snap cap roulette - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

amishclark · 11-02-2006, 12:07 PM

(not sure if this is the place to post this or not, but...) i go to the range by myself ALOT, so it's very hard for me to get snap cap practice done. i tried the "loading mags the night before" trick, but it only works the first time you shoot the mags

...so i made up this little game i like to call "snap cap roulette". i don't know if i spelled "roulette" correctly or not, or even if i made this game up (if i did, you all owe me $.50 per use

), but here's what you need to play:

1. a few mags - i used two, but only because i was limited by...
2. a bunch of snap caps - i have four, and...
3. bullets

and of course you need a safe range to shoot live ammo on, but here's how it works. load the first mag bullet, snap, snap. load the second mag snap, bullet, snap. put the two mags in your pocket or in a bag and mix them up. blindly choose a random mag, insert it in your pistol, and rack the slide. whichever mag you picked, the first round you know is a dud...practice trigger squeeze, sight alignment, and the like. the second round...who knows? again, practice trigger squeeze, sight alignment, and the like. it's a bit slow going, but i only have four snap caps...i've been thinking about doing four mags. three loaded bullet snap, one loaded snap bullet...comments? questions? suggestions?

jednp · 11-02-2006, 12:15 PM

What I do, is load snap caps in 3 magazines. I have 5 magazines, so I'm able to have 2 mags for regular ammo to shoot. I load the snaps the night before. Sometimes I don't even load snap caps in the ones I label to have them. But after loading and shooting the 2 mags I set aside for regular shooting, I don't have a clue which mags have snaps, or how many. So I'll shoot a bit, then take a mag that should have snaps in and shoot it. then go back to normal shooting. And do the same, until I have no more mags with snaps.

I also find, that if you are limited on the number of mags you have, this works well. Rather than have any sort of plan for how you load the snaps, randomly place them. I just grab some rounds, start loading, then put a snap in. As long as you don't put it #1 or 2, and don't count the number of rounds you put in, you won't be able to know where the snap cap is so easily. Just try and block out the counting in your head. Don't even worry about putting a set amount of rounds in the mag. The more you mix it up each time, the easier it is to trick your brain. Works for me, because I still finch a bit each time a snap comes up.

amishclark · 11-02-2006, 12:20 PM

my mind is like a steel trap...for a stoner...so i can remember that stuff. i'm almost ocd like that...i count step to the door, bites when i chew, and rounds when i load and shoot...and i can really tell the difference in weight for mags, even if it's only one snap cap (i have the plastic kind). thus the equal number but different order in the mags. also, i like knowing the the first one is a dud because i can think, "ok, hands. do this next time, no matter what." thanks for the advice though!

**Bycyclist** · 11-02-2006, 12:24 PM

I just throw 25 rounds in a bag with 5 snaps and don't look as I'm loading up my three 10 rd. mags. Works just fine to see flinch as well as IA drills.

amishclark · 11-02-2006, 02:09 PM

i must have a better memory than you guys...loading more bullets in a mag might speed the process, but my idea is more of a "baby step" process...i don't need to "see" the flinch. i know it happens, and i'm trying to train it away...

Steel1212 · 11-05-2006, 02:43 PM

Just be carefull with your roulette. There was a guy at the match today that probably was doing the same thing and ended up with a snap cap in the middle of a stage

11-02-2006, 12:20 PM	#3
amishclark XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: pennsyltucky Posts: 1,589	my mind is like a steel trap...for a stoner...so i can remember that stuff. i'm almost ocd like that...i count step to the door, bites when i chew, and rounds when i load and shoot...and i can really tell the difference in weight for mags, even if it's only one snap cap (i have the plastic kind). thus the equal number but different order in the mags. also, i like knowing the the first one is a dud because i can think, "ok, hands. do this next time, no matter what." thanks for the advice though! __________________ "sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. all other 'sins' are invented nonsense." - robert a. heinlein "when fascism comes to america, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross" - sinclair lewis

11-02-2006, 12:24 PM	#4
Bycyclist XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: NorCaliforneeya Posts: 1,834	I just throw 25 rounds in a bag with 5 snaps and don't look as I'm loading up my three 10 rd. mags. Works just fine to see flinch as well as IA drills. __________________ =============================================== BYcyclist - the worst day on a ride (or at the range) is better than the best day in the office ===============================================

11-02-2006, 02:09 PM	#5
amishclark XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: pennsyltucky Posts: 1,589	i must have a better memory than you guys...loading more bullets in a mag might speed the process, but my idea is more of a "baby step" process...i don't need to "see" the flinch. i know it happens, and i'm trying to train it away... __________________ "sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. all other 'sins' are invented nonsense." - robert a. heinlein "when fascism comes to america, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross" - sinclair lewis Last edited by amishclark; 11-04-2006 at 07:20 AM.

11-05-2006, 02:43 PM	#6
Steel1212 XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 566	Just be carefull with your roulette. There was a guy at the match today that probably was doing the same thing and ended up with a snap cap in the middle of a stage __________________ Corey Estill USPSA: A57351 IDPA: A26629 "Master or bust!!"

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11-02-2006, 12:07 PM	#1
amishclark XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: pennsyltucky Posts: 1,589	snap cap roulette (not sure if this is the place to post this or not, but...) i go to the range by myself ALOT, so it's very hard for me to get snap cap practice done. i tried the "loading mags the night before" trick, but it only works the first time you shoot the mags ...so i made up this little game i like to call "snap cap roulette". i don't know if i spelled "roulette" correctly or not, or even if i made this game up (if i did, you all owe me $.50 per use ), but here's what you need to play: 1. a few mags - i used two, but only because i was limited by... 2. a bunch of snap caps - i have four, and... 3. bullets and of course you need a safe range to shoot live ammo on, but here's how it works. load the first mag bullet, snap, snap. load the second mag snap, bullet, snap. put the two mags in your pocket or in a bag and mix them up. blindly choose a random mag, insert it in your pistol, and rack the slide. whichever mag you picked, the first round you know is a dud...practice trigger squeeze, sight alignment, and the like. the second round...who knows? again, practice trigger squeeze, sight alignment, and the like. it's a bit slow going, but i only have four snap caps...i've been thinking about doing four mags. three loaded bullet snap, one loaded snap bullet...comments? questions? suggestions? __________________ "sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. all other 'sins' are invented nonsense." - robert a. heinlein "when fascism comes to america, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross" - sinclair lewis Last edited by amishclark; 11-02-2006 at 12:13 PM.

11-02-2006, 12:15 PM	#2
jednp XDTalk 4K Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 4,691	What I do, is load snap caps in 3 magazines. I have 5 magazines, so I'm able to have 2 mags for regular ammo to shoot. I load the snaps the night before. Sometimes I don't even load snap caps in the ones I label to have them. But after loading and shooting the 2 mags I set aside for regular shooting, I don't have a clue which mags have snaps, or how many. So I'll shoot a bit, then take a mag that should have snaps in and shoot it. then go back to normal shooting. And do the same, until I have no more mags with snaps. I also find, that if you are limited on the number of mags you have, this works well. Rather than have any sort of plan for how you load the snaps, randomly place them. I just grab some rounds, start loading, then put a snap in. As long as you don't put it #1 or 2, and don't count the number of rounds you put in, you won't be able to know where the snap cap is so easily. Just try and block out the counting in your head. Don't even worry about putting a set amount of rounds in the mag. The more you mix it up each time, the easier it is to trick your brain. Works for me, because I still finch a bit each time a snap comes up.