Do you practice with Snap Caps?

[AirMech74]

How many of you guys use snap caps for practice? Is there any brands that are better than others? I only know of one...A-Zoom.

~guys, I do apologize if I bring up dead subjects that have been discussed, I do use the search feature and and only post if I don't see what I'm lookin for.~

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[rocky]

I use the red plastic snap caps. I find it works better for practicing clearing jams, etc than an empty gun. Also a red casing in the gun triple checks that I have a empty gun before dropping the hammer.

[Pete]

Pachmayr and Tipton make plastic ones that cost a bit less, but they have broke on me in the past.
I prefer the A-Zoom aluminum ones.


BTW, ask away, so many new people that topic repetition isn't a problem...

[bones]

I use Pachmayr in .22, 9mm, .45acp, .308 and 12 guage.

[JD]

I use both the A-Zooms and the Traditions red plastic, when doing dry fire drills / malfunction drills with the wife, I like to have the two types with the 2nd to last round being the red plastic so I know when we're down to the last round.

[AirMech74]

So do you guys eject them as you go? Racking the slide every time?

[rocky]

No, but I practice mag changes , jams , FTF drills & anything else I can think up with em. some might have to rack em each time , depending on the gun. (Glock, XD ,ect)

[Tangle]

Be really, really careful using snap caps. I've heard of people getting a live round mixed up and vice versa. Just be careful - don't have any live ammo anywhere around when practicing with snap caps - or any dry fire/practice for that matter.

[JD]

So do you guys eject them as you go? Racking the slide every time?

Not every time, we alternate taking turns, every now and then one of us will say misfire or jam (which ever) and then we eject the round/cylce the slide to either chamber a new round or clear a stoppage.

[rocky]

Very Good point Tangle. I unload my gun and remove all spare mags from my person , then load spare (empty mags with red snap cap rounds. All the loaded mags and live ammo gets put away Before practice.
When practice is over I reverse the process. Make a conscious effort to end practice, no need to accidentally do draw and fire drills with a loaded gun because you forgot.

[randytulsa2]

Yup, sure do, in many calibers and guns.

Love'em.

But like folks say: BE CAREFUL and USE FREAKIN' MUZZLE DISCIPLINE.

[Tangle]

...I unload my gun and remove all spare mags from my person , then load spare (empty mags with red snap cap rounds. All the loaded mags and live ammo gets put away Before practice.
When practice is over I reverse the process. Make a conscious effort to end practice, no need to accidentally do draw and fire drills with a loaded gun because you forgot.

That sounds like an excellent method.

[Roadrunner]

I use the Traditions, as others have said it's another way to tell that you've got a snap cap and not a live round in the chamber.

[phoneguy]

I called Ketec about dry fire practice. They said to use snap caps. So my rule is I take all live rounds out of the magazine. Check the chamber. Then I take all live rounds in the next room. Than I put the snap caps 5 of then in the magazine. Rack the slide and aim in a safe direction. pull the trigger. I practice for about 10 min. once a week or so. I also make sure I put 5 brown snap caps in.

[tegemu]

On a modern centerfire pistol, I feel that they are a waste of time and effort. AS for protecting the firing pin and spring. The snap cap usually takes a set which allows the firing pin and spring to fully function - so why use them?