Creating my own snap caps out of old brass/spent primers for Revolvers?

[VariableRecall]

I've got my S&W Model 10-5, and I'd like to get some more practice in using methods of concealed carry. I have 6 official snap caps from A-Zoom, and they have well, but I'd like to make some substitutes since A-Zooms are pretty expensive. Then again, I also want to balance the fact that I want my dummy rounds to be able to be dry-fired into and take a serious beating. Also, I can see the value in becoming familiar with my own cast boolits weight and handling characteristics, especially when using Speed Strips and speedloaders.

Would priming some of my spare .38 Special brass with spent Small Pistol primers, and seating a boolit on it normally with zero powder inside work out? A spent primer already has a dent inside it, and it's not like the primer is going to get any more supportive to the hammer nose when it slams against it. If I'm going to be doing this a lot, I'm going to need something that is not going to damage my revolver over time. It's going to be better than dry-firing, but boy, I don't want to make it harder on the firearm than it needs to be.

Would producing my own dummy rounds through this method be a reasonable substitute for retail snap caps?

[uscra112]

I've read of making snap caps by filling the primer cavity with plugs cut from a hard rubber eraser. That was back when you could still buy "ink erasers".

Betcha that today someone could 3D print the plugs. Or a whole snap cap.

Owning a lathe as I do, I'd probably just make them from Delrin rod stock. Turn the OD to about .005 bigger than the primer, cut off 1/4 inch lengths, press them into the pocket, then machine off the excess. Delrin is tough stuff. Ought to last quite a while.

[downzero]

You can dry fire your gun all you want with nothing in the chambers if you choose. Are you worried about wearing out your snap caps?

I have some dummy rounds I made mostly to check feeding in a lever action rifle. They are as you describe and they certainly do the job.

The issue with what you intend to do is that it's harder to recognize the dummy rounds as dummy rounds.....and your handgun, which is obviously your only one, should be loaded all of the time you're not dry firing.

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd probably dry fire with empty chambers.

[VariableRecall]

You can dry fire your gun all you want with nothing in the chambers if you choose. Are you worried about wearing out your snap caps?

I have some dummy rounds I made mostly to check feeding in a lever action rifle. They are as you describe and they certainly do the job.

The issue with what you intend to do is that it's harder to recognize the dummy rounds as dummy rounds.....and your handgun, which is obviously your only one, should be loaded all of the time you're not dry firing.

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd probably dry fire with empty chambers.

I'm not worried about wearing out my original snap caps, I'm just worried that if I use spent primers in the dummy rounds that they won't protect my revolver from the rigors of dry-firing like the factory snap caps. I don't dry fire my 10-5 without snap caps.

Also, in terms of distinguishing dummies from real ones, I usually store all of my live ammo away so that it cannot be accidentally accessed. Also, I'm thinking that I can use nail polish atop the lead boolits to distinguish them from live rounds.

In terms of other items in my small pistol safe, I also have a Hi-Point C9, which has apparently worn out my snap caps a lot faster than I had expected. I've been taking advantage of Strassel's Warranty services and it's been running fine since then. I'm quite satisfied with it, but it's far from concealable even with a relatively rare IWB holster than I managed to find.

[stubshaft]

I make my own snap caps utilizing spent cases and hot melt glue. I just de-prime and squirt a dab of hot melt glue in the primer cavity. When it cools I cut it flush with the case head and a quick swipe of a lighter or torch smooths everything out. When the indentation from the firing pin starts to get too pronounced another quick swipe of a lighter or torch will smooth it right back down.

[Winger Ed.]

I don't dry fire much, but keep a hand full of sized, but not de-primed cases for when I do.
I'll use them a few times, then toss 'em back in the bucket to be reloaded.
So far, no problems from doing that.

I think the 'don't dry fire on empty chamer's deal is to not ding up a rim fire's firing pin,
keep the firing pin or hammer on other weapons from over extending and hitting the frame.
Another thing I've heard of happening is to possibly break the spring that retracts the little short
firing pin in some revolvers that have a flat faced hammer.

[VariableRecall]

I don't dry fire much, but keep a hand full of sized, but not de-primed cases for when I do.
I'll use them a few times, then toss 'em back in the bucket to be reloaded.
So far, no problems from doing that.

I think the 'don't dry fire on empty chamer's deal is to not ding up a rim fire's firing pin,
keep the firing pin or hammer on other weapons from over extending and hitting the frame.
Another thing I've heard of happening is to possibly break the spring that retracts the little short
firing pin in some revolvers that have a flat faced hammer.

My Model 10-5's got a old-school hammer nose with a small spring in it to allow it to pivot slightly up and down. It has a standard S&W hammer block, but that thing has never caused any issues and is an essential safety feature. So, it's going to smack reliably into the rear end of the cartridge just about every time. my hope is that I don't cause my revolver any undue stress from smacking into an already dented primer.

