doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com SNAP CAPS, value?

Gentlemen,

I have come to believe that snap caps are important accessories for doubleguns. It occurs to me however that many of the old classic guns never held a pair and yet their firing pins are just fine. How important are the use of snap caps and if important what percentage of firing pin breaks are due to their absence? Or are pin breaks due mostly to faulty manufacture?(too hard?)

Thank you,
Kurt

I think it has to do more with relieving the pressure on main springs than it does with breaking firing pins. Some guys (me included" like to store our doubleguns with the tension off the springs. Of course you dont need snap-caps either, a block of horn or some other space age material will do as well.

Dustin

99&44/100% of experts and 100% of retailers believe dry firing without a cushion breaks firing pins. Probably not very important with integral strikers (hammer nose is pin). However, I have spares for a Browning Super and know how to get in there and replace in about 5 minutes. I'd sure hate to break the end off the hammer on an old Fox. Probably just as well to treat it as a proposition for which there is some evidence even if you've been fortunate enuf not to gather any yourself.

jack

Relieving pressure on springs has not been proven good, but can't possibly be bad. However, dropping the hammer/tumbler on the strikers/firing pins without something to absorb the blow can be bad. So, if you are going to drop the hammers, use snap caps or other provisions.

Personally I do not like leaving snap caps in the chambers, maybe not an issue, but just don't care for the idea myself. This thus brings up the question can the gun be dissambled to remove them with the hammers down, some can, some can't, at least not easily. On most of my guns I can let the hammers down while closing the gun so have no need for snap caps on them. On others a "a block of horn or some other space age material will do as well" as Dustin has said, can be attached to the end of a dowel long enough to reach down the bore & drop the pins on them. Several options available. I normally keep my hammers down, whether helps or not, not sure.

Thank you all for your replies.
I began thinking about this while doing some reading on another shotgun forum discussing the most common complaint with HUGLU shotguns- broken firing pins. From other reading I had learned the the problem is more common in their O/Us than the SXSs. The reason given is that the O/Us have floating pins while the SXS's pins are attached to the strikers. The reasoning that pins attached to the hammers(stronger) may be valid, but I'm thinking pins that are hard and bottom out when struck are going to break anyway? The use of snap caps may soften the blow to the impacting section of either type of pin? I thought perhaps an additional reason these guns are notorious for firng pin breaks is that many are first doubleguns and get alot of dry firing? Very close behind learning where to keep a gun pointed was not to dry fire and it is worth noting that guns of good reputation seem to hold up well to occasional dry fire, but the possibilty occured that perhaps the lack of the use of snap caps had something to do with the problem? Does anyone regularly dry fire their gun? I'd think if the pins don't break they probably get longer over time! Now I'm going to have to study the second most common complaint ie doubling!

Thanks again for the replies!

Kurt

I've not personally seen a firing pin broken in the thick section, but rather all the ones I've seen were in the very thinnest area that necks down to go thru the hole. That being said, whether or not it's integral to the hammer (striker)seems would make little difference. I suspect a big bunch of firing pins break from improper timing of the cocking rods due to wear. In fact I do recall breaking a pin on openning of a double after firing live ammo.

As for the need to decock, I generally don't do it but have no qualms with those that do it. Let's face it, most of these guns have been cocked for a century and still have good spring force. If decocking for a few years now is touted as a savior, I have some reservations about that arguement.

Europeans use them for dry firing practice. They're also useful for testing trigger pulls while examing piece for purchase.
PS. Most Europeans don't release spring tension because the "compression factor" is just a non-issue.

Remember that Fox advertised that their guns could be dry fired on empty chambers essentially forever with no ill effects. (I still drop the hammers on snap caps, disassemble, take out the snap caps and reassemble with the hammers down. But, I like to play with my guns.) I don't recall seeing a Fox with a broken firing pin. Jake