Does Dry Firing a 1911 Cause Damage?

[BobT]

I always found that dry firing was a good way to check the pin. A #2 wooden pencil in the bbl. pointed at a safe open space, and fired. That pencil should really launch. Not something you would do a lot of, but I don't think it ever harmed one of my 1911's. Someone showed me that about a hundred years ago, it seems, can't remember who, but it really works.

I remember who showed me the pencil trick, it was my company commander in boot camp!

 

[skibum]

Straight from my Nighthawk Manual: Do dry fire the weapon every chance you get. It is not necessary to use snap caps to dry fire a 1911. The firing pin is on a spring and will not hurt the gun. The more familiar you are with the trigger, the better you will be able to predict when the hammer will fall. This will result in better accuracy.

Someone also mentioned about not dropping the slide on an empty chamber, the manual states NOT to do that. Nighthawk states dropping the slide on empty chamber will eventually knock the sear out of alignment.

 

[mm1911]

thx for this post