Snap Caps - Yes or No?

[Woden]

Hopefully picking up my new shotgun soon

If I want to practise in the garage loading, aiming and clearing should I use snap caps or can I dry fire a shottie without damaging it?

[Patriot]

Caps.

[Shootermick]

I use caps.

[Bugman]

Yep. Definitely snaps.

[womble]

Snap caps have a spring or rubber attached to the false primer, so as not to damage your firing pin.
Well that’s the theory. But that’s why you use them instead of empty casings. And you should’nt dry fire.

[animalpest]

My double shotties have flat springs rather than coils. Firing them without hitting a primer or snap cap can break something.

Pumps and autos are no different to dry firing a centrefire rifle

[Ziege]

just go shoot it

[marksman]

l recently had a broken firing pin in an old DB shottie l lent to a mate who l suspect dry fired it
definitely use snap caps

[Woden]

Okay. Thanks everyone. It looks like snap caps are the go.

[Diamond Jim]

No hesitation - Yes! Why take the chance to possibly damage a perfectly good gun to save a few dollars. The gun is designed to have the firing pin meet the resistance of a primer when it's fired. Whether it is cumulative damage over thousands of dry firings or catastrophic failure after one instance it isn't worth the risk.

[Mattraff]

If you can get the brass or aluminium ones as they are much more durable than the plastic ones that will start to crack after a bit of use.

[JimmyS]

Dry firing on modern Centrefires isn't an issue.
People think it's an issue, but I am of the opinion that it isn't. We dry fired our F88's thousands of times in the Army, with no issues.
I regularly dry fire my rifles.
Though, I wouldn't dry fire a Rimfire or antique Centrefires.

Just my 2c.

[Woden]

Dry firing on modern Centrefires isn't an issue.

Though, I wouldn't dry fire a Rimfire or antique Centrefires.

Agree. Just checking on shotgun situation as I've never owned one. Lots of good advice so far.