[VariableRecall]

I make my own snap caps utilizing spent cases and hot melt glue. I just de-prime and squirt a dab of hot melt glue in the primer cavity. When it cools I cut it flush with the case head and a quick swipe of a lighter or torch smooths everything out. When the indentation from the firing pin starts to get too pronounced another quick swipe of a lighter or torch will smooth it right back down.

I don't have any hot glue handy but that sounds like a novel idea. that sounds like a reasonable solution.

[wilecoyote]

the cheapest and most fragile plastic dummy rounds have a spring inside that contrasts a plug. the plug protrudes from the inside to the primer pocket.
as they do not last long when exposed to gun lubricants,
it is possible to recycle the same spring or a similar one and the same plug or a similar one in brass, made on the lathe (or with a hand file & drill, etc.) by inserting them inside a case and compressing the spring thanks to the heavy crimped bullet.

[uscra112]

Like the hot glue idea.

O.P. wants a dummy cartridge with the weight and form of a real one. Commercial snap cap cartridges don't do that. The hot glue primer is simple and cheap. A gun and glue will be maybe ten bucks on Amazon. Lots of other uses for one.

[Winger Ed.]

my hope is that I don't cause my revolver any undue stress from smacking into an already dented primer.

Open the cylinder, cock & release the hammer, then push it forward as it travels down.

You'll see how much extra travel is in the hammer/firing pin before it hits the frame.
Then compare that amount of firing pin protrusion to how much less it travels to hit a spent primer.

Hitting a primer is what the hammer & firing pin were designed and built to do.
If it already has a dent, or not, won't matter.

[VariableRecall]

Open the cylinder, cock & release the hammer, then push it forward as it travels down.

You'll see how much extra travel is in the hammer/firing pin before it hits the frame.
Then compare that amount of firing pin protrusion to how much less it travels to hit a spent primer.

Hitting a primer is what the hammer & firing pin were designed and built to do.
If it already has a dent, or not, won't matter.

OK. That gives me a good deal more trust in the idea. I believe if I hold down on the trigger's full length of travel I should be able to see how far it goes. Either way, anything standing in the way of smacking the rest of the hammer into the charge hole is going to be an improvement. I think I'll go ahead and give them a go.

[ohen cepel]

I make my own caps/dummy rounds also. Used hot glue for the "primer" and put the bullet into them that I normally load so I can check feeding/mags/etc. For some less common rounds it is a real help.

I put mine in my drill press and punch a small hole sideways though all the cases to help make it clear that it is a dummy round. Sometimes need to clean that hole up with a wire brush but then I have nice dummy rounds.

[Scrounge]

I don't have any hot glue handy but that sounds like a novel idea. that sounds like a reasonable solution.

You can get hot glue and a hot glue gun both at a dollar store for under $10, and if you use it only for snap caps, you'll be good for three or four lifetimes of heavy snapcap useage. You could also cast hot-glue boolits for practice firing with primed cartridges for indoor practice.

Any time you make and use snap caps, I'd mark them as inert. In the military they do that with a blue bullet, among other things. Another thing you could do to make your snapcaps last longer would be a thin metal (aluminum, brass or copper) slug the diameter of a primer and not much more than 1/16" thick on top of a squirt of hot glue.

If you've got a lathe, or a drill press, you can make your own out of delrin, and put a "primer pocket" in them with the metal slug and hot glue as I described above, and as uscra112 suggested.

[Scrounge]

I make my own caps/dummy rounds also. Used hot glue for the "primer" and put the bullet into them that I normally load so I can check feeding/mags/etc. For some less common rounds it is a real help.

I put mine in my drill press and punch a small hole sideways though all the cases to help make it clear that it is a dummy round. Sometimes need to clean that hole up with a wire brush but then I have nice dummy rounds.

Like that idea. I'm stealing it! ;)

Bill

[JSnover]

You can dry fire your gun all you want with nothing in the chambers if you choose. Are you worried about wearing out your snap caps?

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd probably dry fire with empty chambers.

Not exactly.
Late manufacture, you probably can. But with older guns with a two-piece hammer and firing pin assembly (some are even three piece) the firing pin can be damaged if the hammer hits the frame and there's nothing in front of the pin.
My snap caps were simple enough: A fired case filled with RTV, primer pockets filled with plugs I cut from a sheet of very hard rubber (can't remember the spec).

[dverna]

I make my own snap caps utilizing spent cases and hot melt glue. I just de-prime and squirt a dab of hot melt glue in the primer cavity. When it cools I cut it flush with the case head and a quick swipe of a lighter or torch smooths everything out. When the indentation from the firing pin starts to get too pronounced another quick swipe of a lighter or torch will smooth it right back down.

