Dry Fire Device For Smith & Wesson Model 41

I bought a S&W Model 41 last year and haven't dry fired it nearly as much as I should have.

A lot of people say it's OK to dry fire a Model 41, but a lot of people say it's not, and S&W themselves advise not to. Putting a spent casing or a drywall anchor or whatever in the chamber is kind of a pain. Today I made a different kind of dry fire device and it works much better.

I had some extra 2-part rapid setting silicone compound from one of the Radians custom earplug kits. I mixed it up, stuck it in the back of the slide behind the firing pin, let it start to set for a few minutes, put the slide back on the frame, dry fired it once to let the hammer fall in the silicone, took off the slide, cleaned away the excess, and let the rest of it set.

What's left is a perfectly molded silicone pad to catch the hammer, so the firing pin never gets struck. It takes about 10 seconds to put it in and take it out.

It's so much better than messing with something in the chamber to catch the firing pin.

Very cool and a great solution!
Here is what I have used for a while. Just a small piece of plastic cutting board bent over in a U. It's elastic enough that it holds itself in place around the pin, and rigid enough to stop the hammer from hitting the pin.

pgg wrote:I bought a S&W Model 41 last year and haven't dry fired it nearly as much as I should have.

A lot of people say it's OK to dry fire a Model 41, but a lot of people say it's not, and S&W themselves advise not to. Putting a spent casing or a drywall anchor or whatever in the chamber is kind of a pain. Today I made a different kind of dry fire device and it works much better.

I had some extra 2-part rapid setting silicone compound from one of the Radians custom earplug kits. I mixed it up, stuck it in the back of the slide behind the firing pin, let it start to set for a few minutes, put the slide back on the frame, dry fired it once to let the hammer fall in the silicone, took off the slide, cleaned away the excess, and let the rest of it set.

What's left is a perfectly molded silicone pad to catch the hammer, so the firing pin never gets struck. It takes about 10 seconds to put it in and take it out.

It's so much better than messing with something in the chamber to catch the firing pin.

I made something similar. Just don't forget to take it out when done dry firing.  Not a good feeling when you go to a match, pull the trigger, round doesn't go off and you can't figure out why.  Ask me how I know about that.

Virgil

pgg wrote:I bought a S&W Model 41 last year and haven't dry fired it nearly as much as I should have.

A lot of people say it's OK to dry fire a Model 41, but a lot of people say it's not, and S&W themselves advise not to. Putting a spent casing or a drywall anchor or whatever in the chamber is kind of a pain. Today I made a different kind of dry fire device and it works much better.

I had some extra 2-part rapid setting silicone compound from one of the Radians custom earplug kits. I mixed it up, stuck it in the back of the slide behind the firing pin, let it start to set for a few minutes, put the slide back on the frame, dry fired it once to let the hammer fall in the silicone, took off the slide, cleaned away the excess, and let the rest of it set.

What's left is a perfectly molded silicone pad to catch the hammer, so the firing pin never gets struck. It takes about 10 seconds to put it in and take it out.

It's so much better than messing with something in the chamber to catch the firing pin.

I need to make something for dry firing my model 41.  Your molded insert looks like it will do the trick.  How do they hold up to repeated dry firing?
Doug

Very ingenious! That device will also come in handy when you need to depress the firing pin when reinstalling the bolt in the slide.

BTW, I've used these stainless dummy rounds for dry firing and they work very well, standing up to repeated firings without a problem.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X1ZS5JG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You could make and sell them!

CalJ wrote:You could make and sell them!

I would take one. I'm sure a few guys in my League would as well.

I’d buy  at least 2. My team would like them as well. I’m curious as to how they hold up with many firings.

I'll take  two also Thanks