Best rimfire maintenance hint

[Spitpatch]

I get NO credit for this. It came out of a recent gun magazine (and if I could remember which one, I'd say so.) Such a great Idea, I felt compelled to pass it along.

Need a snap cap for your .22 without buying a "real" one? (For testing function, trigger adjustment, etc.)

Drywall Anchors! (I think the article specified a "Number Four", but the first one I found in my household hardware "junk drawer" was perfect.)

Chambers, feeds and ejects just like live ammo ( I did NOT attempt to run it through the tubular magazine of the Remington 512 I'm working on, since that portion of function needed no testing.)

Maybe this idea has been around forever, but I was unaware, and tired of feeding fired brass into the chamber (a pain in the butt) to test trigger pull and function. Cushy vinyl to treat a rimfire firing pin gently, and zero cost.

No charge for this service, and drive safely.

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[Hueco]

Been doing this for awhile. They still get beat up but it takes quite a bit longer than the hard plastic snap caps - which deform and start having feed issues because of those deformities rather quick.

If anyone ever makes a silicon rimmed snap cap - I'd be all in for a few dozen of them.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Sounds like a neat side hustle for folks with 3D printer....
Andy

 

[ARFrog]

Been using the yellow #4 drywall anchors for several years in my rimfires. It is a good tip.

You can test ejection, keep from deforming the metal on your chamber opening from a firing pin strike and basically use them as a safety snap cap.

They will deform after repeated use and I have once or twice torn the circular edge of the opening offthe anchor leaving the sleeve on the chamber as an obstruction but this is the rare exception with normal usage.

I always keep several in my range bag, gun bag and gun tool box.

 

[TTSX]

I've just been using spent .22 casings... Give em a rotation now and again... Essentially free

 

[Spitpatch]

I've just been using spent .22 casings... Give em a rotation now and again... Essentially free

So had I until now. Some chambers (as the 512) are more difficult to reach with adult fingers, and the line-up must be near perfect without a bullet as a guide to start into the chamber.

 

[TTSX]

So had I until now. Some chambers (as the 512) are more difficult to reach with adult fingers, and the line-up must be near perfect without a bullet as a guide to start into the chamber.

Being honest, I typically use a punch or some such to line things up as I agree about the fingers issue. Fortunately for me, my S&W model 41 allows me to take the whole barrel off for clean access. Pretty handy.

 

[Jay Walk]

Why not use empty casings? They only have one tiny divot in them.

 

[ARFrog]

I have some rimfire chambers that I have to line up the firing pin strike on the brass with the notch at the top of the chamber otherwise they do not easily insert all the way. If I push them in all the way, then I am assured of needing a knife blade to remove them.

I do not have this problem with the yellow #4 drywall anchors. They slip in and come out easily without other complications.

 

[aasbra]

Another user of the #4 drywall anchors here. Saw the tip from someone online a number of years back after spending more $ for a few plastic snap caps that didn't last. Bought a package of the yellow drywall anchors for a few dollars about 10 years ago and still have a bunch. Work great.

 

[Spitpatch]

Another user of the #4 drywall anchors here. Saw the tip from someone online a number of years back after spending more $ for a few plastic snap caps that didn't last. Bought a package of the yellow drywall anchors for a few dollars about 10 years ago and still have a bunch. Work great.

Yeah. I can't for the life of me figure how I missed this tip for so many years. Now I'm an evangelist for it!

 

[Larry45]

If you buy them on Amazon here are the ones you want. I bought a box of 100 in 2016, and I probably have 80 of them left. They go flying when you eject them and are pretty easy to lose. When I die whoever cleans out my apartment will find a bunch of 'em…

 

[Spitpatch]

If you buy them on Amazon here are the ones you want. I bought a box of 100 in 2016, and I probably have 80 of them left. They go flying when you eject them and are pretty easy to lose. When I die whoever cleans out my apartment will find a bunch of 'em…

View attachment 1459393

A clone or near so to what I found in my junk drawer. With your response added to others who knew this all along, I am now suspecting a conspiracy to keep it from me.

 

[Larry45]

Hey, don't feel bad. I bought a Mark IV recently, and when I went to pick it up from my FFL dealer I stuck one of these in my pocket to test the trigger on it. This guy is the president of our gun club and a longtime FFL dealer, and he had never heard of it before. He was amazed, and I just shook my head. It's funny how something this simple can bypass so many shooters…

 

[aboveandbeyond]

Not all anchors are created equal. Look for types with a thick rim. Also turn all snap caps often since rim fire firing pins hit hard and tear up the "snap cap" quickly.

Cheers

 

[Stomper]

Looks like after you wear 'em out they can be repurposed as suppositories….








Not really!

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I get NO credit for this. It came out of a recent gun magazine (and if I could remember which one, I'd say so.) Such a great Idea, I felt compelled to pass it along.

Need a snap cap for your .22 without buying a "real" one? (For testing function, trigger adjustment, etc.)

Drywall Anchors! (I think the article specified a "Number Four", but the first one I found in my household hardware "junk drawer" was perfect.)

Chambers, feeds and ejects just like live ammo ( I did NOT attempt to run it through the tubular magazine of the Remington 512 I'm working on, since that portion of function needed no testing.)

Maybe this idea has been around forever, but I was unaware, and tired of feeding fired brass into the chamber (a pain in the butt) to test trigger pull and function. Cushy vinyl to treat a rimfire firing pin gently, and zero cost.

No charge for this service, and drive safely.

View attachment 1458576

This has been in wide circulation for many years. I myself have recommended it on here numerous times. Yellow works for 22lr, white for 22 mag.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

If you buy them on Amazon here are the ones you want. I bought a box of 100 in 2016, and I probably have 80 of them left. They go flying when you eject them and are pretty easy to lose. When I die whoever cleans out my apartment will find a bunch of 'em…

View attachment 1459393

Home depot also has the yellow and white. Was about $3.89? I think for 100 last them I bought them there.

 

[ARFrog]

Looks like after you wear 'em out they can be repurposed as suppositories….








Not really!

 

[Hueco]

Sounds like a neat side hustle for folks with 3D printer....
Andy

Don't have a printer but there are services now that will print your design files and mail to you.

I'm thinking a very small rubber o ring groove around the plastic may work well….hmmm…