fire 3 to 5 times as much as I live fire.
Image
User avatar
acorneau
AAA Poster
AAA Poster
Posts: 880
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2015 12:12 pm
Location: Houston

Re: "Snap cap" warning

Post by acorneau »

I know what happens if you get a squib and then fire a second shot, ramming into the first (barrel bulge), but what would happen in this case? Just get pushed out the end by the bullet and have a bad shot or something else?

Curious minds want to know.

:-??
Allen Corneau
User avatar
DavidABQ
Expert Master Poster
Expert Master Poster
Posts: 1818
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:33 pm

Re: "Snap cap" warning

Post by DavidABQ »

It seems to me that using a second, shortened firing pin, for dry firing would be prudent.

Even better would be a second, spare, rifle set up exactly like your primary rifle with the exception of a reduced length firing pin.
User avatar
ALPHAWOLF45
B Poster
B Poster
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:49 am
Location: Bismarck Arkansas

Re: "Snap cap" warning

Post by ALPHAWOLF45 »

For my pistol caliber Winchester and Rossi I use a piece of silicone rubber under the hammer. I don't make a practice dryfiring .22 but when I do I take the firing pin out.. That's my Marlin model 1892 which is the model that predates the 97 and 39 but firing pin is easily removed from all of them.....I dryfire practice hundreds of shots every single day. I am rather obsessed with it.
User avatar
Ghostofwar
AA Poster
AA Poster
Posts: 313
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:20 am
Location: Aiken, SC

Re: "Snap cap" warning

Post by Ghostofwar »

I don't remember the brand name. Maybe Blue Hawk or something like that. It was the cheapest box I could find at Home Depot.

I don't know what would have happened if I would have fired off a round with that in the barrel, but I wouldn't want to find out. Probably nothing, but I've had a .22 squib round before and I wouldn't want to have to deal with a stuck bullet again.
mageepeak
B Poster
B Poster
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 6:05 pm

Re: "Snap cap" warning

Post by mageepeak »

Well, I noticed when buying wall anchors the rim of those at Home Depot were very thin. I buy from Ace Hardware and the rim is thicker and works better.
Post Reply