1911 questions? seriously!

[sffred]

Hello fellow calgunners!

I am in need of some serious advise!
I know many of people already asked this but I want to know if you dry fire a 1911 is it bad? I have a few friends say yes it is dangerous without atleast a snap cap because the firing pin hits the inner slide wall. I have another friend says it makes no difference.

And also I know for sure you are not supposed to drop the slide without a bullet/snap cap or else it slaps the slide to the receiver. But what parts gets damaged? I have 1 friend says 1911 can take all the abuse in the world because it is a steel gun, than another friend said a 1911 is a princess not like glock, you cannot do anything to it, and if u do you have to clean/polish/lube certain points all over the gun or else it will absorb into the metal parts (especially after every use).

One last thing if the possibility of getting rust/corrosion is so easilly affects the 1911 so much would it help throwing silica gel packets in my 1911 case?

Sorry for the weird questions, its just that I get so many different answers from so many different people? I just really want to hear opinions from real long term 1911 owners and what they experienced.

Hopefully I do not offend anybody/ cause major arguements or feel like I am wasting anybody's time, I just want to know some real experienced facts.

Hopefully no one curses me out for this,
Sffred

[kmca]

Hundreds of competition shooter dry fire their 1911/2011 thousands of times a year, hasn't caused a problem yet.

Dropping the slide on an empty chamber is a good way to ruin a trigger job. It bounces the sear off the hammer.

Putting a silica pack in with your handgun isn't a bad idea, putting it in a safe where the air circulates is a better idea. Depends on where you live and the humidity levels.

[Cyc Wid It]

Exercise common sense with storage (silica in a safe or case works, but as an earlier poster said air circulation is good, don't keep it in a foam case) and keep a regular cleaning schedule. I don't think either of these things is unreasonable to expect from a firearm.

Regarding your other questions, take it from some of the best smiths in the world:

http://www.heirloomprecision.com/info/faq.shtml

"Will dry firing damage my pistol?

No. It has been shown through our experience that dry firing a properly maintained 1911 or Browning Hi-Power will cause no undue wear to the pistol. In the past, and with certain rim-fire firearms, dry firing was frowned upon but with a properly functioning and maintained pistol dry firing should not cause any major issues and instead is a valuable tool that can help improve and maintain trigger control.

Is letting the slide slam home on an empty chamber bad for my pistol?

Basically, yes it is. While an occasional or accidental occurrence may not damage ones pistol the repeated act of the slide slamming closed on an empty chamber can have an adverse effect on the pistol's hammer and sear geometry as well as cause battering between the frame, slide stop, and barrel feet. Whenever possible ease the slide home when not chambering a round. "

[five.five-six]

I dry fire a lot

[willssmithing]

You can dry fire a 1911 until the cows come home. A lot of competition shooters will dry fire a lot more that they live fire for practice.
Releasing the slide with an empty chamber, can damage the slide stop pin, the barrel lower lugs, and the sear, and more so if you had trigger work done.
When you load a round, it cushions the impact, ease her home when she is empty.
As far as rust, take a rag with WD40 or similar, and wipe her down good before you put her away.

[osxgp]

Dont use WD-40. Use a synthetic blend like break free; even tho it is greasy.

[1911whore]

Dry firing will not damage your 1911. period.

[Fjold]

I've dry fired mine many, many, many, many, many thousands of times.

[Buddhabelly]

I've dry fired mine many, many, many, many, many thousands of times.

And you still shoot like you do? Proof positive practice doesn't make perfect.

Just playing with you

[sffred]

Cool thanks u guys! Really helpful! Iuno how imma tell my buddies that dry firing is ok with your 1911!

[CK_32]

Dry fire it. You should be fine. I dry fire all of my guns.. Accept my 700.. Those have a lot of "rumors" of them sending the pin through the chamber... too many to keep me comfortable doing it.

[PRCABR4Christ]

Hello fellow calgunners!

I am in need of some serious advise!
I know many of people already asked this but I want to know if you dry fire a 1911 is it bad? I have a few friends say yes it is dangerous without atleast a snap cap because the firing pin hits the inner slide wall. I have another friend says it makes no difference.

Negative, dry firing a 1911 will cause no damage

And also I know for sure you are not supposed to drop the slide without a bullet/snap cap or else it slaps the slide to the receiver. But what parts gets damaged? I have 1 friend says 1911 can take all the abuse in the world because it is a steel gun, than another friend said a 1911 is a princess not like glock, you cannot do anything to it, and if u do you have to clean/polish/lube certain points all over the gun or else it will absorb into the metal parts (especially after every use).

Unless you have had a trigger job done, you won't "hurt" your gun, but if you constantly drop the slide on an empty chamber you will cause premature wear on your FCG...it's bad juju and a bad habit, don't do it and your gun will thank you

ok, as far as lube goes, most 1911's prefer to run dripping wet, when I go to the range (private property), every 100rds or so I squirt some lube on the rails...

One last thing if the possibility of getting rust/corrosion is so easilly affects the 1911 so much would it help throwing silica gel packets in my 1911 case?

Sorry for the weird questions, its just that I get so many different answers from so many different people? I just really want to hear opinions from real long term 1911 owners and what they experienced.

Hopefully I do not offend anybody/ cause major arguements or feel like I am wasting anybody's time, I just want to know some real experienced facts.

Hopefully no one curses me out for this,
Sffred

No curses, if you wanna keep your roscoe rust free, do as I do...I carry mine every day, a couple nights a week I wipe it down with an oily rag (I have one for this specific purpose that I keep in a can), just a quick wipe will keep it shining and rust free, a silicone cloth will work as well, but I like oil on a blued gun

Welcome to the 1911 club, now go shoot your new heater

[PRCABR4Christ]

Dont use WD-40. Use a synthetic blend like break free; even tho it is greasy.

There is one instance where a 1911 will appreciate WD-40, and thats if you live in a swamp and it's constantly in the water...WD-40 is for Water Displacing, not lube...use a dedicated lube, whether it's yak fat, motor oil, or slide glide...personally I use Hoppes oil and RIG (Rust Inhibiting Grease)

[esartori]

I dry fire my 1911 all day. Why is keeping it in a foam case bad? Don't mean to derail the thread, I just haven't heard of this before

[rshoemaker]

The manual that came with my kimber told me to dry fire it, not to slowly let the hammer down.