cjm Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Was watchin a video recently an seen a guy pullin snap caps out of his semi auto. never seen this before, do you semi auto guys use them??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 No. I just let the bolt forward after checking it is empty and there's no need to do anything else. I think it's dangerous to leave something resembling a cartridge in your gun, one day it may actually be a cartridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispti Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 No. I just let the bolt forward after checking it is empty and there's no need to do anything else. I think it's dangerous to leave something resembling a cartridge in your gun, one day it may actually be a cartridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malantone Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) No. I just let the bolt forward after checking it is empty and there's no need to do anything else. I think it's dangerous to leave something resembling a cartridge in your gun, one day it may actually be a cartridge. snap caps are used to, as the Army say ease springs, just letting the bolt go forward does not uncock the firing pin, putting a snap cap in the pulling the trigger allows the firing pin to go forward and eases the tension on the spring. If this isnt done then the spring can deform and weaken over time. using snap caps is no more dangerous than an empty gun any safe gun user removes any cartridges prior to putting his gun away, to then insert snap caps and ease springs is just a further step in the care and storage of your guns Edited March 31, 2011 by malantone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxon88 Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Was watchin a video recently an seen a guy pullin snap caps out of his semi auto. never seen this before, do you semi auto guys use them??? No I dont use them in my semi-auto. I too have seen people on videos with them in semi-autos, whats the point? The way i see it, just clear the gun, allow the bolt to travel forward and pull the trigger. As an engineer, I see no way that dry firing a semi-auto would damage the spring or firing pin. I see snap caps as only useful for testing out ejectors. If snap caps are used at all times in o/u and sbs shotguns then it simply means that the ejector springs are under tension and not the firing pin springs. someone once told me that its far less costly to have a firing pin spring fail than to have an ejector spring fail. atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breastman Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Completely pointless in a semi! The reason people 'need' to use them in an O/U or SbS is so that when you pull the trigger(s) to release the tension on the springs, that the firing pin/spring doesn't hyper-extend and break/damage itself. With a semi just pull the bolt back 1/4-1/2 an inch then pull the trigger, the hammer hits the bottom/corner of the back of the bolt and doesn't touch the firing pin, then just let the bolt go to put it into battery Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispti Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 There's no need for them at all. The springs will still be going strong when your great grandson inherits your gun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 snap caps are used to, as the Army say ease springs, just letting the bolt go forward does not uncock the firing pin, putting a snap cap in the pulling the trigger allows the firing pin to go forward and eases the tension on the spring. If this isnt done then the spring can deform and weaken over time. using snap caps is no more dangerous than an empty gun any safe gun user removes any cartridges prior to putting his gun away, to then insert snap caps and ease springs is just a further step in the care and storage of your guns What about all the other springs in a gun that aren't 'eased' when it is put away Any spring that stays within its compression design limits wont weaken over time, the motor car cylinder head being an example of this where most of the tappet springs are compressed to varying degrees over decades whilst the vehicle is sitting idle with no ill effect. I personally don't like to open a gun to see anything resembling cartridge brass looking back at me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudpatten Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 A potentially lethal practice that will eventually lead to an accident. As I`ve said before,with any gun, read the operating manual. And I mean read it. Don`t just flick through the pictures. The vast majority of modern automatics have a floating trigger mechanism. The springs are under minimal compression but, if you feel the need and wish to store the gun uncocked, it is quite acceptable to pull the bolt back a quarter of an inch and then pull the trigger. Nothing will come to any harm and there is certainly no point in using snap caps in an auto. The above procedure is recommended by most manufacturers. Snap caps are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shotgun jess Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 good ? mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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