TargetTalk

So I'm wondering how everyone dry fires for practice. Do you just cock the bolt and pull the trigger, use a fired piece of brass, or use a snap cap? I'm particularly interested in snap caps, since I've never used them. Which ones are good and work in an Anschutz or should they be avoided at all costs?

Brian

For dry firing on the line (prior to beginning a stage or to review my program during a string) I just cock & shoot. For training at home I use a fired case, rotating between "shots." After about 5 or 6 "shots" the head becomes deformed and I replace the fired case.

For the Anschutz, you can also see about getting a dry-fire firing pin that is shorter than the standard firing pin so that it doesn't make contact with the breach face. I've got a 19XX series gun, and it is very easy to swap out the firing pins.

I really think dry firing is important. One reason I sold my Anschutz 2002 for a 9003 is the dry fire switch available on the 9003. The 2002 could be dry fired by loosening the air cylinder, but I prefer the ease of the switch. I am told the FWB 700 also has the dry fire switch. When I practice with the Anschutz smallbore rifle, I use a spent cartridge. Some say the empty cartridge method induces debris from the spent primer, but I don't worry about that. I do think the firing pin should not be fired on an empty chamber. Rotating a spent cartridge is a easy solution.

It is more easy than use en spent cartridge.
Simply close de bolt but not completely, leaving approximately 1 cm of course of the bolt.
When firing (without cartidge) the bolt will finish the course and close.

Brian, I encountered a problem with my newer anschutz - it started dinging the barrel face after about 40 dry fires, which led me to a revelation.

my older anschutz (63' vintage 54 action) has .032" firing pin protrusion, and the depth of the bolt face is .038". So, when I dry fire that rifle it is impossible for the firing pin to strike the barrel face because the firing pin never protrudes beyond the face of the bolt. On my new anschutz (07' vintage 2013) the depth of the bolt face is only .021" and the firing pin protrudes .028". So, on that rifle the firing pin DOES protrude beyond the face of the bolt! So the only way I can dry fire that rifle is with brass or a dry firing firing pin. I don't know what on earth the guys at anschutz were thinking...or not thinking...

The moral of the story is that since your rifle hasn't been damaged yet, its obvious to me that you won't have a problem. Feel free to dry fire any way you please!

-Mark Nations

Brian,

If your Anschutz firing pin is correctly adjusted you will not have any issues drying even without an empty brass case. Reason is the firing pin should not make contact with the barrel face and therefore also not go past the face of the bolt. If you take your bolt out and check where the firing pin is in relation to the bolt's face you'll know if you can use it for dry firing or not. If you can see the firing pin head protrude past the bolt face do not use it until it is correctly fitted. Since I’m not aware of your technical skills I would suggest the following take your firing pin and bolt (together) to a certified Anschutz gunsmith and have the firing pin properly fitted to the bolt.

Mark, you may want to check on this as well after your experience of dinging your barrel’s face.

If any of you head over to the National’s at Camp Perry and have a poorly fitted firing pin, bring your bolt and pin to Tod Utter (he’s there during the small bore phase at Commercial Row).

Best of luck, Lisette Grunwell-Lacey

Use a dry firing pin. There is no downside.