Dry-firing...will it damage my SIG?

Question

A good friend of mine who is well-trained and an excellent shot recommends practicing a little of my trigger technique at home, of course being extremely careful to be sure there is no ammo even in the same room as the gun, never pointing the gun anywhere a bullet would do damage if it fired, making sure I never even touch the gun after even a single drink, etc, etc.....

....my question comes to whether or not I should invest in snap-caps to prevent any damage to the pistol. The pistol in question is a SIG P225 9mm, which as of now is in near-new condition.

My reticence for just going and spending the couple o' bucks on the snap-caps is simply one of safety. I feel a little safer, given the notion of actually and intentionally pulling the trigger on the gun while not in a range, having NOTHING in or near the gun when practicing....

Will dry-firing the pistol a zillion and a half times damage it at all?

Answer 1

most likely no.  As long as it's lubed and clean.  We dry fire M4/M16's ump-teen million times in the Army during rifle marksmanship training and it doesn't harm the weapon

Answer 2

dry firing will in no way harm your gun

In my opinion snap caps and especially spent rounds are not a good idea and could even be considered a bad and dangerous idea

We are creatures of habit

Anf the habit of habitually and obsessively checking that a gun is unloaded should include bo the visual and tactile references

You should get into the habit of seeing and feeling an empty chamber

If you get into the habit of seeing and feeling a loaded chamber you will eventually s***w up

Answer 3

When in doubt, read the owner's manual for the particular firearm.  If you don't have it, you can probably download it for free from the SIG website.

Most owner's manuals that I have read say " never dry fire the firearm."

I recommend snap caps.

Answer 4

Yes, it will.  You will lessen the possibility of damage by using something like snap caps.

I have worked on Sigs for several years, and have had only 1 damaged due to dry firing.  It is rare, but does happen.  This person would dry fire for up to an hour every evening.  He was very competitive, and it showed in his ability.  The firing pin obtained excessive wear from striking the other internal parts without the resistance of the primer.  A snap cap would have given that resistance.

Answer 5

This is one of the best-worn questions in all of classic gundom! I remember when Bill Ruger set up a Security-six to be dry-fired once per second or so, at a major national gun show. It caused quite a stir! There may have even been a line on the gun "failing soon" in Vegas! But everything continued placidly, and upon examination in front of skeptics and hooting revelers at the end of the show, there were no visible changes in the metal pieces involved at all! Conversely, a long time ago I got a discount on a piece which shall remain unnamed, because the firing pin's pin had cracked and fallen off its stanchion piece, from modest dry-firing in the shop forming stress cracks in the over-hardened brittle metal. The discount exactly equaled the charges to order a new firing pin, which looks exactly like from the same production run as the broken one, but it has never failed. And I did dry fire it a bunch of times and then examined it to see if it was going to be reliable in service. So now you know what I know on the issue of that original part's possibly having had a flaw in the metal, exposed by dry-firing. Or whatever the h**l the real story might have been. Bottom line, test out a new piece thoroughly, and if something breaks, then (1) you are alerted to a "situation", (2) all parts are replaceable, some more easily than others, and finally (3) when there is trouble, a true warrior both adjusts things and procedures to maximize personal power and control over situations, which may include having a spare of some tool or part with a history of  sudden need for replacement. Yes, I am haunted by the question whether a plastic shock-absorber snap-cap used on the described gun which failed dry-firing, would have saved it's firing pin, or whether it was a flaw in the metal best discovered and replaced before it failed in critical service somewhere. I feel this week that I am better off, knowing what I know now, dry-firing the h**l out of a piece before trusting it. And yes, I know that this may be weakening a firing pin so that it will fail at said critical time. Of such vagaries flow much campfire discussion! See you out there. Regards, Larry.

Answer 6

Snap caps are the way to go.  I like to use Traditions for 9 mm.  

www.traditionsmuzzle.com

Why take a chance in damage when you don't have to .  Snap caps are easier on the firing pin.  Also when you put one in you are sure there isn't a live round in it.  If you want to be even safer then point in a safe direction when you pull the trigger as well.  They are a good way to practice trigger control as well.

Answer 7

Per S&W's website you can dry-fire your pistol, but there is nothing wrong with getting some snap-caps, to avoid and firing pin issues.

Answer 8

Never dry fire a rim fire gun.  Your Sig should be fine.  All striker firing systems should be okay to dry fire.

Answer 9

Dry firing a gun will not hurt it one bit.

Dry firing a Bow will ruin it.

Answer 10

put an empty casing in your gun when you fire it and it wont get damaged at all.

Answer 11

Sigs are some of the most well know combat proven pistols in the world, but they can still break from dry firing, like any gun.

Not a bad idea to get some $10 snap-caps. Another avantage with snap-caps is that the slide can be put into battery without damaging key parts like the extractor, plus excellerated wear will not be a problem.