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Now I need a safe space.

He's right, too. A 1911 will survive that use, but I worry that an alloy, short cycle compact .45 might be less able to stand up to that over time. I think the slide must bang closed faster without the work of feeding a round.

On a fail to lock, the slide is going to do exactly what he demonstrates, and there is certainly plenty of drama when a round goes off. The gun has to stand a lot of stress in normal operation.

But I'm not going to dry cycle the action on my alloy Kimber like that. If it happens with a bad magazine or my thumb impeding the slide lock, it happens - but I won't like it.

joe817 wrote:Why doesn't Academy let the people dry fire a pistol they've picked out with a Snap Cap in it? In fact, load 4 or 5 snap caps in the mag and cycle the action to chamber a snap cap round into the chamber to see if it works? I think they'd sell more guns that way(or satisfy customers). Just my opinion.

Nice thought, and I would be happy if the whole process is under my control, but the guy next to me would have something chambered that I didn't inspect. Nothing in the chamber, that's the only winner for me at the display counter. Dry fire on anything, including a snap cap, should only be done at a controlled firing line, at least in the unwashed public environment of tire kickers at a gun store.

I've seen signs that say "no dry fire," and I've always assumed it was to keep the new state of the stock. There are lots of folks who would be horrified to know I dry fire more than I live fire. If a handgun shows any wear from dry firing, I don't want it. Best to shop where the staff and customer base are both knowledgeable. Rifles in general and any rimfire should not be dry fired.

Dry firing a pistol is fine. What will set my teeth on edge is dropping the slide on an empty chamber. That makes me want to buy the gun out of the hands of the abuser, nurture it, and give it a caring home.