That has worked for me.

BTW, DO NOT HAVE ANY LIVE ROUNDS IN THE SAME ROOM WHEN YOU ARE DRY FIRING!! I take the gun to the bedroom, empty it, and then go into the family room to dry fire.

80%+ of trigger control and sight discipline can be learned without firing a shot but it is not "fun". I have known top shooters who do a lot of dry firing but for them winning is important and they do the work.

[country gent]

You really want the snap caps visually different from live rounds so you know what you have with a glance. A simple way would be to drill your holes thru the case a wrap of tape and fill with dyed hot glue or epoxy red or orange would be good. this way you have a visual ID right away. drill 3 or 4 holes thru body so its visible with out turning.

No loaded ammo in the dry fire area.

white derlin or nylon plugs turned to fit the primer pockets very snug. A tight press into the pocket improves life of the plug. Aluma lite sell po;y urethane in various harnesses that could be used also. But quantities would be large.

Nylon screws are available at most hardware stores drill and tap the primer pocket to a size thread in flush with base with locktite head inside case. When worn out replace the nylon screw.

[Thumbcocker]

I have used silicone caulk in the primer pocket. Cut flush with a single edge razor blade. Hot glue is probably more durable. I have also read that old timers used a piece of leather boot lace glued into the primer pocket and trimmed flush but I never tried it.

[gwpercle]

Fill the primer pocket with something that cushions the firing pin . Remove the fired primer and insert : Hot Glue , Silicon Sealant , trimmed Vinyl / Rubber Pencil Eraser ... if you have a electric eraser , the kind a draftsman or artist use , with round erasers that are held by the eraser machines jaws, you can spin the exposed eraser end , trim it down with small blade of knife to primer diameter , cut to primer length and seat the eraser plugs in primer pocket . Make it a tight fit and they stay in place . Want to renew them ...dig out the eraser or decap them .
Gary
They last a long time ...gray ink erasers are very tough and take a lot of hits.

[tankgunner59]

If you want a case with a spent primer that will actually prevent the firing pin from "too much travel", I have in the past, removed the anvil from primer cups and used a small punch to remove the firing pin imprint. Then seat the primer cup as usual. Do this in several spent primers and seat a bullet and mark them so you know they are dummies. It takes a little time but you can do it with a few basic tools and they last as long as you have spent primers to work with.

[uscra112]

McMaster-Carr has 1/4" Delrin rod in 1-foot lengths for $1.83 - - -Shipping will be $8.00 or so. Might as well order several.

The stuff cuts well with a file, so a lathe is only convenient, not absolutely necessary.

Black makes the filled primer pocket more obvious.

https://www.mcmaster.com/acetal/diameter~1-4/length~12/?SrchEntryWebPart_InpBox=delrin

[VariableRecall]

McMaster-Carr has 1/4" Delrin rod in 1-foot lengths for $1.83 - - -Shipping will be $8.00 or so. Might as well order several.

The stuff cuts well with a file, so a lathe is only convenient, not absolutely necessary.

Black makes the filled primer pocket more obvious.

https://www.mcmaster.com/acetal/diameter~1-4/length~12/?SrchEntryWebPart_InpBox=delrin

Unfortunately I don't have a lathe. I think spent primers may have to do.

[MT Gianni]

Another one that has used silicone caulk.

[uscra112]

Unfortunately I don't have a lathe. I think spent primers may have to do.

Well, at least hammer 'em out and fill with hot glue. A spent primer offers no resistance at all.

[downzero]

I'm not worried about wearing out my original snap caps, I'm just worried that if I use spent primers in the dummy rounds that they won't protect my revolver from the rigors of dry-firing like the factory snap caps. I don't dry fire my 10-5 without snap caps.

Also, in terms of distinguishing dummies from real ones, I usually store all of my live ammo away so that it cannot be accidentally accessed. Also, I'm thinking that I can use nail polish atop the lead boolits to distinguish them from live rounds.

In terms of other items in my small pistol safe, I also have a Hi-Point C9, which has apparently worn out my snap caps a lot faster than I had expected. I've been taking advantage of Strassel's Warranty services and it's been running fine since then. I'm quite satisfied with it, but it's far from concealable even with a relatively rare IWB holster than I managed to find.


There's nothing to protect your revolver from. It's 70 years old now, and 70 years from now it'll still be fine even if you dry fire it every day.

[uscra112]

There must be a reason why it's so easy to buy replacement firing pins for the Model 10 and all of its' successors. Even Midway has them.

[VariableRecall]

There must be a reason why it's so easy to buy replacement firing pins for the Model 10 and all of its' successors. Even Midway has them.

