Malfunction Drills

[walt629]

Hey folks, I have been visiting this site frequently but just decided to jump in to the discussion. I have been wanting to incorporate malfunction drills into my training. What I am wondering is could I cause any damage to my firearm buy loading expended brass into my magazines? It seems like it should be fine but every time I think about the sharp edge of the brass jamming into the chamber I cringe a little. I know I could use snap caps for this but they aren't cheap and I worry I will lose them in the dirt or across the firing line at the range as I plan to try and clear the malfunction quickly without losing sight of the target. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

If you take a block of aluminum or preferably steel and a 27/64" drill bit with a 118 degree crown (point) and drill a shallow hole (I'd go about 1/4" deep at the most) in the block, you might be able to gently tap an expended .40 cal brass into the cone at the bottom of the drilled hole. It would act like a reverse flaring tool. I've never done this so I don't know if it would work, but Hey! You never know.

I'm not too sure how well a brass-only load would work in the magazine. I think it'll cause the jam you want but with a the live round above the brass-only

 

[walt629]

This is a disaster waiting to happen. You'll rue the day you mixed up the dummy ammo with the real thing and I can almost guarantee that it will eventually happen. Take a handgun course at Front Sight and you'll learn how to dry practice the safe way, and no, I'm not associated with them other than being a member.

While I agree that the use of expended cartridges for practice can lead to problems, If the guy is hedging on buying $10 snap caps, what make you think he can afford the cost of the airline ticket to Nevada and the steep entry fee to get into one of Front Sight's classes?

No offense or degrading of the OP meant by my comment.

 

[Axeanda45]

Good advice so far... But no-one has mentioned one of the VERY best (and cheapest) ways to get to train on malfunction drills.....

Buy yourself a used jennings or jimenez .22, lol... I can promise you that you will get LOTS of practice clearing malfunctions....

BTW, I actually like them, they are quite good looking and a great size... but would NEVER depend on one to go bang if I NEEDED it to, they are just fun to have in the range bag to mess around with, and .22 is cheap!

 

[Jedburgh]

When I'm running a class, I use dummy rounds that are orange polymer, but with brass or nickel cases. I get them from Law Enforcement Targets (no official affiliation, just a customer). After I teach malfunctions and clearance, I give one to each student for each of their training mags and instruct them to load it randomly in each full mag. After that, I just run my normal drills. I probably have 20 each of 9mm, .40, .45 and .357 sig.

The dummy rounds load reliably, can't be mistaken for live rounds, and force a student to deal with at least one malfunction in every mag. Before they come off the line, students quickly police up their dummies-after the line is clear.

There's no substitute for dry fire, and frankly you can dry fire a lot more often than you'll get to the range. In addition to your dry fire routine, I recommend you try the dummy rounds. By reacting regularly (but at random intervals), you will quickly learn to react appropriately.

Here's the link to the dummy rounds I've had the best success with Link Removed

Scott

 

[stngray713]

While I agree that the use of expended cartridges for practice can lead to problems, If the guy is hedging on buying $10 snap caps, what make you think he can afford the cost of the airline ticket to Nevada and the steep entry fee to get into one of Front Sight's classes?

No offense or degrading of the OP meant by my comment.

Certainly no offense taken. It's actually a great point. I really can not afford to take a vacation and go to front sight. It is not so much that I can't afford the $10 for snap caps it's just that I don't like to spend money if there is a DIY solution, plus I'm afraid I would lose my snap caps in the tall grass at my outdoor range or across the firing line at the indoor range. But I bit the bullet so to speak and got the snap caps so I don't hurt my baby.

 

[84B20]

While I agree that the use of expended cartridges for practice can lead to problems, If the guy is hedging on buying $10 snap caps, what make you think he can afford the cost of the airline ticket to Nevada and the steep entry fee to get into one of Front Sight's classes?

No offense or degrading of the OP meant by my comment.

Without proper training you are risking your life and the lives of others. While it may be expensive, the lives I refer to are even more costly. It is foolish to think you can get by with just dry practice without some professional guidance in the first place. Do LEO's start their careers by just hopping in a patrol car? Whether one goes to Front Sight or any other training facility that should be a first priority when one carries a firearm. Just basic common sense. IMHO. And by the way, my first four day handgun training course at Front Sight cost me less than $50. If you watch for some of the special offers you can get deep discounts on the courses.

 

[BRBruce]

Don't be a cheapskate. BUY THE SNAP CAPS. Source them on the internet, they aren't THAT expensive, and they're a one-time purchase.

Another vote for snap caps. There is no way the good ones can be confused with real ammo. I'm not a big fan of the plastic ones, but many people use them with great success. I prefer the aluminum ones from A-Zoom. You will use them more than you think, trust me.

