[Austerity]

Sorry if I missed it somewhere, but in about an hour I am going to drive an hour or so to pick up my third Taurus, a Model 85 38 Special +P UltraLite Titanium. I am trading a Makarov for it. I dry fire the crap out of my S&W revolvers and just wanted to make sure it was fine to due so with this particular gun before I did it on the way home.

I did search, but found nothing specific, I don't see how the Titanium would affect it but someone please inform. Thanks

 

[Montkun]

Given that it's titanium, i would at least use snap caps to avoid any potential damage to frame by having the hammer coming down on empty cylinders.

 

[MG-70]

I highly recommend snap caps as well. Like you, I dry fire the heck out of my S&Ws without any problems, but had a transfer bar break and the rear of the firing pin "mushroom", for lack of a better term (million things on my mind, can't think straight right now) on a Taurus 850 with 50 rounds downrange and a few hundred dry fires, mostly with snap caps. Without questioning the metallurgy, I think the overly strong springs on the small framed Taurus beats the heck out of the revolvers when there's nothing in the chambers. IIRC, titanium is stronger and lighter, but more brittle than both carbon or stainless steels...better safe than sorry.

 

[Austerity]

Sorry to ask more stupid questions, but only the cylinder and barrel shroud are Titanium. The frame is aluminum alloy and the actual barrel (it is a two piece design like modern smiths) is stainless steel.

 

[Jake3501]

Snap Caps are your friend, no matter what handgun you are shooting. My S & W's have never been dry fired without snap caps. If I ever handed a friend any gun of mine and he started dry firing it without snap caps, I'd tell him about it real quick.

If you like to dry fire firearms to get your jollies, just go ahead and get a 22 ounce hammer and beat the crap out of it faster.

 

[badge851]

22. SAFETY FIRST: Dry firing is bad for this firearm, whether the hammer block is engaged or not.

FWIW, I broke the firing pin on one of my Taurus® revolvers (Mdl 85B2), from dry firing on a empty chamber; so I have learned my lesson. I do continue to dry fire all of my Taurus® revolvers; but, I use A Zoom™ snap caps. I have not had any further problem.

 

[MilProGuy]

Me...I'm Old Skool...I never repeatedly dry-fire my firearms. My 88-year-old Dad would get a stick after me if he ever found out that I did.

 

[AdesteAnimo]

Snap caps prevent you from peening out the breach face where the firing pin seats. You will also destroy the firing pin spring over time. I am not a gunsmith but this is what I have learned.

 

[DDDWho]

My Dad had a single shot 20 ga. shotgun that I used when I first started hunting many years ago. Every time it was dry fired it broke the firing pin. That experience got me into the habit of never dry firing any gun.

 

[Austerity]

I have a 1956 S&W Model 36 that has probably been dry fired in excess of 20k times by myself and not the original owner. It functions perfectly. With that said, I only dry fired the M85 a few times (less than 15) and will pick up some A-Zoom snap caps.

 

[Turbo]

If the firing pin is hammer mounted, I wouldn't worry about it...but the M85 has a frame mounted firing pin and you can damage it by dry firing.

I throw some snap caps into a new gun and dry fire 1000-2000 times, helps smooth out the mating surfaces of the trigger. I wouldn't do that without snap caps.

 

[Austerity]

If the firing pin is hammer mounted, I wouldn't worry about it...but the M85 has a frame mounted firing pin and you can damage it by dry firing.

I throw some snap caps into a new gun and dry fire 1000-2000 times, helps smooth out the mating surfaces of the trigger. I wouldn't do that without snap caps.

Cool, thanks. Good to know.

 

[MOONDAWG]

If you don't have any snap caps right now, fired (empty) brass will do for the time being.

That's what us ole farts did 50+ years before some shave tail invented snap caps...