omr262 Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Hi. I am new to this so please have patience. Please could someone explain what snap caps are for on a over and under shotgun. Does the gun make a noise when snap caps are fired and do the snap caps eject from the barrel? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Snap caps are used to "rest" the springs in shotguns, to prevent the gun(s) being stored "cocked". The caps are put into the chambers, the triggers are pulled and the gun stored. There is no noise and when you open the gun the snap caps may eject from the chamber, or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omr262 Posted March 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Many thanks for you swift reply. Much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisondan Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Unless you are storing the gun for an extended period of time then they aren't worth worrying about to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Hi. I am new to this so please have patience. Please could someone explain what snap caps are for on a over and under shotgun. Does the gun make a noise when snap caps are fired and do the snap caps eject from the barrel? Thanks. exactly the same for a side by side,,,a total waste of money, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Must admit I used plastic snap caps from local shop but the solvents in the cleaning products basically melted them over a period of time. I have been told that is a real pain if you shoot the pins out and its good to take the pressure off of the springs, so I bought some Bisley ones which have lasted much better. A bloke I know uses two spent cartridges, should have seen the look in the shop when he took the gun in for something!! not so cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moorvale55 Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 All gunshops sell them, but if you look at any of their shotguns you won't see them in any of their guns. A waste of time and money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 good point, one I shall ask them about next time I go in. Mate of mine worked in firearms for quite a few years and he recommended to me to have em so I did. I was told that you should store the gun uncocked, that means firing the pins. Apparently that means that the pins can, but not necessarily will, be damaged as they meet no resistance, this happened to someones Franchi a little while ago, it was going to take a couple of months to get replacements. Luckily one of the guys where my mate works was able to machine him a new one. If it saves that hassle I would use them, despite no one else appearing to ever have had problems!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonmick Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 I use them in my guns with v springs in the triggers. It comes down to personal preference really.I prefer to release the trigger as if a ejector spring gets weak or breaks it will not cause the gun to fail to fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltings Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 snap caps are a personal preference some like some don't, I don't use them I have never broken a firing pin in a shotgun in 35 years of shooting until I used snap caps it may be a coincidence but i broken 2 firing pins in three weeks as using the caps they got a recess in them then they offered no resistance to the pins and as for relaxing the springs not certain they help (you don't see people jacking their car off the ground every night to save the springs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 snap caps are a personal preference some like some don't, I don't use them I have never broken a firing pin in a shotgun in 35 years of shooting until I used snap caps it may be a coincidence but i broken 2 firing pins in three weeks as using the caps they got a recess in them then they offered no resistance to the pins and as for relaxing the springs not certain they help (you don't see people jacking their car off the ground every night to save the springs) I've always liked that analogy, or you don't strip your car cylinder head after every trip to ease valve springs haha. Snap caps are a solution to a problem that doesn't seem to exist. How many people have actually damaged a gun through dry firing? Probably no one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Maybe many years ago springs were not as good as today and a snap cap might of served a purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow white Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Take pressure of one spring to put on another one mine are in the cupboard where the will stop biggest was of money going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman1997 Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) I have Snap Caps and Never use them. I agree! Waste of Money! Edited March 12, 2015 by Marksman1997 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maverick 16 Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 had a few scares, when people have opened guns with those Brass ended jobs in, leave them alone really not worth the faff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman1997 Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 I remember when i did use them i had plastic Bisley ones and i had a shotgun with pretty strong ejectors and after a few weeks the whole rim of the snap cap was smashed the other one was ok though? . No real need for snap caps but if you are ever getting some don't getting plastic! Get aluminium or better yet brass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Juicer Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Dry firing my 12g broke the firing pins. I don't do that anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zechk Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) What nobody has mentioned is that they are useful if you are very new to shooting and want to practice mounting and firing etc in your living room. I got back into shooting after a long break recently and found it useful to swing my new gun around and get used to the trigger. Particularly since mine is a fully mechanical action, so it doesn't rely on the recoil force of the first shot to select the second barrel. I found that I was keeping my finger on the trigger too long at the clay ground and not selecting the second barrel properly. A bit of snap cap practice (listening for the second 'snap') cured this in no time and led to less embarrassment on the stands Also, using spent cartridges isn't something most people suggest although I'm no expert. A real snap cap has a spring behind the 'primer' so that it pushes back against the firing pin like an actual cartridge going bang. A spent cartridge has no spring, so using one is basically the same as dry firing. Final protip: Watch out if you are ejecting brass snap caps on a wooden floor. I ended up with a nice dent in both :( Edited March 13, 2015 by Zechk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman1997 Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Good Point! And Good Advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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