 

[wolf_fire]

Hey folks, I have been visiting this site frequently but just decided to jump in to the discussion. I have been wanting to incorporate malfunction drills into my training. What I am wondering is could I cause any damage to my firearm buy loading expended brass into my magazines? It seems like it should be fine but every time I think about the sharp edge of the brass jamming into the chamber I cringe a little. I know I could use snap caps for this but they aren't cheap and I worry I will lose them in the dirt or across the firing line at the range as I plan to try and clear the malfunction quickly without losing sight of the target. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

I can get snap caps for about $0.50 a round. How many do you need that they are expensive? Also, find snap caps that are dayglo orange, you can find them very quickly.

If you are a DIYer, take some silicone and fill the empty casing as this will eliminate the sharp edge. If you spray paint them yellow or orange, you'll find them quickly too.

I've heard of others using rubber automotive tubing and cutting it to size. I personally haven't tried this, but I can't see why it wouldn't work if you purchased the correct diameter.

 

[Genasi]

Hey folks, I have been visiting this site frequently but just decided to jump in to the discussion. I have been wanting to incorporate malfunction drills into my training. What I am wondering is could I cause any damage to my firearm buy loading expended brass into my magazines? It seems like it should be fine but every time I think about the sharp edge of the brass jamming into the chamber I cringe a little. I know I could use snap caps for this but they aren't cheap and I worry I will lose them in the dirt or across the firing line at the range as I plan to try and clear the malfunction quickly without losing sight of the target. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Since I carry a revolver my malfunction drill consists only of pulling the trigger again.

 

[Eidolon]

Since I carry a revolver my malfunction drill consists only of pulling the trigger again.

what happens when you get an extended primer and it locks your cylinder?

 

[Genasi]

what happens when you get an extended primer and it locks your cylinder?

Run.

Cylinder lock requires tools.

 

[Reba]

what happens when you get an extended primer and it locks your cylinder?

Is that a common occurrence? I've never had that happen.

 

[Eidolon]

Is that a common occurrence? I've never had that happen.

Not really but it does happen and when it does it stops you cold. Revolvers DO malfunction and you've got it in your head that they don't when it happens you are going to freeze

 

[bofh]

Since I carry a revolver my malfunction drill consists only of pulling the trigger again.

Until cylinder lock up, then your malfunction drill consists of throwing that piece of useless metal at the attacker and run.

 

[HKS]

I first noticed with my S&W Model 629 in 357 that revolvers do require tune ups in order to function properly.

So like a car it should go back to the shop annually for servicing.

A revolver is not like a 1911A1 which is essentially indestructible.

 

[Genasi]

Until cylinder lock up, then your malfunction drill consists of throwing that piece of useless metal at the attacker and run.

That's what I already said just a few posts ago. Pay attention much?

 

[Genasi]

Not really but it does happen and when it does it stops you cold. Revolvers DO malfunction and you've got it in your head that they don't when it happens you are going to freeze

Point being revolvers are more resistant to having any malfunction at all.

--There's no magazien to fail, which is an auto's most likely cause.
--Revolvers can't be pressed out-of-battery in a fight.
--Revolvers can't fail to feed, because they don't feed.
--Revolvers can't fail to chamber, because revolvers don't have chambers.
--Revolvers can't fail to extract, because they don't extract.

Bad amunition, or catastrophic failure, both easily avoided; that's what it takes to stop a revolver.

 

[bofh]

Point being revolvers are more resistant to having any malfunction at all.

--There's no magazien to fail, which is an auto's most likely cause.
--Revolvers can't be pressed out-of-battery in a fight.
--Revolvers can't fail to feed, because they don't feed.
--Revolvers can't fail to chamber, because revolvers don't have chambers.
--Revolvers can't fail to extract, because they don't extract.

Bad amunition, or catastrophic failure, both easily avoided; that's what it takes to stop a revolver.

Revolvers have just different malfunctions than semi-autos, because they have a different design. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. Revolver malfunctions during a gun fight are catastrophic, semi-auto malfunctions during a gun fight are fixable.

As for your out-of-battery statement, if you would have taken a training class you would know how to avoid that.

 

[HKS]

Hey folks, I have been visiting this site frequently but just decided to jump in to the discussion. I have been wanting to incorporate malfunction drills into my training. What I am wondering is could I cause any damage to my firearm buy loading expended brass into my magazines? It seems like it should be fine but every time I think about the sharp edge of the brass jamming into the chamber I cringe a little. I know I could use snap caps for this but they aren't cheap and I worry I will lose them in the dirt or across the firing line at the range as I plan to try and clear the malfunction quickly without losing sight of the target. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

This O/P was on the forum for about a year and has not been back since 2012.

I thought this thread, which is really old by now, was going to be about failure drills:

1 - tap and rack;

2 - if that does not work then eject the mag and clear;

3 - if that does not also work then you have a broken extractor and now would be a good time to have a backup pistol, which is about the only thing that mouse guns are good for.

 

[Genasi]

Revolvers have just different malfunctions than semi-autos, because they have a different design.

Those malfunctions are rare, whereas auto malfunctions are common.

As for your out-of-battery statement, if you would have taken a training class you would know how to avoid that.

You're saying it takes a special class to keep an auto opperating.

No such special class is needed for the revolver. This is yet another advantage the revolver has over autos.