[eagleblue687]

First post on this board--looks like a friendly and helpful place for information!

OK, here goes: I use painted aluminum zoom type (red) snap caps in my Beretta 687 O/U to release the tension on the springs for storage--I don't store the gun taken apart--and leave the caps in the barrels. Someone at a clays range said that this was a bad practice for two reasons. One, the dissimilar metals can cause electrolysis over the long haul and two, the caps can cause moisture buildup in the receiver end of the barrels. I always clean, oil and grease my gun after use. Any thoughts and/or advice on this?

 

[DWT]

Switch to the fuzzy snap caps and lightly moistened them with gun oil. Problems solved.

 

[drsfmd]

You're also not likely to make friends at the range when you crack you gun open and shells come out (snap caps or not). More and more clubs are banning the use of snap caps... too many accidental discharges when people make mistakes and put a live shell in.

 

[MGF]

Wipe off the A-zooms with a CLP, silicone or oil cloth before you drop 'em back in for dry-fire and storage.

Leave 'em at home (less likely to loose 'em that way) for club & hunt trips.

I had a 687 SPII 30" Sporting for 10 years or so. Stored it just as described, plus bore down. Gun was in great shop and brought 100 percent of what I had in it.

I still use snaps for dry fire and/or storage in all my guns: Some A-zooms, some woollies, etc. Zero problems. Never heard a smith or a shop owner say a negative word about the shape of my guns.

Avoid the plastic snaps; they're crap.

 

[BarryD]

With the 687, you can use snap caps to release the tension, then remove the forend. Open the gun far enough to remove the caps, shut it again, then put the forend back on. The gun won't cock with the forend off.

This is a good thing to know if you don't have enough snap caps around, for all of your guns.

 

[Virginian]

I have used plastic, chrome plated brass, and A-Zoom aluminum caps for close to 50 years with no corrosion in as humid a places as you can find. If you wipe off the snap caps with WD-40, RemOil, or whatever I think it is a huge non-issue. Having dropped one two in the marsh, I started leaving them in the truck years ago, but every gun in the safe has a snap cap(s) in it but the one that is loaded. I find it an extra step to make sure I don't put away a loaded gun, and I do/did like relieving the tension on the springs in SxSs.

 

[fase3]

+1 on what Virginian says!

 

[eagleblue687]

Thanks for all the suggestions. BTW, whenever I go to the range and crack the gun for the first time, I go out of my way to let people know that there are snaps in there so they don't freak. Many of the people at the club also use snaps so they're used to it.

I was debating the woolies and think I'll try a set and also make sure my zoomies are well-lubed when I store them in the gun.

Also I didn't know about that trick with the forend, thanks for that.

So no one's worrying about electrolysis even if the metal snap is lubed?

 

[Frank Lopez]

I have a set of snap caps for all my guns and always use them, have for nearly 40 years. Here's what I've learned. The Azoom cap[s don't impress me. The "primer" is a piece of teflon that eventually wears out. The plastic ones break after a very few cycles, always. The woolly ones are the worst thing you can put in your gun. Wool is hygroscopic (traps moisture) and will trap moisture no matter how much oil you put on it.

Personally, I use the brass ones with the adjustable "primer" section. The adjustment is important because you want enough tension on the spring to soften the pin strike, but not so much resistance that you damage the firing pin face.

I've never had an issue at the range (any range) like Doc points out, but I can see his point. If it ever became an issue, I'd stop using them at the range, but would continue at home. On the same note, the caps I mostly use are brass or nickel plated brass and are short, about 2 inches or less, so they are relatively easy to identify.

Frank

 

[shogan191]

With the 687, you can use snap caps to release the tension, then remove the forend. Open the gun far enough to remove the caps, shut it again, then put the forend back on. The gun won't cock with the forend off.

This is a good thing to know if you don't have enough snap caps around, for all of your guns.

Great Tip Barry.

Thanks.