I've taken a search of hammer noses that would be compatible on Midway USA, and unfortunately only firing pins, and complete hammer assemblies are available. Not to mention, most of the hammers on the site are the ones that are firing pin compatible, instead of my own revolver's configuration, which involves your traditional pokey smack directly onto the primer, hammer snoot to bang button.
Not to mention, if I were to get a hammer from there, it would need to be fitted by a gunsmith.

Strangely enough, the Hammer nose that I bought off Numrich after its obviously non-standard hammer nose broke off didn't fit in my revolver. I gave the non-fitting hammer nose to the gunsmith that managed to find one that fit as a fair exchange. My best guess is that such a hammer nose might be one that's fit for later models before the internal firing pin was introduced.
I have a good reason to be reluctant to cause any undue harm to my firearm.

[rintinglen]

You can dry fire your gun all you want with nothing in the chambers if you choose. Are you worried about wearing out your snap caps?
.

Gunsmiths love misinformation like this.
I have personally broken 1 hammer and 4 firing pins dry firing revolvers before I wised up and started using firing pin cushioning snap caps. I make mine by decapping an empty case, taking the spent primer and removing the anvil and then gluing a 1/8 inch piece of 9-10 ounce leather in the primer and reseating them in the primer pocket. You can use spent cases, but I recommend limiting them to a maximum of 10 snaps. Repeated dry firing beats the primer and anvil flat and then can also cause a firing pin to break--as I found out on a Colt Police Positive cerca 1981.

[uscra112]

What's amazing to me is the number of internet "authorities" claiming that dry firing is harmless. Maybe so with Rugers, but older Smiths with the firing pin pinned in the hammer do break. I have a 9" Colt Officers' Model (.38) which I have NEVER dry fired without snap caps. (Old guy who sold it to me made me swear an oath.)

[VariableRecall]

What's amazing to me is the number of internet "authorities" claiming that dry firing is harmless. Maybe so with Rugers, but older Smiths with the firing pin pinned in the hammer do break. I have a 9" Colt Officers' Model O.38) which I have NEVER dry fired without snap caps. (Old guy who sold it to me made me swear an oath.)

Perhaps a good middle ground would be to use these spent primer'd dummy rounds for loading practice only, and save dry firing for the snap caps that I have available?

[jim147]

My late BIL's wife gave me his Toarus Model 10 clone when he passed. Firing pin was broke. I ordered a couple Model 10's from Numrich and fit one to it. I lost the little spring in the process and had to make one of those.

It's extremely accurate so I guess I should dig it out of the safe and make some snap caps and get a little practice in during this heat wave.

[alamogunr]

I've been using hot melt glue in dummy rounds for several years. One set for a DAO .357 revolver is still soldering on after about 5 years and no telling how many strikes.

[mattri]

Great thread, going to try this.

[slughammer]

Gunsmiths love misinformation like this.
I have personally broken 1 hammer and 4 firing pins dry firing revolvers before I wised up and started using firing pin cushioning snap caps......

This is fascinating. I have never broken a S&W firing pin. 10's of thousands of dry firing cycles with 3 different competition revolvers. All 3 with hammer mounted firing pins. SW 681, 686 AND 625.

I could believe that a slight alignment issue would show itself overtime.

Glen, were all the failures you had on the same revolver?

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[rintinglen]

Two on Pythons, 1 K frame S&W M-66 and the afore mentioned Police Positive, plus the Hammer broke off my Model 17. Now to be fair, I was dry firing a lot--To the tune of thousands a month, fifty draw and double taps a day five days a week. A gunshop Commando had recommended that as a way to smooth up the actions, and I needed the practice. but my Gun Smith in those says flat told me I would keep breaking things if I kept on as I was doing. So, following some advice from George C, Nonte, I started using spent cartridges and then, after the Police Positive broke, I started making my own snap caps.
Oh, and I just remembered two others. One in a Star Modelo Super, which I was simply treating as we did our 45's in the Marines (Clear the weapon, verify the chamber empty both tactilely and visually, point the weapon in a safe direction--normally a sand filled bucket-- and drop the hammer.) The other was on a beat up 1917 smith that had been a prop gun at Paramount, it was totally rusted up with a bore and chambers like old sewer pipes, but I used it exclusively for dry firing and eventually it too suffered a broken firing pin. I didn't care bout the latter; it was just being used to strengthen my hand and trigger finger, but the Star was very troublesome to get repaired. I have never had a Ruger firing pin break, but I never dry fired one more than a few times, having already learned my lesson by the time I got onto the Ruger train.

When I was doing kitchen table gunsmithing, I did replace one in a Security 6, but I do not know how it came to be broken.

The bottom line is that dry firing WILL break your firing pin eventually and may break other things.