TargetTalk

New Pardini Bullseye edition.
I use the plug when I'm dry fire training BUT during live fire practice or in a match occasionally in Rapid fire I loose count and sometimes dry fire it. Will this break the firing pin if I do it enough?

- Dave

Yes

OK "If I do it enough" was not a good question.

If I do it once or twice a match is it going to break every match or will it last the season?
- Dave

I have about 5,000 rounds through my Pardini, and have, on occasion, maybe a dozen times pulled the trigger on an empty chamber. I have not broken a firing pin yet, but I do keep a spare on hand.

I've had my current Pardini since 2005 and have dry fired it 100s of times, still on the original firing pin. Prior to this pistol, I had another SP (cast frame version) from 1999-2005 and I also dry fired that one plenty, did have 1 broken firing pin in that one. So, 19 years of often dry firing Pardinis has broke 1 firing pin (and there's no way of knowing that the dry firing caused it to break). Incidentally, the pistol continued to work with the broken firing pin, the only way I noticed is when i picked up a fired case and noticed that the firing pin indentation was 90 degrees out (going along the rim rather that across it if you know what i mean), the front half had rotated in the bolt.

I'm of the opinion that dry firing only damages poorly designed firearms.

The discussion here prompts me to ask a question. Please bear in mind that it is coming from a long time High Standard Victor fan.

So many of the "Euro" .22 pistols do not lock their bolts to the rear after the last shot has been fired in them. Some examples are:

Benelli's MP95E and MP90S World Cup.

Pardini's SP, SP New and SP Bullseye.

Walther's GSP, GSP Expert and SSP.

There probably are some other foreign makes and models that I did not mention that also have this in common with those cited

above. Does anyone have a logical explanation as to why these handguns were designed in this manner?


During Slow Fire, I sometimes surprise myself to see that a round or two must still remain in the pistol as the slide did not get

locked open as had been expected. Can this be attributed to my intense focus and concentration on the task at hand or are

the ravages of time just starting to catch up with me? ( I'd like to think that it is a case of the former and not the latter!).

In Sustained Fire, the trigger gets continuously "worked" until the pistol runs dry. I just do not bother to count my shots as

they are being fired. In both scenarios, the last shot hold open feature is much appreciated as it definitely prevents the firing

pin from striking the breechface of the barrel. It also acts as a signal, letting me know that the pistol is now out of ammo.


The only American made .22 pistol I know of that behaved like those imports was the Ruger Mark I. This changed after a short

time when Mr. Ruger introduced the Mark II to the marketplace. Your comments on this topic are much appreciated. Thank you!

mr alexander wrote:... Does anyone have a logical explanation as to why these handguns were designed in this manner?

... prevents the firing pin from striking the breechface of the barrel.!

So the recoil feels the same on every shot, consistency, one of the most important things.

As for the firing pin striking the breechface, that's only a problem on poorly designed guns.

mr alexander wrote:So many of the "Euro" .22 pistols do NOT lock their bolts to the rear after the last shot has been fired in them. Some examples are:

Walther's GSP, GSP Expert and SSP.

Does anyone have a logical explanation as to why these handguns were designed in this manner?

The earliest Versions of the Walther GSP (late 60s - early 70s) had the "bolt remains in open position after last shot" feature.
Rumos said the aluminium frame of GSP (a roughly cast/maschined frames that was/is) developed crack(s) when the bolt on its return forward hit the "stay open lever" at some velocity. The cracks developed near this levercut-out in the frame.
So Walther changed that.

For Rapid fire (ISSF silhuette porgram) I think the "stay open after last shot" feature is not desiered, as many like to fire a (dry) 6th shot, - as a "follow through".

j-team wrote:

mr alexander wrote: ... prevents the firing pin from striking the breechface of the barrel.!

As for the firing pin striking the breechface, that's only a problem on poorly designed guns.

To be more specific, it's a problem with any rimfire gun that does not have a limited (or sufficiently limited) firing pin travel.

My Pardini SP has been dry fired thousands of times, and has no marks on the edge of the chamber.

The firing pin is completely protected from impact in a Matchguns MG2. Best dryfirer out there.

jbshooter wrote:The firing pin is completely protected from impact in a Matchguns MG2.

The Haemmerli 208 i owned many years ago, - the firing pin wasn`t protected. Firing pin hit the rear face of the Chamber, and firing pin eventuelly broke.

If using the plug, so is the Pardinis.

I have inadvertently dry fired my Pardini several times with no issues. My friend and LGS suggested a couple years ago to check and verify whether the firing pin will hit. Not that difficult to do. Same applies to the GSP, MP90, 208s....

I occasionally drop the hammer on an empty chamber during a match and my firing pin shows no damage. I did buy an extra one just in case but doubt if I'll ever have to use it. Cheers, dipnet