P3AT Action

[rjbFL]

Thanks in advance:
After cleaning, and getting ready for storage, since it is not recommended to Dry fire, is there any part or spring under tension that should be released by Dry firing?

[TucsonMTB]

Not really. The hammer is always in the relaxed forward position until you pull the trigger.

[olcop]

I would swear that my owner manual says to dry fire all you wish, even recommend it to help break in the pistol.
olcop

[TucsonMTB]

I would swear that my owner manual says to dry fire all you wish, even recommend it to help break in the pistol.
olcop

Memory dyslexia perhaps? If they say anything, it will be to caution against dry firing. The firing pin is retained by the end of the button head screw that tightens down on the extractor spring (2nd generation guns). Repeated dry firing beats up the end of the screw. This is not usually a problem until you try to disassemble the gun and may not be a big deal even then. Never the less, even with the better hardened screws used in the last year or two, frequent dry firing has the potential to cause a problem by deforming the tip of the screw making it hard to remove. YMMV Whatever . . .

I don's worry about it. But, for repeated dry firing, such as when practicing with laser, or to better understand the dynamics of the trigger pull, use a snap cap. Oh, and check you snap cap for wear from repeated hits of the firing pin. Two or three years ago, we had a report of a pistol that was locked up by the firing pin stuck in the snap cap. Check with Mr. Murphy. I guess anything can go wrong.

Edited to add: From lucky page 13 of the P-3AT manual currently on the Kel-Tec web site . . . red emphasis added by poster.

Assembly
Make certain that the barrel and recoil springs are well centered when putting them
back in the slide. Insert the Ejector and push the slide onto the frame.While holding the
slide back, allow the barrel to slide forward. Look into the assembly pin hole and align
that hole with the cut in the barrel. Insert the assembly pin at a slight angle in order to
push the assembly pin spring down,and then push the pin completely in. Work the
slide a few times to check the action. Do not dry fire your P-3AT. As with any gun, dry
firing should be avoided.

[diamondmike]

Years ago the older model 22 rimfire revolvers/pistols had a problem where when dryfired the firingpin would hit the back of the cylinder since there was not a casing to stop it and cause damage.
Most of the modern rimfire guns has corrected this by putting a firing pin block in like the Ruger Mark pistols have.
But the myth has just carried down through the years to not only rimfired guns but centerfired guns as well.

I have dry fired all of my guns and have never broke a firing pin and Kel-Tec will send you a free replacement if you should break a pin so snap away.
One little trick you can do if your worried about dry-firing is point the gun straight up and take a pencil or wood dowel and drop it in the barrel and snap the trigger and the pencil will greatly slow down the firing pin and shoot the pencil up and out of the barrel.
Thats another good way to make sure your firing pin is hitting hard.
If your firing pin is working good it will throw the pencil up and out of the barrel each and every time.
If it does not shoot the pencil out remove the firing pin and take a 22 caliber or .17 caliber bronze cleaning brush and run it in and out of the firing-pin channel and that will smooth out any rough metal.

[Haugrdr]

I have dry fired all of my guns and have never broke a firing pin and Kel-Tec will send you a free replacement if you should break a pin so snap away.

I beg to differ. It's not the firing pin that is harmed by dry firing a P3AT (or most Kel Tec pistols) it's the firing pin retaining screw (Extractor screw) Or some call it a Frankenbolt. Dry firing causes the firing pin to hit the screw rather hard, which can deform the bottom threads of the screw. This becomes a problem when removing this screw, the deformed threads in turn will deform the threads in the slide...and can cause the threads to become stripped...ruining the slide (unless you can run a tap down that little bitty hole).

Call Kel Tec and ask, they'll tell you the same thing. Best to use snap caps always.

[TucsonMTB]

Call Kel Tec and ask, they'll tell you the same thing. Best to use snap caps always.

Or . . . don't waste Kel-Tec's time with a phone call, but instead read page 13 of your manual.

Yeah, I know, real men don't read manuals . . .

[diamondmike]

I beg to differ. It's not the firing pin that is harmed by dry firing a P3AT (or most Kel Tec pistols) it's the firing pin retaining screw (Extractor screw)

I guess anything is possible but with how extremely light the firing pin is and with the extractor screw being case hardened it would have to be some extreme case for it to damage the threads on the screw.

Kel-Tec used to say not to dry fire because the firing pin is extremely light and at the speed the firing pin travels it could crystalize and break from the friction.

But just to play it safe you could use snap-caps.

Or you could make your own snap cap by reloading a bullet and leaving out the powder and primer.
Get a rubber O-Ring the same size around as the primer socket and cut the O-Ring and take a little crazy glue and stick one end of the O-Ring into the primer caviety and then take a razor blade and cut it off flush to the back of the bullet.
They will last a long time

[TucsonMTB]

. . . you could make your own snap cap by reloading a bullet and leaving out the powder and primer.
Get a rubber O-Ring the same size around as the primer socket and cut the O-Ring and take a little crazy glue and stick one end of the O-Ring into the primer caviety and then take a razor blade and cut it off flush to the back of the bullet.
They will last a long time

That sounds like a great idea. Thanks!