Dry firing the P-64

[mmafan]

Will it damage the pistol?

Thanks

[saands]

My best answer is "I don't know" ... but what I do know is that parts for this pistol are very hard to find. This is one case where the $10 to get some snapcaps is probably money really well spent if you want to dry fire it ... just isn't worth the risk IMHO.

Saands

[bartos061]

Hi, I saw a lot of P-83 pistols with broken firing pins in my military academy.
All were results of dry firing
But in P-64 - I don't know. I suppose that situation can be similar.

Why don't you buy a special dummy round for practicing?
I'm sure that this is the safest way

B.

[normsutton]

mmafan

There have been reports of cracked safeties and broken firing pins from dry firing
like Saands said (parts for this pistol are very hard to find ) and usually these are parts that don't brake

NORM

[donnerwetter58]

This seems like a much discussed topic so I had to check this out for myself.
I have a 1971 round hammer P-64.
These are a few observations.
With the hammer cocked and safety off, the rear of the firing pin protrudes about .025" beyond the flat surface of the safety. This means the hammer can drive the firing pin .025" before the hammer is stopped by the safety. This travel of .025" does not extend the front end of the firing pin beyond the breach face of the slide. Henceforth, it is firing pin inertia that is impacting the primer. With an empty chamber, the firing pin forward movement would ultimately be stopped by coil binding the firing pin spring but I can't see this happening from the force of the hammer strike. I would think that on an empty chamber the firing pin would be stopped nicely by compression of the firing pin spring far from coil bind. This should be a pretty soft landing so to speak. I can't see that this should damage a firing pin.
So far as the safety, it will take the same blow from the hammer whether the chamber is loaded or not.
Snap caps will limit the travel of the firing pin versus an empty chamber but should have no effect on the safety.
Just a few thoughts for whatever they're worth.
Have a great weekend.
Dave

[papabear]

My honest answer is I don't know either, however, back a couple years ago when I got my first three P-64's, the DA pull was heavy, I asked my gunsmith friend about it and he told me that the P-64 was built like a tank, dry fire it several times and it will loosen up. I did as he suggested and dry fired all three probably 40 to 50 times and it did lighten the DA pull on all three. Then I shot all three a lot and the DA got even better. I have never had a problem with the safety or firing pin on any of them, as a matter of fact I haven' had a any problems with them now in over 1,000 to 1,500 rds fired through them, and the one I carry I have fired over 2,000 rds. I have bought two more since then, and I have also head since then that dry firing could break the safety and firing pin, so I didn't dry fire them, but I did shoot the heck out of them and the DA loosen up to where I didn't have to change the springs, as a matter of fact, I haven't changed anything on all 5 of my P-64's except the grips. I have given one P-64 to my son in law and sold two others, and there haven't been any problems with them either. I still have one of my original P-64's and one of the newer ones, both function very well in both DA and SA. Dry firing worked for me, but I wouldn't recomend it because it might not work for everyone. The safe thing to do is buy the snap caps and not take the chance, Just my $0.02 worth.

papabear

[tmann11]

Great information....thanks to all for making this an incredible forum. I learn something new everytime I visit.