Firing Steyr LP 10 without a pellet

Farangmaidee · Post by **Farangmaidee** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:48 pm

Hi,

Does it cause any damage to fire a Steyr LP-10 airgun without a pellet? I just accidently pressed down the lever to firing position and pulled the trigger as I was dry shooting - and then it said BANG. If damage can happen, then what kind of damage? Easy and cheap to fix? I think every one will make this kind of accidents when they are dry shooting many times....

Many thanks for your help.

BR: Peter

kevinweiho · Post by **kevinweiho** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:48 pm

Farangmaidee wrote:Hi,

Does it cause any damage to fire a Steyr LP-10 airgun without a pellet? I just accidently pressed down the lever to firing position and pulled the trigger as I was dry shooting - and then it said BANG. If damage can happen, then what kind of damage? Easy and cheap to fix? I think every one will make this kind of accidents when they are dry shooting many times....

Many thanks for your help.

BR: Peter

When there is air pressure in the pistol, no harm was done.

However, if you fire the gun with no air and without the dry firing mechanism, then you will indeed damage the pistol.

Rover · Post by **Rover** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:23 pm

Really?

peterz · Post by **peterz** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:38 pm

kevinweiho · Post by **kevinweiho** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 10:08 pm

Rover wrote:

Really?

peterz wrote:

How?

I imagine that everyone knows that firing spring pistons guns without a pellet damages the gun because there is no resistance to cushion the piston when it slams in front of the cylinder...

O.K., just imagine the same happening with the internal firing mechanism of the LP-10.

When you cock the lever all the way back, you are actually compressing a spring and a 'hammer'. When you squeeze the trigger, the sear releases the hammer to hit the valve system and a small amount of compressed air rushes foward to push the pellet out, and at the same time providing the necessary 'cushioning effect'.

Without air or the dry firing mechanism, the aformentioned parts will simply slam in front causing damage.

lastman · Post by **lastman** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:43 am

I did not know this.

Not that I ever go live firing my pistol with no gas in it.

Thanks.

Rover · Post by **Rover** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 6:36 pm

Hey, Pilk,

Is this BS?

oldcaster · Post by **oldcaster** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 8:59 pm

Many times with a LP5 I have fired without a pellet because the magazine doesn't advance because a pellet isn't squished in far enough. It makes a noise, you clear the problem and go on. I have had the gun since 2002 and nothing has gone wrong with it yet.

Farangmaidee · Post by **Farangmaidee** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 2:13 am

Good to know that no damage. I just pulled the cocking lever back to activate the gun and pushed it accidentally down ("F") instead of leaving it up a bit in "T" position. And then aimed to my fridge to practice steady triggering, but heck, it said a loud bang as there was 150 bars air left in the cylinder and no pellet inside. Fortunately, not a pellet inside - otherwise my fridge would now have a tiny hole on the door.

BR: Peter

Brian G · Post by **Brian G** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:39 am

Farangmaidee wrote:Hi,

Does it cause any damage to fire a Steyr LP-10 airgun without a pellet? I just accidently pressed down the lever to firing position and pulled the trigger as I was dry shooting - and then it said BANG. If damage can happen, then what kind of damage? Easy and cheap to fix? I think every one will make this kind of accidents when they are dry shooting many times....

Many thanks for your help.

BR: Peter

At any competition held under ISSF rules the trigger weight is tested with the discharge of air with no ill effects.

kevinweiho · Post by **kevinweiho** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 11:14 am

I contacted Ernst Huber; he is the Chief of Technical Service in Steyr Sportwaffen.

Here is what he has to say:

1.) Will shooting the pistol with compressed air, but without a pellet damage the gun?

No, it doesn’t matter. With our without air isn’t any problem for the gun.

2.) Will shooting the pistol without compressed air and without the dry firing mechanism damage the gun?

No. The hammer is hitting on the valve and behind the valve is a spring. It doesn’t matter.

To my surprise, no problemo at all. If you choose to shoot the pistol without the dry fire mechanism, NO damage is done...

Hope this clears all the doubts...

Kevin

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 12:42 pm

Brian G wrote:At any competition held under ISSF rules the trigger weight is tested with the discharge of air with no ill effects.

I don't have a FWB 65, but am curious about how a spring-air pistol such as this would be trigger weight tested at a competition. With a PCP or SSP (I have a 46m) there's no harm discharging to test with air compressed but no pellet, making for safe (for the gun and for people around it) trigger testing. But with a spring pistol, wouldn't there be danger to the piston head/buffer from such a discharge? Or if they compensated by inserting a pellet to save the pistol, what about the danger of shooting straight up in the air with the standard trigger weight in place and having a pellet bouncing around off the ceiling?

kevinweiho · Post by **kevinweiho** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:17 pm

Gerard wrote:

But with a spring pistol, wouldn't there be danger to the piston head/buffer from such a discharge?

Our host, Scott had mentioned that firing the FWB 65 with no pellet in the pistol will not damage the gun.

I cannot imagine how its possible, but if he said so, it must be correct.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:22 pm

Alright, good enough for me. I figured FWB would have thought of this with so much experience in competition pistol making, but the old rule about not dry firing spring pistols and rifles seemed to be of concern.

peterz · Post by **peterz** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 1:32 pm

Was that true of all spring pistols of the era? For example the Dianas?

Rover · Post by **Rover** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:10 pm

To answer Gerard:

Back when the FWBs were the only game in town I have seen them put their thumb tightly over the muzzle when lifting the gun for trigger weight.

I don't say this is the best idea I've ever heard, but that's what they did.

On the other hand, I never heard of a 65 breaking anything due to dry firing, but it was frowned upon.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:24 pm

Well that sounds scary. I wonder if an official ever took a pellet in the thumb.

j-team · Post by **j-team** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:39 pm

Gerard wrote:Well that sounds scary. I wonder if an official ever took a pellet in the thumb.

If I was the official I would ask the gun owner to supply the thumb!

peterz · Post by **peterz** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:47 pm

Pretty durn hard to put a thumb firmly over the muzzle w/o affecting the forces on the trigger...

I suppose you could use a felt cleaning pellet or two.

renzo · Post by **renzo** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:00 pm

Regarding Gerard's concern, it is not at all unfounded: aprox. 25 years ago, one of my teammates checked the compressión of his FWB 65 by shooting without pellet and blocking the barrel with his left hand index finger. Believe it or not, it was a VERY common practice at the time, as I saw a number of shooters (even at the Nationals) doing the same. What the results of such an ambiguous tests were, I couldn't tell then nor now.

But as it goes, the inevitable happened: one way or another he shot a loaded gun inadvertently and so stuck a pellet in his finger, which bleeded profusely (as any cut in this part of the finger does).

It is the only such occurrence I am a witness to, but I was told of many other accidents laike that.

FWIW, I'd never put a finger over a barrel muzzle, unless I can see the rest of the weapon dismantled over the table..........................

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Firing Steyr LP 10 without a pellet

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