[Guest]

I have a FireStar_M40.

I've read in a few firearms forums that the FireStar_M40 shouldn't be dry fired on a empty chamber without using a snap cap, because of problems with the firing pin breaking if done so.

The other situation is this.

I'm looking to shoot some competition such as IDPA, IPSC, USPSA, etc.. but at the end of each stage the SO's require you to drop the hammer on a empty chamber. This action would be the same as dry firing.

Thanks for your comments on both of the above.

FireStar_M40

[email protected]

 

[Josh Smith]

I'm not a Firestar expert.

That said, I don't believe it would hurt the pistol unless done repeatedly, as in dryfire practice. Most modern firearms can take dryfire to an extent and, while somewhat hard on them, I don't see it breaking the firing pin. However, I would carry a spare just in case.

I could be very wrong however. I'll defer to those who can give more than blanket answers. You might also contact the manufacturer.

Josh <><

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. It's been a while since I looked at a FireStar M40, but on these guns I believe that the firing pin is held in place with a traditional retaining plate rather than the vertical steel pin that fit through a notch in the firing pin. When the trigger is pressed, the internal firing pin safety moves out of the way and the firing pin is free to move w/o hitting anything. I don't think the FireStar series of pistols suffers the same liklihood of firing pin breakage as might older models like the Star Model B, P, and A. Firing pins are hard to get but with the FireStar you are probably OK to drop the hammer at the end of a match. For dry-firing I'd still use a snap cap just to be on the safe side.

Best.

 

[will]

Unless the engineers designing the pistol gave a great deal of thought to dry firing, the pistolwill at some time suffer for it.The 1911 is a classic case.Do it too much and you can either 1)crack the firing pin retainer plate or 2)wedge the firing pin to where you will either have failure to feed or slam fires(Mas Rapido,Amigo).Many other guns suffer from this "deletion of design" fault.If in doubt-dont.Or obtain some sort of snap cap.In the early sixties in the Marine Corps we removed the firing pin,spring,and retaining plate-substitutting a piece of inner for the retaining plate to take up the hammer blow.Ciao

 

[briand]

I do know for a fact that at least the early Fire Stars had fragile firing pins, as my gun went through three of them in rather short order (less than 25 rds. each) with virtually NO dry firing involved. By the time Star got that problem sorted out, I installed the fourth firing pin and peddled off the gun.