Rapid fire pistol and dry fire after last target

[Cvb]

I read from pistol shooting guide that after last rapid fire target should move pistol to extra imaginary target and shot dry fire. Do you shoot dry fire after targets? What does rimfire pistol like if you shoot dry fire after every series?

[David M]

Movement to the 6th target is a must, this helps prevent the shot on target 5 dropping low.
Whether you dry fire the shot will depend on you pistol, its head space and type of firing pin.
Some pistols do not like dry firing and tend to break firing pins, others it does not matter.
I don't think there is any value in dry firing but certainly do the over travel movement to
the 6th target.

[Gwhite]

Each pistol is different. Ideally, the firing pin can't hit the breech face, but with wear & tolerances, it can happen over time. That will put a dent on the edge of the chamber than can eventually interfere with feeding & extraction. It's not a bit deal to fix, but dry firing after the last shot is not essential, so why bother.

Benellis are prone to breaking firing pins with extensive dry firing after the last shot. The latest pins have been updated and are sturdier, but they do still break.

You couldn't break the firing pin on a MatchGun MG2 if you tried.

Pardini firing pins also break, but they are at least more rugged than the old Benelli ones.

[-TT-]

Sounds like basic followthrough, always a useful habit.

Firing pins in some pistols are hardened solid hunks of steel. In others like the Benelli, they are relatively light and therefore thin. Most all rapid-fire pistols don't have the breech face interference problem, but when the tip of the firing pin doesn't touch anything (i.e. in dryfire with no cartridge or plug), the shock wave from the hammer rings the pin like a bell. This will eventually stress-crack a lighter pin. Only you can decide if that slight wear is worth the benefit of a better score.

[Gwhite]

I recently replaced the broken firing pin in a Benelli. The new factory ones are softer (at least in the back) to reduce brittleness. However, after several hundred rounds, the back end had mushroomed & raised a burr that dragged on the slide and caused cycling issues. I've stoned that down, but I don't know how long it will last. The Benelli pins Larry Carter made for a while were the best. In theory, Red Feather Outfitters has a bunch of unfinished blanks for those, and someday I hope they can get them completed.

[Cvb]

I have a Walther SSP.
Seems clear that it's best to make only movement to the 6th target.

[-TT-]

However, after several hundred rounds, the back end had mushroomed & raised a burr that dragged on the slide and caused cycling issues. I've stoned that down, but I don't know how long it will last.

I've observed the same thing, and done the same thing to mine. I find that after one or two times stoning them smooth, the problem stops and they work with no issues. The firing pin in mine right now is about 4 years in service, multiple thousands of rounds. I don't baby it either.

[Gwhite]

However, after several hundred rounds, the back end had mushroomed & raised a burr that dragged on the slide and caused cycling issues. I've stoned that down, but I don't know how long it will last.

I've observed the same thing, and done the same thing to mine. I find that after one or two times stoning them smooth, the problem stops and they work with no issues. The firing pin in mine right now is about 4 years in service, multiple thousands of rounds. I don't baby it either.

That was my hope. I'll keep an eye on it & re-stone it if it acts up again.

Thanks!

[JamesH]

I'm not all that good at RF, but personally no.

- Its usually bad for the pistol

- It doesn't help, without the 6th shot I find my first and last targets are typically the best. I've blown fellow club-members minds by hitting two Xs on the last 4 second target at least once. With a sixth shot the last target becomes as variable as 2,3 and 4.

[JamesH]

Most all rapid-fire pistols don't have the breech face interference problem, but when the tip of the firing pin doesn't touch anything (i.e. in dryfire with no cartridge or plug), the shock wave from the hammer rings the pin like a bell. This will eventually stress-crack a lighter pin. Only you can decide if that slight wear is worth the benefit of a better score.

If its not hitting the breech face its hitting in the slide, I don't like that either.

[Coolmeester]

Just do the dry-fire. There's a thing called spare parts - you should have one or two firing pins in your bag anyways. Same in standard pistol 6 shots.

[Gwhite]

If you are in the middle of a match, you do NOT want to try to replace a busted firing pin. We have complete spare bolts in the travel kit for the team I help coach that can be swapped out in 30 seconds. The hard part is not using up all your allowable malfunctions figuring out the source of the problem. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes not.