dry firing Rossi 22 lever?

[Doc Moses]

Hello!  I am doing CAS classes for a group of High schoolers next week and wondered if anyone knows if the Rossi 22 lever can be safely dry fired?  I have read the manual but did not see it mentioned.  I have 2 Rossis and 2 Henrys. The Henrys are supposed to be able to be dry fired and I have used them in the past but wanted to know if anyone knows about the 2 Rossi's.

Thanks!

[Sam Sackett]

I have always believed that dry firing any 22 could damage the firing pin or the firing pin channel in the bolt. Therefore, I always err on the side of caution and do not dry fire any 22, be it pistol or rifle. 

 

Just my 2 pennies.......

 

Sam Sackett

[Cypress Sun]

I never dry fire any firearm with a rimfire type ignition mechanism. It's not so much that it damages the firing pin as it much as that it peens the small area of the rim seating area of the chamber of cartridge over a period of repeated dry firing.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

On the Henry .22, the frontal portion of the bolt that surrounds the recessed portion of the rim area,

extends out more than the protrusion of the firing pin.  Therefore, the firing pin can't touch or hit

the edges of the chamber when dry firing.  AND, to help keep the tip of the firing pin from

touching areas around the chamber entrance,  Henry has devised their firing pin that has

a small slot cut into REAR area of the firing pin (its more like a 3" flat rod) and a small steel pin

runs thru the bolt and slot to also keep the firing pin from moving forward too far.

 

Basically, the firing pin on the Henry only extends from .025 to .035 into the rim area of the bolt.

But the front of the bolt surrounding that area is quite a few .000's greater.   This keeps the

firing pin from hitting the chamber entrance area.

 

As for the Rossi......... I don't know about those because I've never looked at them.

But, if their design is similar to the Henry, it would be safe to dry fire.

 

Just the view from my saddle.

 

..........Widder

 

[High Spade Mikey Wilson]

19 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

I never dry fire any firearm with a rimfire type ignition mechanism. It's not so much that it damages the firing pin as it much as that it peens the small area of the rim seating area of the chamber of cartridge over a period of repeated dry firing.

Ditto......

[Doc Moses]

On 3/8/2025 at 11:44 AM, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

On the Henry .22, the frontal portion of the bolt that surrounds the recessed portion of the rim area,

extends out more than the protrusion of the firing pin.  Therefore, the firing pin can't touch or hit

the edges of the chamber when dry firing.  AND, to help keep the tip of the firing pin from

touching areas around the chamber entrance,  Henry has devised their firing pin that has

a small slot cut into REAR area of the firing pin (its more like a 3" flat rod) and a small steel pin

runs thru the bolt and slot to also keep the firing pin from moving forward too far.

 

Basically, the firing pin on the Henry only extends from .025 to .035 into the rim area of the bolt.

But the front of the bolt surrounding that area is quite a few .000's greater.   This keeps the

firing pin from hitting the chamber entrance area.

 

As for the Rossi......... I don't know about those because I've never looked at them.

But, if their design is similar to the Henry, it would be safe to dry fire.

 

Just the view from my saddle.

 

..........Widder

 

Thank you. That helps alot. Wranglers are also supposed to be dry fireable but my experience has been mixed with them so I generally don't dry fire them any more. I will stick with the Henry rifles for oractice. The Rossis look like a similar bolt design as is on the Henry but why risk it?  We have a lot of shooting planned for this week and I need all 4 rifles working!  In past years by the end of the week I have a broken rifle.  22s and this many kids doing 3 or 4 stages a day...more than the rifles are really made to handle  Super fun week though!

[Widder, SASS #59054]

DOC,

you can take an empty .22 piece of brass and grind off the area of the rim where the

Extractor grasp the rim....... and that 'should'  keep the same piece of brass in the chamber while

your class can still work the action, pull the trigger... and the brass won't extract.

 

Just a thought!

 

EDIT:  you can even remove the Extractor by tapping out the small pin

in the side of the bolt.   The only parts are the pin, a small spring and 

the Extractor.   And, its as easy to reinstall as it is to remove.

Therefore, the empty brass in the chamber won't get kicked out.

 

Best regards

 

..........Widder

 

Edited March 10 by Widder, SASS #59054

[Sedalia Dave]

2 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

DOC,

you can take an empty .22 piece of brass and grind off the area of the rim where the

Extractor grasp the rim....... and that 'should'  keep the same piece of brass in the chamber while

your class can still work the action, pull the trigger... and the brass won't extract.

 

Just a thought!

 

EDIT:  you can even remove the Extractor by tapping out the small pin

in the side of the bolt.   The only parts are the pin, a small spring and 

the Extractor.   And, its as easy to reinstall as it is to remove.

Therefore, the empty brass in the chamber won't get kicked out.

 

Best regards

 

..........Widder

 

 

Sounds good on the surface however....

 

Once the firing pin hits the rim of the case the first time, any cushioning effect the brass had is greatly diminished. Do this multiple times and eventually the brass will be pounded to the point that it has zero cushioning effect and becomes the same as not having a cartridge there at all.

 

Same thing occurs if you use a plastic screw insert in place of the spent cartridge. After several hits the plastic fails.

 

Not any different than using a spent primer in a dummy round. After a few firings the primer is pounded to the point where it has zero cushioning effect.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Howdy SD.   Yea...... that's true.  

I guess I was offering a method to help ease the anxieties of those who are reluctant to

dry fire and wanted some kind of an alternative, although with very little effect.  

 But you are right, the FP will beat that brass to death in only a few strikes.

 

..........Widder

 

[Cinch]

Run the empty brass as above. Loosen the strain screw a full turn. The pin will rebound and at least will not strike steel on steel which is what you are trying to avoid. 
 

Maybe?

[Warden Callaway]

How hard is it to take the firing pin out?

[Doc Moses]

Well...our 'training day' is over  Any damage done is done. Tomorrow we start shooting and we will adapt and overcome. Thank you all for the advice. When the week is over I will post on how the kids did and how the guns held up.  It is a pretty rigorous week for rim-fires. Last yr both Henrys needed some warranty work. They are such a good company it was no issue.

[watab kid]

why wood anyone dry fire any 22 cal rifle ? the internet is rampant as colt on why not to , if someone can show me the right dummy cartridge ill retract this but so far ive not found the solution  , it damages the firearm to do so , ----dry fire your center fire fire arms if you want 

[Eyesa Horg]

9 hours ago, watab kid said:

why wood anyone dry fire any 22 cal rifle ? the internet is rampant as colt on why not to , if someone can show me the right dummy cartridge ill retract this but so far ive not found the solution  , it damages the firearm to do so , ----dry fire your center fire fire arms if you want 

Some have no choice unless you carefully count. My Marlin model 60 doesn't have an empty mag bolt hold open. You know it's empty when it goes click on the dry fire. It's over 50 years old now and 100% reliable. Just my experience, although I wouldn't just sit and dry fire it either.

[watab kid]

8 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Some have no choice unless you carefully count. My Marlin model 60 doesn't have an empty mag bolt hold open. You know it's empty when it goes click on the dry fire. It's over 50 years old now and 100% reliable. Just my experience, although I wouldn't just sit and dry fire it either.

the latter is what i was referring to , not the former - that i understand