Dry-firing for practice

[superior]

Is it ok to dry-fire my Enfield no1 mk3 ? I want to practice my trigger pull but I don't want to hurt anything.

[JSnover]

I've had people tell me you can dry-fire the Enfield without hurting anything. Others have said NEVER dry-fire unless you are putting the weapon away and don't want the springs to be compressed. So now I just keep a fired case with a spent primer in the chamber for my dry-fire practice to give the firing pin something to rest on when it's driven forward. You can probably buy a snap-cap. I think A-Zoom makes them.

[superior]

A spent shell doesn't work as the already dented primer offers no resistance. It would work with rimfire since the hammer contacts the barrel. There are alot on enfield experts on this site. Hopefully one will give us the correct answer.

[JSnover]

Actually it does. You can see the primer getting dented a little more deeply every time. After each practice (20 "shots") the indent is huge. Time for another. It's also pretty easy to make your own by decapping and filling the pocket with hard rubber RTV sealant, etc. Been using one or the other for 20 years and never ruined a firing pin.

[2TN Mules]

Another hint is to remove the primer and super glue a pencil eraser in place of the primer. Makes a dandy dud for practice firing.

[BruceB]

The Lee Enfield rifle was designed and built to tolerate THOUSANDS of dry-fire cycles with no cushioning for the striker at all.

Action manipulation was practiced constantly by the troops, using drill rounds with empty primer pockets. How do you think the rifle became so famous as the fastest/smoothest etc military bolt action? It wasn't the "smoothest/fastest" until the troops were capable of using it with extreme competence, which meant literally hours of loading and functioning (and dry-firing) practice.

I have never seen a broken striker in either a No1 MkIII or #4 Mk1/2, and I have observed hundreds of them in active military service.....mostly #4s, but enough MkIII rifles to give me equal faith in them. I'm sure breakages did occur on rare occasions, but I've never seen one.

Dry-fire that rifle to your heart's content, and don't worry about damaging it. Ain't a-gonna happen. YOU will get better/faster/smoother; the rifle is already there. Consider making some drill cartridges, CLEARLY DIFFERENT from loaded ammo. The .303 drill rounds had long troughs in the case sides, usually filled with red enamel. I'd suggest maybe finding a few nickeled cases, and drilling prominent holes right through the cases from side to side. I'd use epoxy or other strong cement to help secure the well-crimped bullets, and would use FMJ bullets to minimize tip damage. Leave the primer pockets empty. Or....just find a few original drill rounds and "chargers" (strippers).

The standard test of proficiency with the #4 Rifle for ARMY CADETS, down to 14 years of age, was to stand on the firing point with a closed and empty rifle, going prone on signal to load and fire ten rounds (two five-round strippers) in 45 seconds, achieving a minimum score on a generous target in doing so. Trust me; this will take some practice. At the same time, it's not all that difficult.

Much the same applies to other military bolt-actions such as the Springfield '03 and the Mauser series. Action manipulation was a huge part of training in any man's Army, and the rifles were built to take it. This does NOT apply to most sporting arms.

You have a truly great and historic rifle. Enjoy it, but it doesn't need babying.

[jonk]

Depends on the gun; I've never had issues with an Enfield.

[superior]

And there you have it ! Ask and we shall receive. Thanks for the replies. JSnover's ideas for filling the primer pocket with rubber etc. will come in handy on my other rifles. Thanks BruceB for the words of experience.

[corvette8n]

I make dummy cartridges by filling the primer pocket with Ge silicone seal.

[KCSO]

What Bruce B said, read "The First Hundred Thousand" by Ian Hay. Soldiers had to dry fire by the hour. At yin advancin' Gairmans 300 yards RAPID!

[qtip223]

Get a snap cap. Dry firing will help make you a better shooter.

[jdowney]

Another hint is to remove the primer and super glue a pencil eraser in place of the primer. Makes a dandy dud for practice firing.

Neat!

[Gerry N.]

If your'e nervous about dry firing a milsurp rifle, buy a spare firing pin/striker. Then dry fire to your heart's content. Your great grandson can install the new firing pin if needed.

In 1962 when I was 17 I actually did break a firing pin by dry firing. It was a M94 Win. Carbine. I then bought two firing pins, installed one, drilled a hole under the buttplate for the other. Somewhere, probably in the Seattle area, is a M94 with a spare firing pin under the buttplate.

Gerry N.

[jnovotny]

Dry fire away, I practice with all my guns by dry fireing without snapcaps. And when you guys buy those "new to me" guns better break out the screw driver and yank off the but plate. You never know what you'll find.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I used one of these in cadets and we dry fired the old girls till we were blue in the face. We had just short oif 200 cadets at the school I was at and I was an assistant armourer (gun nut kid that is happy to clean squillions of SMLEs to get access to the armoury under supervision and be around the guns. There were three of us, we spent our lunch hour there, cleaned about fivre or six rifles, took our one out and practiced dry firing for the rest of the hour every day. Never saw a prob.

I saw a neat trick with Evil Roy of cowboy action fame, he grinds the rim off where it contacts the extractor and doesn't have to reload all the time, just practices.