dryfire Pardini SP

[race1911]

Can anyone tell me for sure if you will damage the firing pin/chamber or anything else by dryfiring the Pardini SP without an empty casing in it???

[Tom]

Hi,

Although it appears that the SPE/SP's are intended/desigined as a non-interference gun (firing pin tip does not contact the barrel) because of the incorporation of a travel limiting firing pin design.

In actuall use however, the tip of the pin can, and in most likelyhood, will strike the rear face of the barrel. Since most of these models have a faced barrel end, once may be enough to leave a dent.

I have noticed that replacement firing pins sometime vary. Some are longer or have small "bulbs" on the rear section. Since the "bulb" is the main design feature that stops forward movement as it contacts the rear of the firing pin passage, it determines if the pin will hit. I have 4 pins for one of my SPE's, 2 will hit, 2 won't.

When I dry fire, I use a dryfire plug that came with the pistol. it holds the bolt open to the point that the hammer does not strike the firing pin and therefore, no danger of a dent.

my 2 cents,

Tom

[Fred Mannis]

When I dry fire, I use a dryfire plug that came with the pistol. it holds the bolt open to the point that the hammer does not strike the firing pin and therefore, no danger of a dent.
Tom

Tom,
Just came accross your note while browsing TT. I never got a dryfire plug with my SPE (bought it used). Could you provide the dimensions of your plug so that I could make one?
Thanks,
Fred

[funtoz]

An occasional hit, such as when we miscount and pull the trigger a 6th time, isn't going to do terrible damage. Continuous dry firing on an empty chamber isn't a real good idea. That's why they make the dry fire plug and ship it with the gun when it is new.

Do yourself a favor and contact Don Nygord and order yourself a dry fire plug. Get a spare recoil spring while you are at it. It doesn't make much sense to risk a $1000 tool with a home made copy of a dollar part.

Larry

[Fred Mannis]

An occasional hit, such as when we miscount and pull the trigger a 6th time, isn't going to do terrible damage. Continuous dry firing on an empty chamber isn't a real good idea. That's why they make the dry fire plug and ship it with the gun when it is new.

Do yourself a favor and contact Don Nygord and order yourself a dry fire plug. Get a spare recoil spring while you are at it. It doesn't make much sense to risk a $1000 tool with a home made copy of a dollar part.

Larry

Thanks for the advice. I never even considered that they would be available as a replacement part! I was planning to call Don on Monday on his return from vacation, so will add this to the list.
Thanks again,
fred

[near miss]

Yes. I always use the plastic dry-firing insert supplied with every gun of match quality nowadays. The inserts are also ususlly available from the distributors at a moderate cost. That was the .22s.

With the centerfires dryfiring plugs are seldom supplied. I just form them on a lathe from plastics rods. Not very difficult.

With the revolvers i use å small pease of towel-paper where the hammer strikes the frame. (Remember to remove the paper before live firing, or you will experience a misfire of course).

Four years back during a match a Benelli centerfire match pistol in .32 S&W L was inspected bye the range oficers for trigger release weight. By pulling the trigger, a faint "ding" was heard when a small pease of metal hit the roof in the range administrators office. It was the tip of the firing pin!

Good shoot´n.

[martinibelgian]

Then you can basically insert just about anything between barrel and slide to back the latter out so that the firing pin will not touch the barrel - no disconnector kicking in, so anything fitting in the chamber (so that it won't fall out when cocking) and holding the slide back will work - at least with my '85 model.