Dry-firing options for Smith 41?

[MSC]

Seems as though the slide has to basically be closed in order for the trigger to be pulled. Not even the thin hammerli plugs/strips work.

How do others do it? A spent case works, but they're a pain to get in and eject each time it's cycled (obviously).

You'd think a purpose built target pistol would give you the ability to dry-fire easily...

Any creative solutions out there? Or perhaps something easy I'm, missing?

A teammate of mine has been dry-firing his for years (many 1,000's of times) with no ill effect. I don't really care to. Although I know I've heard in many cases that the firing pin doesn't even hit the breechface.

Thanks

[Rover]

I have dry fired thousands of times since 1984 with my M41 and still have all the original parts in use. What's not to like?

[Fred Mannis]

This works very well - http://www.flat5.net/trashcansnapcap.html

Here are some other approaches (from Bullseye-L site)
http://groups.google.com/group/Bullseye ... 1+snap+cap#

[MSC]

Thanks guys. I had found the trash can snap cap. Good to hear of someone else using it.

[tenex]

Hi Mike,
I made this block a few years ago, here's a bullseye list msg from back a ways...

Steve

I made this block to fit in my model 41 for dryfire practice. All you
need to do is place a block of wood in the slide cavity that only allows
the hammer to move up 1/8 of an inch or so, allowing it to cock, but not
hit the firing pin.







I got fancy and put in a notch for the firing pin and a ledge in the
middle so I can cock the pistol by only moving the slide 1/4 inch or so
(not enough to reach the slide lock, very convenient), but a rectangular
block will work just as well, you just have to normally retract the
slide to cock the pistol.

The nice thing about this type of hammer block is that it will last
forever, since it blocks the hammer long before it gets a full head of
steam, unlike a snap cap that gets trashed in a few dryfire cycles.

I made a few of these out of a little piece of maple, and they work
great but any wood would work (a friend made this one for me out of
delrin, but that's not necessary). Be warned that the various
generations of 41's have different dimensions. I have a 3rd gen. gun
(~1999) and it has a larger cutout than the 2nd gen guns.

Steve.