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73 rifle dryfire practice w. azoom snap caps?


Currahee

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I understand your idea/desire, and suspect cycling A-zooms thru 73 to be less "damage" than live ammo.  I find it a pain to find all the little suckers when in a hurry.  And, they are a little pricey to loose.  I like one-piece firing pin systems which I believe to cause less wear on system for dry firing, but at a loss to your goal.  Tyrel's suggestion is a good one, but again not what your intent is.  In fact, Palo Verde (Gunworks) offers a nice "dummy" round just for this purpose, one made with nice "primer".  

I do like A-zooms and use them in a number of revolvers.

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I've used Azooms and I've also made dummy round with nubs off a welcome mat glues into the primer pockets. After I've had a rifle torn down for a detailed cleaning I like to function check a full ten or eleven round tube. 

 

Besides, it helps train your brass picker skills :lol:

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1 minute ago, Banjo Bob said:

to practice not jacking rounds

I may be missing something, but I don't see how cycling dummies through the rifle will help this at all.  You won't know if any of the snap caps had a good "primer hit and fire" or not.

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24 minutes ago, Banjo Bob said:

to practice not jacking rounds

In my findings, I agree with you, Banjo Bob. 

 

Having a dummy round inside the chamber what stays there, can cause one to slightly short stroke the lever, without any bad results or knowledge that your creating bad practice habits, that possibly transmit over to live fire.

 

Where as, loading 1, 2, 4, or more dummy rounds, will make the practice shooter, fully lever the rifle open and closed.  With the expected result(s) of the dummy round(s) flying out with ejection,,,,,somewhere B)  :lol:, so do use safety glasses...Probably high usage of dummy rounds, will cause some wear amongst the rifle parts being utilized.  Not unlike high usage of live fire.

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If you want to dry fire your 73 rifle, just put a small piece of rubber in the back of the receiver just under the firing pin extension. You can dry fire all you want and the hammer will not hit the extension and not slam the firing pin. You can only do this for 10 to the 12th power times before you will need a new piece of rubber. The rubber is held in place by a friction fit (make it tight), and don't forget to remove it when you are done. This is not my idea, but I saw it done, and know a good idea when I see one. 

 

Snakebite

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Yes, I do that and it is good practice; but it doesn't help cure my problem of jacking rounds. 

 

Incidentally, I will share this:  I purchased .45 colt quick draw cartridges used to power wax bullets by a shotgun primer which press fits into the cartridge.  I make 1/8 cuts around the circumference of the end and bend the bits inward to simulate a bullet: the rifle cycles these every time without fail.  Of course this stops the clock ( I have a good supply of 209's. but am really short on Federal large).

 

So far I have used this method for timing the act of grabbing of the gun and levering the first shot.  So I am thinking that if I load the quick draw round first (fires last to stop clock) followed by 9 dummies; I then would have a reasonably close to reality method of garage practice.

 

Thus, my question.

-bb

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I make my own dummy rounds, I replace the primer with either RTV, a glued in nub of mechanical pencil eraser, or a small punch of leather.   
As you said this lets me train to prevent jacking a round out, which I was doing a lot of at the beginning. 
plus it lets you

check what bullet type, OAL work best for you. 

check on feed problems

check on extract/ eject problems

check on timing problems

without a  trip to the range.   
Plus it’s cheaper than snap caps.   

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Don't do what I did (stupidly).

 

I loaded a round with no primer, intending to fill the primer pocket with silicone to make a snap cap.  Before adding the silicone, I used a grinder to remove part of the case rim to miss the extractor.  All was well, except I forgot there was a powder charge left in the case.  After grinding for a couple seconds, the round discharged in my hand.   I was lucky, if you can call it luck.  I never found the bullet or the case in my shop (not too surprising, seeing my shop).  I had a black hand, but no injuries.  

 

A few minutes later a Sheriff's deputy drove into my driveway.  The discharge had registered on the Law Enforcement "Shot Spotter" system.  The deputy was easy-going and we talked more about CAS shooting than about the round discharge.   He had seen our range while going and coming from the LE range nearby.  

  

Take home: don't ever grind on a case containing powder.  Use a file. ---duh!

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9 hours ago, Banjo Bob said:

Yes, I do that and it is good practice; but it doesn't help cure my problem of jacking rounds. 

 

Incidentally, I will share this:  I purchased .45 colt quick draw cartridges used to power wax bullets by a shotgun primer which press fits into the cartridge.  I make 1/8 cuts around the circumference of the end and bend the bits inward to simulate a bullet: the rifle cycles these every time without fail.  Of course this stops the clock ( I have a good supply of 209's. but am really short on Federal large).

 

So far I have used this method for timing the act of grabbing of the gun and levering the first shot.  So I am thinking that if I load the quick draw round first (fires last to stop clock) followed by 9 dummies; I then would have a reasonably close to reality method of garage practice.

 

Thus, my question.

-bb

 

 

To fix the problem of jacked rounds, you really need to know what the problem is.  Are you outrunning the lock time?  Are you opening the lever before you finish pulling the trigger? Or is it something else?  Get yourself on video jacking out rounds in a real situation where the camera is zoomed in on the lever/trigger/hammer area (receiver).  Slow it down enough that you can see exactly what's happening.  Then you'll discover what you need to practice, or fix (if you're outrunning the lock time, you need a heavier spring).

 

Otherwise you're just guessing, and you'll most likely guess wrong.  Don't ask me how I know.

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I also use the Palo Verde dry fire rds.  Tried grinding of the rim when I first started out.  The problem is the rd rotates in the chamber and eventually catches on the part of the rim that you did not grind off.  Palo Verde solved this problem.   I have the same two dry fire rounds I bought from him in 2013 that all three of use used.  Just don't forget to take them out before a match.  It will take a cleaning rod for easy removal.

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5 hours ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

Don't do what I did (stupidly).

 

I loaded a round with no primer, intending to fill the primer pocket with silicone to make a snap cap.  Before adding the silicone, I used a grinder to remove part of the case rim to miss the extractor.  All was well, except I forgot there was a powder charge left in the case.  After grinding for a couple seconds, the round discharged in my hand.   I was lucky, if you can call it luck.  I never found the bullet or the case in my shop (not too surprising, seeing my shop).  I had a black hand, but no injuries.  

 

A few minutes later a Sheriff's deputy drove into my driveway.  The discharge had registered on the Law Enforcement "Shot Spotter" system.  The deputy was easy-going and we talked more about CAS shooting than about the round discharge.   He had seen our range while going and coming from the LE range nearby.  

  

Take home: don't ever grind on a case containing powder.  Use a file. ---duh!

Or maybe not EVER put powder in a round you don't intend to fire. ;)

Just a thought.

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