Dry Firing my Rifle

[curling leaf]

I have a new Henry .22 lever action Rimfire rifle. I am not accustomed to counting how many rounds I have fired when I am shooting, but instead, I usually just fire away until I am out of ammo and hear the "click" of the hammer. Is this harmful to the rifle, or would it take a lifetime before there would be any appreciable wear? Do I need to change my ways? I've been away from firearms for the last 40-years, but it seems to me that I recall that dry firing is suppose to be a No-No. True? Flase?

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[Pepiot]

https://www.americanhunter.org/Webcontent/pdf/2009-5/200959-h812-hardware.pdf

 

[Velzey]

You will be fine! Just dont sit and dry fire it at the tv 500 times per night.....then well maybe something will go wrong..


In your instance, no worries!

 

[curling leaf]

Thanks guys! Now I know, won't worry.

 

[Key-Hay]

Wives tale. Urban legend. Bigfoot.

 

[BillyDa59]

My father always told me that he had broken a few firing pins back when he was younger by dry firing .22's. I avoid dry firing .22's just out of superstition, I suppose.

Even after reading that article that Pepiot posted, I'll still be a bit on-edge about dry firing, but I won't feel as bad after accidentally miscounting my rounds down range and hearing the dreaded *ping*.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

well considering it is a rim fire and the fireing pin is slamming into the chamber everytime ya dry fire it I'd say it is deffinetly harmful unless ya don't mind chipped or broken fireing pins and dented in chamber edges........

Rim fire that pretty much says it all if there is no rim to cushion the fireing pin then the hardened fireing pin is slamming into the chamber so........... its a no brainer

 

[Ownerus]

Wear from dry firing isn't as much a concern as metal fatigue. Even if the firing pin never touches the chamber, all that striker energy has to go somewhere. I have experience broken firing pins from dry firing. A little probably won't hurt most guns, a lot will eventually cause damage on any gun that doesn't have some other way to dissipate the energy like the 1911's inertial firing pin. It can coast to a stop against a spring rather than slamming into the inside of the bolt face so is pretty resistant to dry firing.