What material for primer hole in practice dummy rounds+

[San Joaquin Shootist]

Howdy Pards,

 

If you have ever made 12 gauge dummy practice rounds for your shotgun what did you use in the primer hole? I'm thinking something rubber would work, but what comes in the right diameter?

 

Muchas gracias,

SJS

[Clay Thornton]

 Jam a pencil eraser from an old school wooden pencil in and trim. Similer size. 

[Singin' Sue 71615]

Filled ours with silicone.

[Not Dead Ed]

I did a bunch with silicone, but big Pentel erasers (the kind that you find in the school supplies) fit a 209 primer hole exactly.  Just shove em in, and cut flush with an Xacto knife.  Easy and fast.  

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

After squeezing a blob of silicone into the primer pocket, use the edge of a business card or similar to skim off the part that protrudes.  Then it is flat and ready to go when it dries, no need to slice it off later.

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

48 minutes ago, Clay Thornton said:

Jam a pencil eraser from an old school wooden pencil in and trim

Clay has it right, that is how I made mine.

[Buckshot Bear]

In use does silicone offer much resistance to the firing pins? 

[Sedalia Dave]

6 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

In use does silicone offer much resistance to the firing pins? 

 

Not really

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

8 minutes ago, Buckshot Bear said:

In use does silicone offer much resistance to the firing pins? 

 

1 minute ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Not really

 

I think it does.

[Sedalia Dave]

Burna-N Rubber o-ring material of at least 70. Will take thousands of hits.

 

6mm diameter for shotshells. Seat a wad into the hull and them push the o-ring into the primer pocket till it hits the wad.

 

5 mm diameter for small pistol primers. Drill out the primer pocket with a 3/16" drill bit. The small lip left will hold the material in place.

 

6 mm for large pistol primers. Drill out the primer pocket with a 7/32" drill bit. The small lip left will hold the material in place. 

 

After the material is in place trim flush with a razor blade.

 

For rifle and pistol dummy rounds I fill the case with silicone to the base of the bullet and let dry. Then seat and crimp the bullet. Prevents the bullet from telescoping into the case with repeated use.

[John Kloehr]

Neither silicone nor a pencil eraser offer the same resistance as the brass primer...

 

Which makes me wonder if leaving a spent primer in the shell might be just as good a solution.

 

Is the purpose to slow the firing pin down at a controlled rate or is the purpose to prevent the pin from hitting its travel limit too hard?

 

But absent this wondering, I like the pencil eraser more than the silicone. The eraser is harder.

[Sedalia Dave]

1 minute ago, John Kloehr said:

Neither silicone nor a pencil eraser offer the same resistance as the brass primer...

 

Which makes me wonder if leaving a spent primer in the shell might be just as good a solution.

 

Is the purpose to slow the firing pin down at a controlled rate or is the purpose to prevent the pin from hitting its travel limit too hard?

 

But absent this wondering, I like the pencil eraser more than the silicone. The eraser is harder.

 

After a couple of hits the primer will deform to the point it really isn't doing anything.

[Buckshot Bear]

I just can't see anything soft like rubber/silicone offering any resistance.

 

Why not 'spring' for a couple of spring loaded 12g practice snap cap rounds?

[Caladisi kid]

My 2 cents:

I use old car tire rubber, taken from the side of the road  , and cut it to fit the primer pocket. Ex: .223 case mouth size, etc.  hard enough to last long.  

Good luck  

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Gentleman,

I used a set of Ruger Vaqueros and spent primers left in the pockets and dry fired those

Rugers over 1.5 Million cycles each without any damage to the firing pins.

 

I should also state that a good many of those dry fire cycles were with NOTHING

in the pistols (empty chambers).

 

That's how it is with Ruger's.

 

..........Widder

 

[Buckshot Bear]

Can someone explain what bad things happen to a shotgun dry firing it?

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Buckshot,

I've dry fired by IAC 97's a few thousand times, more like 50,000 - 60,000 times.

 

I used only spent hulls with the spent primers left in the primer pocket.

 

I used the same shotgun(s) as a main match firearm with no failures to fire or any

visible damage to the FP.

 

I can't testify for other SG's, especially a SxS.

 

..........Widder

 

[Sedalia Dave]

4 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

I just can't see anything soft like rubber/silicone offering any resistance.

 

Why not 'spring' for a couple of spring loaded 12g practice snap cap rounds?

 

Burna-N 70 rubber is pretty hard.

[Chick Bowdrie sass 111302]

What is the difference between making your own dummy rounds and buying dummy rounds? 

[Tyrel Cody]

@Pit Bull Tex I think it was you that made me some dummy shotshells, and you use an O-Ring?

[Hells Comin]

I agree with Widder - after   10's of thousands of rounds  with no modifications - I haven't  had any  issues! Of course 

I shoot a 97 not one of those sissy guns.

