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Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 11 Location: South Jersey

I received a pair for as a Christmas present. Having never used them before, what are their pros ans cons? What is the benefit of storing the gun with the pins released?

I've used them for years. Don't know if there are any definitive "pros"; I view them sort of like chicken soup for a cold: it may not help, but what harm can it do? The only "cons" I can see are that you have to find a place to put them, either when you take the gun out of the cabinet, or when you take it out of the case. Maybe the best course of action is just to look at them as another weird little habit of double gun shooters Very Happy

!

Oh; another "con" is that if the gun is an ejector, you have to remember to catch them or go look for them. And don't open the gun in front of a window, etc.

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

The theory is that they relieve the pressure on the hammer spring, preserving it and lengthening it's life.

However springs dont go soft based on time under tension, they go soft based on cycles of movement. So there is no real importance to them.

In addition there are lots of springs in most guns...what possible benefit is there to releasing the tension of just one of them?

All that being said, I have lots of equally fun, neat and traditional things that serve no useful purpose other than entertainment value and I like them. So use them and enjoy them.

Jeff

Member Joined: 17 Feb 2007 Posts: 497

Pro- Good for dry fire nad function testing

Con - where did I put the damn things Confused

Edited - make that and function testing - they ain't worth nothing for nad function testing Embarassed

Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 37 Location: Middletown, Ohio

With rebounding hammers, and not pushing the firin pin into an unforgiving pience a metal (a la many rimfire designs), what is the harm in the occasional dry fire?

Member Joined: 17 Feb 2007 Posts: 497

Broken parts on older guns - ask me how I know Confused

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

Leaving snap caps in doubles not broken down is a recipe for disaster down the road and you become accustomed to seeing a shell in your gun. When picking up any gun the first rule is to open the action and check for a shell, if you mistake a real shell for a snap cap........ well its a problem.
If worried, break the gun down and purchase one of those devices you hold against the firing pin while pulling the trigger. I have one but never use it anyway, just break the guns down or leave as is with NOTHING in the chamber.-Dick

Guest

I would have to agree with 2Feather. I use them but don't know if it matters. I say that because I had an LC Smith that belonged to my grand father who gave it to my father and then to me. I never could shoot it well so I gave it to my brother in law. He did a little research on the gun and according to him, it was made in the early 1890's. It was a hammerless gun with "armor steel barrels". That gun has never seen a snap cap and my brother in law still shoots it. It didn't make any difference to that gun.

They tend to get used more often than not over here, I think the intention being to relieve any 'tension' on the components of the firing mechanism that would otherwise be kept under tension whilst the gun was left cocked for long periods while not in use. Whether there is tension to be relieved or not, I'm not sure. There could be an argument that all you're doing is moving the tension from the firing pin springs to the ejector springs, if fitted, but once out in the field I'd rather an ejector spring fail than a firing pin spring.

I think any arguments against on grounds of safety show a worrying lack of awareness of proper gun handling.

When not locked in the cabinet as we have to by law over here, or being transported in a gunslip, the gun should be broken (assuming we're talking s/s or o/u) and empty at all times and (here comes the point) loading of anything into either chamber is a concious and controlled action, whether snap caps prior to storage or live cartridges prior to use of the gun for what is was intended.

Mistaking one fer t'other is pretty unforgiveable I would have thought Embarassed

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

"I think any arguments against on grounds of safety show a worrying lack of awareness of proper gun handling."

I'm agast that someone would conclude that not advocating leaving snap caps in stored guns could be construed as "a worrying lack of awareness of proper gun handling"!
Perhaps we are two people sperated by a common langauge.
In the real world of Military and Law Emforceent training, the usa of non firing inserts is always signifed by orange and now with an orange tab sticking out of the mechanism. Anything else is deemed a live cartridge and treated as such.
Whether you agree with the leaving of snap caps in a closed weapon or not, the discussion of my safety standards is unacceptable. I can assure you that my training in both firearm and safety analysis is considerable.
You of course are perfedtly free to do what you want but don't attack my safety standards!

budrichard..

I'in no position to doubt your training or experience in firearms or safety analysis, nor was I attacking anyone's safety standards, let alone accusing anyone of actually having a worrying lack of awareness.

I had just read on the Scottish Clay Target Association's website http://www.scta.co.uk/public/about-clay-shooting/the-guns.jsp about not using snap caps due to possibility of mistaking a live cartridge for a snap cap.

To quote the site: "the use of snap caps has been the cause of accidents where a live cartridge has been mistaken for a snap cap with unfortunate results. Coaches will sometimes use snap caps when testing trigger timing etc. but the SCTA does not recommend their use"

My comments were aimed more at the SCTA than anyone on the bbs, as their statement implies they're not teaching safety to a standard where such an accident is as near an impossiblity as you can get.

The point I was trying to make was that basic firearm safety should not allow such an accident to happen. Rule 1: treat every gun as if it was loaded, Rule 2: Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. If these two rules are always followed, should a live cartridge mistakenly be in place of a snap cap, although the discharge would be a little unexpected Shocked

accidents should still not occur.

I guess my post might have been less likely to cause offence should I have included the link and/or quote in the first place. Embarassed

Apologies to you Dick, or indeed anyone else, to whom I have caused any offence, but none was intended.

budrichard, I don't agree with your assessment that the use of snapcaps is a safety issue. My snapcaps on my 16 ga. nitro special and my 12 ga. Beretta 686 are not the same color as a shotshell and for a very good reason.

I store my guns in the safe in an uncocked (fired) position with snapcaps inserted. When I remove them from the safe for use, I take off the gunsock, break open the action and remove the snap caps. The gun is then ready to be cased and taken to the range or the field.

In my opinion, the real danger is in using expended shotshells in place of snapcaps, an option I would never countenance.

Jim

I don't use them.

1st, like a previous poster noted springs wear out from cycles of use not just sitting there compressed.

2d, even when "fired" almost all mainsprings are still under significant tension and I doubt that "firing" them reduces the tension that much.