Snap caps: recommended or not?

[Larry LeBel]

I've always used snap caps and have them for all my shotguns, including my two 16ga Parkers (DHE vintage 1911, VHE vintage 1926). My understanding to this point has been that one should not leave the guns cocked and that dry firing without snap caps can harm the mechanism. My elderly uncle, who passed these two beauties on to me, counsels to the contrary that the Parkers should be stored cocked. Among other reasons it can position the ejector spring mechanism embedded in the forend so that mechanism must be re-cocked in order to assemble the forend to the barrel and receiver. He has tons more experience and expertise than me and is still razor sharp, so I tend to follow his guidance. But for this question it seemed to merit checking this forum, and I’ve found no other threads on this topic. Is there a clear Y/N? Or what are the factors to consider in making one’s decision about storing Parkers cocked vs released with use of snap caps?

[Bill Murphy]

I have Parkers that have been cocked for about 140 years. They seem to work just fine when I take them out to shoot. I use my snap caps to make my trunk cases look good.

[Dean Romig]

Larry, this may be true only of Parkers but snap caps are entirely unnecessary when dropping the "hammers" as the conical noses (firing pins) drop into conical recesses in the frame and don't stress them at all when dropped on empty chambers.





.

[Brian Dudley]

On parkers, not necessary. It even says so on the factory hang tags.

[Larry LeBel]

Larry, this may be true only of Parkers but snap caps are entirely unnecessary when dropping the "hammers" as the conical noses (firing pins) drop into conical recesses in the frame and don't stress them at all when dropped on empty chambers.


Thank you, Dean, for that clear explanation. I also found an image in the PCGA site of a firing pin among the receiver components, showing the conical form behind the pin. What a fine example of Parker engineering!

A related question: Store the gun cocked? or make a habit of dry-firing both barrels?

And my further question that ties to storing cocked or dry-fired: What mis-steps prior to takedown can lead to the unfortunate condition of the ejector spring mechanism in the forend become uncocked and thus needing to be manually cocked before the forend can be reassembled to the barrel and receiver?

[Brian Dudley]

It does not matter if the gun is stored cocked or not. It is just easier to store cocked.

The only thing that can cause the ejectors in the forend to be uncocked would be damage in the forend that needs repair. There is no normal circumstances that will cause this.