PM 40 Dry firing

[olympicmotorcars]

I just bought a new PM 40 last weekend. My first Kahr. Is it O.K. to dry fire it?

[PigButtons]

Dry firing will not hurt your weapon. If you are hesitant you can always get snap caps. But several of the most famous small arms training schools do a lot of dry firing in classes and have millions of dry fire cycles through some of their loaner weapons. If you think about it, the forces that the interior components go through in the course of a firing cycle far exceed the impact that the spring puts on the firing pin/striker.

[jlottmc]

The Marine Corps still emphasizes dry fire as well.

[Bawanna]

I dont think it really matter what school or organization endorses dry firing. It's a matter of the gun manufacture. Too my knowlege there are no issues dry firing a Kahr, I know there are no issues with Glock. There are a few that dry firing is not a good thing. I never dry fire revolvers with a firing pin on the hammer, I don't think its a good issue on some 1911's. Beretta's an such are ok as long as your not doing it with the slide off.
It was a good question, but you can't generalize all guns under 1 heading here. Please banish me if I'm wrong.

[jlottmc]

With the exception of most rimfires, flintlocks, and cap and ball guns, dry fire won't hurt anything. This holds true about 95% of the time.

[wyntrout]

The Kahrs are fine with dry-firing, but if I do much of it, I use a snap cap and c0ck it by pulling the slide back about 1/2", rather than a full slide rack... allows the snap cap to stay in place. The snap caps can wear out... I just had a Pachmayr 9mm one come apart and I had to really force the plastic "bullet" part back out of the barrel. the snap cap did have a slight crack beforehand, so don't put a damaged one in your gun, if you don't have a ramrod or something like that at hand.
I think it has to be better on the striker hitting something that gives than the hard breech wall or whatever at the end of the striker's travel. JMHO.... I know what Kahr says... just my personal preference.
Wynn:D

[Bawanna]

The Kahrs are fine with dry-firing, but if I do much of it, I use a snap cap and c0ck it by pulling the slide back about 1/2", rather than a full slide rack... allows the snap cap to stay in place. The snap caps can wear out... I just had a Pachmayr 9mm one come apart and I had to really force the plastic "bullet" part back out of the barrel. the snap cap did have a slight crack beforehand, so don't put a damaged one in your gun, if you don't have a ramrod or something like that at hand.
I think it has to be better on the striker hitting something that gives than the hard breech wall or whatever at the end of the striker's travel. JMHO.... I know what Kahr says... just my personal preference.
Wynn:D

I like to use the screen door on the back of grandma's house as an example. You can slam it, not the end of the world but it wasn't designed to be slammed. It'll last alot longer and not cause any grief if you don't slam it. I use snap caps on all my shotguns, or anything that I can't take the pressure off the springs. Treat em all gently and with affection. Why take chances. I worked at a gunshop on a on the job training thing after I became a derelict (never did get a paycheck?????) anyhow a fella came in and was looking at a revolver did the whip it slam shut. It was like he tore my heart out in a kung fu movie. I grabbed it out of his hand, couldn't reach his throat and educated him on the difference between a finely machined firearm and grandmas screen door. I figured he'd be pissed and head for the door but surprisingly he was happy to take my little lesson, we became good friends and he bought several guns. I still never got a check, couldn't stand seeing things go out the door. OK back to coasting

[jlottmc]

Good point, but dry fire is not the same thing. There are no stresses in dry fire that are not present in firing, in fact there are less, I'm all about relieving spring tension for storage, but dry fire is fine too. I've seen WWI Springfields and 1911's that had been dry fired for years and had no signs of anything untoward. Just my two cents.

[jocko]

The Kahrs are fine with dry-firing, but if I do much of it, I use a snap cap and c0ck it by pulling the slide back about 1/2", rather than a full slide rack... allows the snap cap to stay in place. The snap caps can wear out... I just had a Pachmayr 9mm one come apart and I had to really force the plastic "bullet" part back out of the barrel. the snap cap did have a slight crack beforehand, so don't put a damaged one in your gun, if you don't have a ramrod or something like that at hand.
I think it has to be better on the striker hitting something that gives than the hard breech wall or whatever at the end of the striker's travel. JMHO.... I know what Kahr says... just my personal preference.
Wynn:D

to agree with you, IMO just error on tghe siade of safety Ihave never heard of a snap cap very causing any damage to a gun, where as dry firing "might" and I say "might" sometimes cause something un planned..

[jlottmc]

Ok, ok, Snap caps are good things too. Sheesh never said they weren't, just dry fire is ok. I'll have to scrounge a couple bottles of 151 to send to the senior bucket mouths...