Total newb question

[Hollow Grind]

I picked up my first gun, a CZ P-01, Tuesday night. I cleaned off the packing grease and oiled it up Friday night, but have yet to shoot it.

Enclosed were four snap caps. My understanding is that CZ's triggers are gritty at first, so I figure I should use the enclosed snap caps to dry fire until I can carve out some time to hit the range.

Here's the question - what exactly do I do with the snap caps? Do I load them in a mag? Do I just drop one in the chamber? Will it eject after snapping? Do I need to work the slide after every trigger pull?

I told you it was a total newb question!

[randy]

I was taught to always load the round into the chamber from a magazine and never drop one into the chamber and let the slide slam home. The reason being is the extractor isn't designed to go over the edge of the round but to pull it out. This condition is worsened on a 1911 internal extractor gun.

Load a round into the chamber and pull the trigger to your harts content. If your CZ is double action then just keep pulling.

[Greg-Dawg]

Before you do anything else, READ the manual. Answers in bold below....

Here's the question - what exactly do I do with the snap caps? Practice dry firing. Do I load them in a mag? Yes. Do I just drop one in the chamber? NO!!! Will it eject after snapping? "Snapping"? Pulling the trigger, you'll hear the firing pin/hammer hit the rubber primer of the snap cap and it'll stay in the chamber. Do I need to work the slide after every trigger pull? Yes.

I told you it was a total newb question!

You're welcome.

[reidnez]

They chamber and "fire" like any other round. Just please triple-check that they are indeed snap caps, before you do anything I also recommend that if they aren't already, paint them a very distinctive color (bright blue or red) so that they are visually very distinct from real rounds. And, when you are practicing with them, safety-check your gun first thing and don't even practice in the same room with live rounds. You really can not be too careful.

Read your user manual to familiarize yourself with how your pistol operates. I'd also really recommend a basic pistol course, or at least some instruction from an experienced shooter.

But yes, the snap caps will load and chamber just like normal rounds. You will have to cock the hammer or cycle the slide manually after each shot, unless it's a double-action pistol in which case you can keep pulling the trigger on the same cap.

[Greg-Dawg]

Enclosed were four snap caps.

They're not snap caps, they're spent casings.

Do a search on what snap caps look like....for example do a search on "AZOOM".

[fastpowerstroker]

Wow good choice. Anyway what I do with my hammer fired weapons is this: Load one snap cap in mag rack and and dry fire to feel where the trigger breaks. It will not eject after trigger pull. You only need to work the slide on striker fired weapons. Snap caps only purpose is to protect your guns internals ie: firing pin. Use all 4 for tap & rack drills if you don't have double strike capibility (which I dont think is an issue with your gun). Be safe.

[fastpowerstroker]

They're not snap caps, they're spent casings.

Do a search on what snap caps look like....for example do a search on "AZOOM".

Yeah, are you sure they are snap caps?

[Librarian]

Just one example, from the MidwayUSA site:


Note that the shape matches a loaded cartridge.

[Hollow Grind]

Thank you all for your quick replies!

I was taught to always load the round into the chamber from a magazine and never drop one into the chamber and let the slide slam home. The reason being is the extractor isn't designed to go over the edge of the round but to pull it out. This condition is worsened on a 1911 internal extractor gun.

Load a round into the chamber and pull the trigger to your harts content. If your CZ is double action then just keep pulling.

Cool, my pistol is SA/DA, so ejection won't be an issue.

Before you do anything else, READ the manual. Answers in bold below....



You're welcome.

I read the manual three times, and there's no mention of how to use snap caps - that's why I posted.

They chamber and "fire" like any other round. Just please triple-check that they are indeed snap caps, before you do anything I also recommend that if they aren't already, paint them a very distinctive color (bright blue or red) so that they are visually very distinct from real rounds. And, when you are practicing with them, safety-check your gun first thing and don't even practice in the same room with live rounds. You really can not be too careful.

Read your user manual to familiarize yourself with how your pistol operates. I'd also really recommend a basic pistol course, or at least some instruction from an experienced shooter.

But yes, the snap caps will load and chamber just like normal rounds. You will have to cock the hammer or cycle the slide manually after each shot, unless it's a double-action pistol in which case you can keep pulling the trigger on the same cap.

The reason I haven't gone to the range yet is that I am waiting to go with friends who have years of experience and know what they're doing. I do plan on getting formal instruction, too.

All of my ammo is locked up - I have a wife and three kids, they are my most valuable assets. And yes, I have snap caps, they are black hollow plastic with neon green rubbery "primers."

They're not snap caps, they're spent casings.

Do a search on what snap caps look like....for example do a search on "AZOOM".

Do new guns typically ship with spent casings? Why would you assume I can't tell the difference? I may be new to shooting, but I'm not an Epsilon Semi-Moron.

[AJD]

They're not snap caps, they're spent casings.

Do a search on what snap caps look like....for example do a search on "AZOOM".

Actually, CZ pisols come with snap caps in the case. Although, I heard they recently, may have stopped doing this. If remember correctly they may be black and green or something like that.

[fastpowerstroker]

Yes alot of guns ship with spent casings from the factory thats why were all skeptical. Nobody's calling you a moron just gotta be careful. Sounds like you got it under control but you did call it a "newb" question. Can't be too safe.

[goober]

CZ pistols like the P-01 routinely come w/ non-spring-loaded snap caps.

[Hollow Grind]

Yes alot of guns ship with spent casings from the factory thats why were all skeptical. Nobody's calling you a moron just gotta be careful. Sounds like you got it under control but you did call it a "newb" question. Can't be too safe.

Thanks for filling me in on that, I wouldn't have imagined spent casings would ship with a new gun. I learn something new here on Calguns every day!

I agree with you, safety and being careful are paramount, that's why I thought I'd ask the group. And I was joking with the semi-moron line, that's why I put in the smiley, I hope I didn't come across like a douche. If I did, my apologies to anyone who took offense.

[fastpowerstroker]

No worries. I didn't know CZ's came with snap caps. We all learn from each other. Now get to the range and break that gun in. Just remember don't shoot up all your ammo