 

Hells Comin 

[San Joaquin Shootist]

Thanks Pards,

 

I made a few 12 gauge practice dummies using Pentel mechanical pencil eraser refills. Cheap, easy to find and it works. I will order some 6mm O ring and try it out on my next batch.

 

Pentel erasers link--> https://www.staples.com/Pentel-Clic-Eraser-Refills-2-Pack/product_270793?ci_sku=270793&KPID=270793&cid=PS:GS:SBD:PLA:OS&gclid=CjwKCAjwybyJBhBwEiwAvz4G7xYs-e_Y4TCt78fN71TP2-gxSg2wFLWmyVeww0NgcHIumh7mLeNbXBoC8vsQAvD_BwE

 

Pit Bull Tex made me a few a while back and I think he uses the O ring. They lasted a long time.

 

I only use dummy rounds on 97 loading practice and 73 one shot reloads. On the 73 I use store bought aluminum dummies and they work good. In the 73 and Rugers I just dry fire them empty for regular dry fire..

 

Your mileage may vary,

SJS

[Sedalia Dave]

1 hour ago, Tyrel Cody said:

@Pit Bull Tex I think it was you that made me some dummy shotshells, and you use an O-Ring?

 

I learned the Oring thing from him.

 

If anybody needs SG dummy rounds let me know. I make them with the Hot pink federal TopGun hulls. makes them stand out from most other SG ammo.

When finished they are a tiny bit little heavier than an empty AA hull. So practicing shucking them is a good representation of what it takes to shuck an empty AA or STS hull.

 

I stuff mine with an empty plastic grocery bag so that they will hold their shape.   

[Buckshot Bear]

1 minute ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

I stuff mine with an empty plastic grocery bag so that they will hold their shape.   

 

That's a clever idea!

[Constable Nelson #11784]

7 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said:

I just can't see anything soft like rubber/silicone offering any resistance.

 

Why not 'spring' for a couple of spring loaded 12g practice snap cap rounds?

They are quite pricey and I would want to have at least 8  dummy shells for practice...  (With a SxS)  They also don't feel right!!!

[Eyesa Horg]

I think @Grizz #7140 did a video. He used hot glue gun sticks. Chuck 'em in a drill press and push the hull against it and trim. Works good but does dent after a bit.

[Attica Jack #23953]

I use a hot glue gun.   If the primers start to look bad, pull them and put in more glue.

 

[Widder, SASS #59054]

If anyone's is afraid of damaging a FP in the 97 from Dry Firing too much,  you can always

remove the FP from the bolt and designate that particular SG just for Dry Fire practice.

 

..........Widder

 

[John Ray Davis]

If I can't find large primers, can I use pencil erasers in .45LC cartridges?

[Not Dead Ed]

9 minutes ago, John Ray Davis said:

If I can't find large primers, can I use pencil erasers in .45LC cartridges?

 for dry fire practice? , right?  Just checked, large pencil erasers are just a bit too big….  And LPP are bigger than the small mechanical pencil erasers that work for SPP’s 

[meesterpaul]

14 hours ago, San Joaquin Shootist said:

Thanks Pards,

 

I made a few 12 gauge practice dummies using Pentel mechanical pencil eraser refills. Cheap, easy to find and it works. I will order some 6mm O ring and try it out on my next batch.

 

Pentel erasers link--> https://www.staples.com/Pentel-Clic-Eraser-Refills-2-Pack/product_270793?ci_sku=270793&KPID=270793&cid=PS:GS:SBD:PLA:OS&gclid=CjwKCAjwybyJBhBwEiwAvz4G7xYs-e_Y4TCt78fN71TP2-gxSg2wFLWmyVeww0NgcHIumh7mLeNbXBoC8vsQAvD_BwE

SJS

Those white Pentel erasers look good. I'll go take a  close look at them.

[Mustang Gregg]

I use "timed out" 890B1/2 Pro Seal.

It's easy to put in and harder than RTV.

Mustang

[Dusty Devil Dale]

On 9/1/2021 at 3:29 PM, John Kloehr said:

Neither silicone nor a pencil eraser offer the same resistance as the brass primer...

 

Which makes me wonder if leaving a spent primer in the shell might be just as good a solution.

 

Is the purpose to slow the firing pin down at a controlled rate or is the purpose to prevent the pin from hitting its travel limit too hard?

 

But absent this wondering, I like the pencil eraser more than the silicone. The eraser is harder.

If using a side by side double, the spent firing pins will soon be indented enough to put drag on the firing pins and prevent the gun opening easily 

[Pit Bull Tex]

The o-ring   material works great.

 

[John Boy]

If one waits long enough the correct primer pocket will be posted …Hot Glue