Snap caps - do you use them?

[ilovemyheckler]

If you do why?

 

and

 

if you don't, why not?

[markws80]

Look at all the old post its been done time and time again :blink:

[evo]

Look at all the old post its been done time and time again :blink:

:good: :good:

[super sharp shooter]

Here we go

[leeds chimp]

there is a "tiny" little used button on this forum called SEARCH.

Try it

[bi9johnny]

some of these threads are coming around faster than a shooting times article :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[EdSolomons]

I hear all the top shots use them, often they work better than real shells. Much quieter and cheaper in the long run.

[alendil]

My gun is 1976 lanber o/u used by gamekeaper up to 2009 and from then by me

never snp caps inside and its working spot on.

[Dr_evil]

I don't think there'd be much use in putting one in my Benelli

[Sharpshooter.123]

OMFG!!! this is the most annoying conversation in the shooting community!!!! NO SNAP CAPS ARE &&&&

[alendil]

OMFG!!! this is the most annoying conversation in the shooting community!!!! NO SNAP CAPS ARE ****

[EdSolomons]

wont someone pleeeease think about the poor compressed springs.....

[VicW]

If snap caps are of any use why haven't all the guns in gunshops got snap caps in?

 

And another thing,when I park my car at the end of the day,should I jack it up to take the weight off the springs?

 

Seriously though,the springs in modern guns do not need relaxing but if you feel happier using them then no harm is done,unless of course you forget they are in there and when you open the gun they smack you in the teeth!!

 

Vic.

[strongski]

***. no no no just fire of the springs and thats it. why spend a tenner on some poxy snap caps.thats all i do and iv done that for over ten years no problems happy shooting

[Zapp]

***. no no no just fire of the springs and thats it. why spend a tenner on some poxy snap caps.thats all i do and iv done that for over ten years no problems happy shooting

 

Firing the springs without anything at all in the gun is about the worst thing you can do.

 

For the OP, in essence the snap cap debate (which has been done to death) basically revolves around the fact that modern springs dont need to be decompressed like those in old guns, meaning that snap caps are irrelevant.

 

Also, the areas the strikers hit on a snap cap soon become indented, meaning that eventually you are in effect just firing onto empty chambers, thereby risking causing all sorts of damage.

 

Save yourself £10 on snap caps and god knows how much on replacement strikers or firing pins and just put the gun away cocked.

[canthitathing]

I hear all the top shots use them, often they work better than real shells. Much quieter and cheaper in the long run.

 

 

Can you recommend a choke size when using snap caps .

 

Do you think I could use a live cartridge instead of a snap cap

 

I have many more questions Ed

[strongski]

Firing the springs without anything at all in the gun is about the worst thing you can do.

 

For the OP, in essence the snap cap debate (which has been done to death) basically revolves around the fact that modern springs dont need to be decompressed like those in old guns, meaning that snap caps are irrelevant.

 

Also, the areas the strikers hit on a snap cap soon become indented, meaning that eventually you are in effect just firing onto empty chambers, thereby risking causing all sorts of damage.

 

Save yourself £10 on snap caps and god knows how much on replacement strikers or firing pins and just put the gun away cocked.

berzinger zapp. nice to see you are all on the ball. my 30y old balkel is a remold of a ussr tank

[Blackpowder]

Also, the areas the strikers hit on a snap cap soon become indented, meaning that eventually you are in effect just firing onto empty chambers, thereby risking causing all sorts of damage.

 

Dont use them myself but proper snap caps have a spring loaded and adjustable striker head so the real danger of firing on empty chambers would not occur. Dry firing on used shells as some one suggested on a previous snap cap thread would see the above problem arise, dangerous practice in my opinion.

 

Blackpowder

[Zapp]

I was going to say that the only guns I could imagine being robust enough to do that with confidence on would be a Baikal. Apparently they are the only guns that routinely wont burst with a 12 bore load on top of a 20, although the gun will be unusable afterward.

[strongski]

I was going to say that the only guns I could imagine being robust enough to do that with confidence on would be a Baikal. Apparently they are the only guns that routinely wont burst with a 12 bore load on top of a 20, although the gun will be unusable afterward.

[VicW]

Baikals were designed to be used with Baikal cartridges on November 5th when you wanted to start the bonfire!!

 

Vic.

[Pointer]

No......not never........and never will

[Sharpshooter.123]

Can't this thread be pinned so it's not gone over every single week?????

[super sharp shooter]

I thought it was pinned

[timps]

Dont use them myself but proper snap caps have a spring loaded and adjustable striker head so the real danger of firing on empty chambers would not occur.

Blackpowder

 

It would still be a danger if you did not change the striker head.

 

With the striker head touching the breach or the internal stop in the snap cap all you are doing is increasing the tension on the spring and not taking up any indentation created. There is also a chance of over tightening so it’s rock solid with no give or under tightening so the firing pin does don’t even reach the striker head or it offers no meaningful resistance to the impact.

 

They are no better than the cheap ones (apart from being a better paper weight) but can be even worse if badly adjusted.

 

Magic beans are the answer.