 

[BarryD]

I've never had an issue at the range

I haven't either, but IIRC at least one person has died, when a friend of his was putting his gun away, and shot him with a live round at close range, because he thought he had a snap cap in the gun.

Of course, even if I know -- know know KNOW -- that I put snap caps in a gun, I don't pull the trigger with it pointing in any direction but one where it would be safe to shoot. That's a basic firearms rule.

 

[MGF]

I do know of one club that forbade snaps. Guy who thought he was pulling the trigger on a snap wasn't; it was a live shell. He shot the ceiling.

Re woollies, just haven't had that moisture-trapping experience. I do coat mine from the first time out, and they don't go many places (losing snaps is a bummer). Plus, my guns are cleaned (including a bore brush) and lightly lubed often enough that, frankly, the bores and forcing cones are spotless. Always. G-96 happens to be my more protectant of choice, although I don't know that it particularly matters.

I use A-zooms in about 1/3 of my guns. Those primers will indeed dish out over time. I've got some brass and chromed ones with better false primers; just don't want to shell out the money all at once to put them in all of my guns. I acquire a pair when I see 'em or am ordering something else, then I set aside the cheaper ones.

Other than for dry fire, there's a real decent debate whether snaps are needed to let off the spring pressure before storage. Most guys I talk to say modern guns' springs won't take a set, anyway. There's also the option of just pulling the triggers on a doublegun and letting the pins strike a block. Horn is traditional. I've seen guys use wood, too.

 

[sernv99]

When done shooting, I go back to my truck, get my wooly snap caps out, insert into gun, point in a safe direction and pull the trigger, then proceed to break down my O/U. Never an issue with the clubs I go to. Then again, I don't put the snap caps in the gun inside the club house.

 

[fungunner]

I use the handle of a screw driver I keep in my cleaning box. Never had any issues at all.

 

[Kraiza]

I don't us snap caps and haven't had a problem in 40 years.

 

[Kraiza]

When done shooting, I go back to my truck, get my wooly snap caps out, insert into gun, point in a safe direction and pull the trigger, then proceed to break down my O/U. Never an issue with the clubs I go to. Then again, I don't put the snap caps in the gun inside the club house.

Question:
If you put in the snap caps and pull the tiggers to release the spring tensoin. Then open the O/U to take it apart don't it reset the hammer spring. So why use the snap caps.
Am I missing somthing hear.

 

[BarryD]

I do think that wooly snap caps are limited in value, though I have and use them.

Some guns with unlined chambers in the past were known for getting some rust in them, particularly if you got some sweat on shells while loading and unloading them. Sticking an oily woolly snap cap into the chamber protected them from this rust, and allowed you to drop the firing pin, also.

It is my understanding that modern spring steel loses its spring tension with repetitive use. So putting 100,000 rounds through a gun may weaken the mainsprings. But the springs don't care what position you leave them in. Still, there's something reassuring about taking the tension off them.

 

[BarryD]

Then open the O/U to take it apart don't it reset the hammer spring.

No. All the break-action guns I own don't cock if the forend is removed. That's why, even on an extractor gun, you'll find little moving metal parts either on the forend iron or on the receiver. They mate with a matching part. Those little things are the automatic cocking levers.

 

[eagleblue687]

Does anybody know where to order the brass, adjustable type snaps for the best price?

I find a handy place to store snaps so they don't get lost when I'm shooting is in the two shell loops in my vest.

And I agree with Barry, snaps or not, even if you KNOW the gun is safe, the business end should always point in a safe direction. If people see you regularly observing good gun safety/courtesy and the barrels are always pointed downrange or skyward when clearing they're less likely to get uncomfortable when they see your snaps pop out.

 

[roblack]

It dosent hurt to dry fire center fire guns without snap caps OCCASIONLLY,like once each barrel after your done cleaning. I was told this by the Browning people themselves. Id rather do this then mess with snap caps and someday mix in a live round.Even if its pointed in a safe direction,its not gonna be pretty if done indoors.