Effects of Dry Firing

sheepherder · 06-06-2012, 12:50 PM

As you can imagine, they are not good...

These pics are from two Star BM/BKM pistols.

The first pic shows the rear of two slides; the one on the left has a broken firing pin, the one on the right is how the firing pin should look...In the left pic, you can see the broken off part of the firing pin on the left side of the hole, and the firing pin retaining pin on the right side...

Second pic shows the breechface of my Israeli Police surplus Star BM showing what happens when the firing pin is allowed to 'bottom out' on an empty chamber...It peens the breechface out...

This applies to Lugers as well...The breechface is quite similar...

Third pic shows a good firing pin...You can see where the weakest part of the firing pin is, right in the middle of the cut where the retaining pin fits...

A firing pin bouncing back and forth with no cartridge in the chamber will eventually fracture and break...

The moral of the story is - Don't dry fire. It can be expensive...and dangerous...

That concludes today's lesson.

(Oh, yeah - A new BM firing pin is fairly easy to fabricate from 6mm drill rod if you can't find a spare...and the breechface was filed flat again...)

Curly1 · 06-06-2012, 12:59 PM

That's why I always use snap caps.

Rich I sent you a reply on the BM guide rod parts. I am still interested.

06-06-2012, 12:50 PM	#1
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,182 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,441 Times in 2,329 Posts	Effects of Dry Firing As you can imagine, they are not good... These pics are from two Star BM/BKM pistols. The first pic shows the rear of two slides; the one on the left has a broken firing pin, the one on the right is how the firing pin should look...In the left pic, you can see the broken off part of the firing pin on the left side of the hole, and the firing pin retaining pin on the right side... Second pic shows the breechface of my Israeli Police surplus Star BM showing what happens when the firing pin is allowed to 'bottom out' on an empty chamber...It peens the breechface out... This applies to Lugers as well...The breechface is quite similar... Third pic shows a good firing pin...You can see where the weakest part of the firing pin is, right in the middle of the cut where the retaining pin fits... A firing pin bouncing back and forth with no cartridge in the chamber will eventually fracture and break... The moral of the story is - Don't dry fire. It can be expensive...and dangerous... That concludes today's lesson. (Oh, yeah - A new BM firing pin is fairly easy to fabricate from 6mm drill rod if you can't find a spare...and the breechface was filed flat again...) Attached Thumbnails Attached Images __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter... Last edited by sheepherder; 06-05-2014 at 09:19 PM.

06-06-2012, 12:59 PM	#2
Curly1 User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,235 Thanks: 116 Thanked 706 Times in 368 Posts	That's why I always use snap caps. Rich I sent you a reply on the BM guide rod parts. I am still interested. __________________ Laugh hard and often. Gary