Why don't stores have snap caps behind the counter?
 

You know, one of the biggest things, number two right behind how it feels in my hand is how the trigger feels. So to find that out, I HAVE to actually pull the trigger!!!

Now, I know opinions on dry firing vary for "NEVER EVER EVER dry fire" to "If it can't handle dry fire how will it handle REAL firing?"

I have AK/HK - so I am closer to the whatever, this thing is indestructable school of thought.

But shop owners can go crazy about this. Well, if a dry fire or two is such a big panties in a wad deal - get some freaking snap caps and let me try that instead.

DO you here that dealers? I pull the trigger or I don't buy the gun. No trigger pull, no sale. And be a big baby about it and I might not even shop there.

And if the gun won't take three or six dry pulls a day, seriously, should it even be made? I know a hundred guns don't get dry fired each 100 times a day!!! Yeah - maybe the Glock 18 - so get a freakin mag with snap caps ready at the counter.

I think it has more to do with keeping new guns looking new.

posted from my stupid smart phone, please excuse any spelling mistakes.

Ten years ago, HKs were notorious for failing due to dry-firing... they finally fixed that "little" problem.

If you want to test the trigger, simply place the thumb of your off hand between hammer and frame to cushion the fall.

In dealing with the public you would find yourself constantly having to buy more snap caps to replace the ones that kept mysteriously vanishing. You can't even keep an inkpen on you for long; you let a customer use it then the phone rings, the UPS man shows up, well you get the idea.

your prunes not working? Wow, you are one special person. and it's hear, not here.

I work PT in a LGS (retired just making fun money) and we let people dry fire the guns (no to rimfire) once or twice. Tell some one they can dry fire a revolver and they usually do 6-12 pulls in one second.

most stores let me dry fire a centerfire gun.

BYOsc

Get yourself a half dozen different snap-caps in different calibers, put them in your pocket, and you're ready.

common sense, not seen much around here.....

My local store does have snap caps in all calibers you can test the triggers with. I've done it quite a few times.

IMO, if I had a gun shop I wouldn't want anyone bringing anything in there pockets that even resembles real or fake ammo and putting it in the firearms. Not even from behind the counter. People start sticking things in and out of orifices and the wrong thing might get stuck in the wrong hole. Ask to dry fire, if the answers no, you can always vote with your feet. Have you seen some of the people in gun stores?

Yep. You can get into trouble real quick when customers are coming in and putting their stuff in your gun. How would that look on the 6:00 leftist media show?

Could ya show me how you do that with the firearm in your avatar picture? :rofl::rofl::rofl:

I think most gun stores will let you dry fire as long as you show you are somewhat competent in handling the firearm, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and you ask nicely. Forget dry firing at academy though, trigger locks on everything. On the flip side, I don't want some yahoo waving a gun around pullining the trigger.

All of my local privately owned shops either have snap caps or will allow you to dry fire the guns in the store.

Big chains are the ones I see that have trigger locks that can't be removed and wont allow dry firing or field stripping of the gun for inspection.

I wont buy a used gun if I can't cycle the action, field strip, and dry fire the gun.

why do you want to filed strip the gun? do you disassemble a car when you look at it?

oops I now see you said used gun...carry on

I dunno... picture this scenario:

You bring your own snap cap for the caliber you're wanting to buy in with you.

Once you choose your weapon, instead of putting it in yourself, hand it to the person behind the counter, and ask THEM to inspect it and then load it for you.

I doubt they would have a problem doing it that way.. or at least I wouldn't if I were the clerk.

One of the benifits of buying from a LGS is the relationship that you will have with the owner. He knows you so he'll trust you way more than someone who just rambles in off the street. Sometimes it's worth paying a little more for a gun to get to know the guy behind the counter.

Yes.... for a nominal fee... :tongueout:

I believe the last part.

Went looking for a airweight s&w last year, found the lgs had one so I asked to look at it. The kid behind the counter picked it up, spun the cylinder as hard as he could and tried to whip it shut. Of course he failed to shut it so he smacked the gun and cylinder into the palm of his off hand to close it. Then hands to me and says, "just don't pull the trigger cause that hurts it". SMH. I'm surprised he didn't spin the gun on his index finger.

I thought about buying one anyway, as j frame triggers IME tend to be pretty decent. Unfortunately the lgs employee told me that the display model was the last one they had. No way was I going to buy that one after seeing him handle it like a tard. Thankfully buds had some in stock one day and I got in my order before they disappeared...I doubt anyone at s&w cowboyed it like the gun store employee.

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I was surprised that Cabelas let me dry fire all the guns I looked at the day I bought my FNX, and I would not have purchased from there had they not. One of the lgs here will let you, one won't. Dunno about gander mountain but I'd guess they won't let you try triggers. I don't need to field strip but I do like to dry fire and test the action- if I can't I figure I might as well save the money and order it sight unseen.

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I split a thumbnail testing a S&W revolver using that technique.

That was back in the day when S&W put the firing pins on the hammer! :crying:

If the manufacturer permits dry firing of a particular firearm I see nothing wrong with it as long as permission is granted by the seller. Dry firing a brand new revolver, especially with a blued finish, may be frowned upon in an attempt to keep the cylinder turn ring to a minimum.

As stated in previous posts, I've seen people, sellers and purchasers, do some pretty stupid stuff in their attempts to impress others with their handling abilities. Spinning the cylinder and slamming it shut, using the slide lock to drop the slide on an empty chamber, slamming a magazine home "Magnum P.I." style to name a few. Watching them is like watching a train wreck; you want to close your eyes and turn away but you can't.

I believe you meant field, not filed.

That's what gets me, particularly with the revolver one. The employee could have bent the ejector rod or crane, broken the locking bolt (just off the top of my head) with his mishandling, then tells me not to dry fire, claiming its bad for the gun. I'm wondering if some gun store employees get all of their training from movies?! And not from books or workshops/classes. It's crazy they'd let the clerks cowboy the revolvers like that but not allow dry firing.

Going back to the original point- yes, gun shops should have snap caps for each display gun, at least in a box behind the counter (far enough behind that customers can't access them and steal them, as one poster hypothesized) if they don't want you to pull the trigger on an empty chamber. heck, what would it hurt to keep one in the mag or cylinder of every display gun? If the clerk is watching no one will make off with any of the caps. And if the customer wants to fire the gun it's "safe" for the gun, and it will only help sales as there are certainly customers who need to test the trigger to commit to buying a firearm. I doubt anyone would refuse to buy because snap caps are present. Doesn't make sense not to have them IMO, unless the gun store wants the guns action to be kept either opened or closed and not worked much to retain the NIB finish on the display models.

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