Empty shell casing as 45acp snap cap?

[jcaoloveshine]

I was dry firing with fired 45acp brass w/used primer inside, and suddenly the firing pin got stuck forward.

After I racked the slide hard, turns out the used primer had a hole in it. I was practicing dryfiring on the used casing in my baer 1911.

My guess is that the firing pin got stuck in the casing, which prevented it from popping back out of the firing pin stop.

Should I just get snap caps or drill out the primer in shell casings? I'm guessing it's probably my stupidity, not something wrong with the firing pin. Never experienced issues when shooting live ammo.

EDIT:

1. I fed the empty brass from mag, and it fed fine. I didn't bubba feed it.

2. Since the firing pin punched a hole in the primer, could there have been any damage to the firing pin?

I attached pics, see the closeup of the little ding I'm talking about. Also attached pics of just firing pin for reference. Not sure if this ding was there before, or if it's something punching out the used primer could have caused. Either way, I don't think it would affect firing pin function since it's on the edge. Front surface is fine.

[proclone1]

If you can afford a $1500+ 1911, you can afford a $20 pack of .45 snap caps :P

[zfields]

I'd just buy some...

Some people pop out the primers, and use some silicone caulking in the primer pocket. Usually just for hard to find calibers that they need snap caps for.

[Old4eyes]

The problem with using an empty casing is two fold as a snap cap is two fold:

1. It probably wont feed via the magazine, thus you are putting it directly in the chamber. This causes extra stress on the extractor as it has to go around the rim of the cartridge rather than being slipped into its groove as it would being fed from the magazine.

2.The primer area of the used brass may not provide as much as a buffer to absorb the inertia of the firing pin, especially to the type of snap cap that uses the silicon/rubber piece in the primer area.

Yes, empty brass is cheaper than a snap cap, but remember that each snap cap is supposed to be able to take 2-3000 hits. Buy 5 for 15 bucks, spread that across 10-15000 uses. Cheap.

[JTROKS]

The problem with using an empty casing is two fold as a snap cap is two fold:

1. It probably wont feed via the magazine, thus you are putting it directly in the chamber. This causes extra stress on the extractor as it has to go around the rim of the cartridge rather than being slipped into its groove as it would being fed from the magazine.

2.The primer area of the used brass may not provide as much as a buffer to absorb the inertia of the firing pin, especially to the type of snap cap that uses the silicon/rubber piece in the primer area.

Yes, empty brass is cheaper than a snap cap, but remember that each snap cap is supposed to be able to take 2-3000 hits. Buy 5 for 15 bucks, spread that across 10-15000 uses. Cheap.

Yup! Especially the manual feeding jumping the rim with the extractor. A big no-no with a tuned 1911 standard extractor.

I make my own snap cap with dud rounds with the primer pocket drilled out and plugged with a small nylon rod. The problem with that is it looks like a live ammo except for the holes through the side of the case and nylon plug. With that experience the snap caps provides quick ID they are safe versus a dud round.

[h0use]

get a pack of azoom snap caps. they have the feel of a real round and are made out of metal

[jcaoloveshine]

Gotcha.

Just edited original post, I fed from magazine since I know bubba feeding is bad.

Since the firing pin punched a hole in the primer from repeated hits, could the firing pin be damaged in any way? Been talking to a smith and he says he wants to check to make sure the firing pin didn't get narrowed to where it might protrude further now.

[gatesbox]

If you can afford a $1500+ 1911, you can afford a $20 pack of .45 snap caps :P

QFT ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[enzo357]

spending 20 bucks for snap caps seems like a rip off, but truth be told, well worth the price. they last a long time.

[lowend65]

Personally I don't want my snap caps to look/feel anything like live rounds.

Recipe for disaster

[ThiZZ]

you can pick up snap caps on amazon for like $10

[JTROKS]

Unless your pistol has a titanium firing pin it should be ok if it only happened one or two times.

[jcaoloveshine]

It's a steel firing pin, only punched through the empty casing this one time since I was dry firing with empty casing in (which already had a used primer in it).

[Spdjunkie]

^ You should be GTG.

But, To remove all doubt. . . . Remove the Firing Pin Stop & Check the FP Condition.

[gregshin]

1911s are built to dry fire. No snap caps needed.