Dry fire OK?

[HopeToBe]

Since we are approaching winter time - is dry firing OK? I would like to spend some time during the winter to speed up my reloading routine hence I would expect that dry firing practice would be one good way of doing this?

But the bolt or firing pin will not suffer?

 

[David Halblom]

it is VERY easy to make a snap cap so you can dry fire all you want. A delrin plug in the primer hole of a fired case will do the job very well. But be sure you use delrin. Most all other plastics will disintegrate very quickly

 

[Boyd Allen]

If you are going to practice loading your rifle at the bench, a highly colored dummy round and an empty case as well as a table the same shape and height as benches you commonly use in competition should be useful. I would make the dummy round look so distinctive that a loaded round could not be mistaken for it..ever. I believe that a well known bullet maker, who is also a highly skilled shooter does the sort of practice that I think that you are asking about. I need to do some of the same practice myself, so that I can do it quickly, without looking. Old habits are hard to break.

 

[Hambone]

I had a skilled machinist friend make some dummy rounds up out of high grade aluminium stock into which he let a delrin primer plug with a small spring behind it. Great for dry firing practice and you never confuse the real thing from the practice rounds.

 

[HopeToBe]

I would make the dummy round look so distinctive that a loaded round could not be mistaken for it..ever.

This is indeed my great concern as well. I believe my system is good, however I believe that no system is idiot proof. Hence I had my hopes that a round without any primer at all would do the job - that would have been an easy spot that would make me sure that there was no danger present. Even keeping the used primer would be a good system, however even that is not idiot proof enough in my book. I have brought back rounds that would not fire before...