Snap caps?
 

I just went through an ordeal where I got a pair of snap caps stuck in a Fox gun and couldn't get the gun open nor the barrels off. I finally did get it open; whew! A member on the Fox forum (who's a member here also) pointed out that snap caps are unnecessary in a Fox gun, with Fox literature to back it up. For me they've always just been another fun thing about messing about with these old guns, but I'm certainly re-thinking that at this point! So what about Parkers? Snap caps or no?

i personally don't use them in any gun except to test functionality or trigger pull

Parker literature also states clearly that dry firing the gun is fine.

So I'll ask the same question I asked over there: do you store 'em cocked, or do you dry fire 'em before putting them in the cabinet?

I dry fire before putting them away . I’ve never been an advocate of snap caps although I have no issue if a person likes them .

What about protection of ejector damage when opening up the gun that has nothing in the chambers?

Wayne, I open my ejector guns slowly holding my fingers over the ejectors at the end of the barrels to minimize or prevent possible damage to the ejector stop in the dolls head. Others may suggest a better way but this is the way I was taught by another Parker collector/shooter many years ago.

I have seen that method applied by some knowledgeable folks Bill. Makes sense to me.

Thanks Bill, I will try to make your method a habit. Seems like a simple thing to do.

Stored cocked or uncocked, the springs are still under tension.
It realistically does little to help extend the life of the springs.

I have a bunch of guns that have been cocked for up to 130 years without any damage. Maybe next year, one of them will have a broken spring, but so far so good.

Have them for ejector guns. Pass for extractor guns.
 

The springs are not the issue. It is the stop plate for the ejectors that are a reason to have snap caps.

As I see in an example hang tag:

"If the gun is fitted with our automatic ejector, it is an excellent plan to have in the gun two exploded shells, so that when the gun is opened and the injectors operated they will have some work to do; other-wise the force of the blow occasioned by the ejectors being thrown against the stop plate tends to batter them and injure the plate."

Quoting from the far right tag, final sentence:

http://parkerguns.org/forums/attachm...4&d=1477448771

Cycles kill springs not whether they are stored under tension or not.