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Hi Robert, Yes you are fine with dry firing occasionally. I still prefer to use Snap caps.

Dry firing a rifle or handgun, particularly a 22 cal. can over time damage the fifing pin. As stated, the pin wears and eventually it may misfire. However, there is a secondary issue of the shoulder of the firing pin striking the outer edges of the firing pin hole. Over time it will cause one of two things to happen. The shoulder wears down and eventually may penetrate the cartridge. The other possibility is as the shoulder on the pin or the opening wear enough to a point where the firing pin bends and strikes either the edge of the pin hole or far enough off the bullet rim as to not fire at all. Dry firing is not a good practice without something like Snap Caps. But here is a time I've used. Go to you local hardware place and buy a package of small plastic anchors that are about the size of a 22 cal (I think +/- 1/4" or so) and fill it with hot melt glue, It works just like a snap cap except the will not load from a magazine or tube. You can load it into the chamber by hand. On a Ruger 22 pistol that I have it will eject it when I pull the slide back. In any case, dry firing a weapon is not good for it over the long term.

Robert, Dry firing a rifle or handgun, particularly a 22 cal. can over time damage the fifing pin. As stated, the pin wears and eventually it may misfire. However, there is a secondary issue of the shoulder of the firing pin striking the outer edges of the firing pin hole. Over time it will cause one of two things to happen. The shoulder wears down and eventually may penetrate the cartridge. The other possibility is as the shoulder on the pin or the opening wear enough to a point where the firing pin bends and strikes either the edge of the pin hole or far enough off the bullet rim as to not fire at all. Dry firing is not a good practice without something like Snap Caps. But here is a time I've used. Go to you local hardware place and buy a package of small plastic anchors that are about the size of a 22 cal (I think +/- 1/4" or so) and fill it with hot melt glue, It works just like a snap cap except the will not load from a magazine or tube. You can load it into the chamber by hand. On a Ruger 22 pistol that I have it will eject it when I pull the slide back. In any case, dry firing a weapon is not good for it over the long term.

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Robert, with a rimfire, the firing pin is positioned to strike the soft brass rim of the cartridge. When no cartridge is present, the firing pin strikes the hard steel of the breechface. Repeated dry-firing of a rimfire can eventually peen the firing pin, dulling it and causing misfires. Dry-firing offers convenient, easy practice, but if you are going to dry-fire a rimfire gun, invest in some snap caps first. These dummy rounds will cushion the firing pin's fall.

It will damage the edge of the chamber and cause a burr that will make the cases stick in the chamber. Get some dummy rounds or use an empty spent case to dry fire with.