Air Arms S400 PCP dry fire not allowed according to Air Arms

[needmoretoys]

I will be getting an Air Arms S400 MPR Precision PCP rifle. I downloaded the manual and it has the following warning about dry firing.

"Do not shoot without a pellet in the chamber (dry fire). This may permanently damage your air rifle."

I have always dry fired my Marauder or my various CO2 guns (Crosman and Chinese) when setting the trigger. I contacted Pyramyd Air for clarification and was told that the Air Arms PCP rifles cannot be dry fired, even when pressurized. Has anyone run across this with Air Arms or any other brand where the gun cannot be dry fired according to the manufacturer? Has anyone damaged a PCP by dry firing, even when pressurized?

The only reason that I can think of for this warning is that the valve will slam shut too hard without the back pressure caused by the pellet.

[Motorhead]

While not spelled out ... Absent of air in tank * Aka Empty gun  would indeed create a metal to metal impact of hammer upon valve body indeed creating damage.

So likely the legal department along with keeping verbiage simple ... It is in the manual stated as it is.


* However in real world use WITH TANK FILLED TO OPERATING PRESSURE ... discharging with or without a pellet chambered mechanically when action fired IS NO DIFFERENT    * PCP GUNS ONLY *

[needmoretoys]

Thanks for the reply. I thought that it might be AA being over cautious with their wording so that they wouldn't have to say that it is fine for like pressures over 1000 psi or whatever. However, for a rifle that is expensive for me now that I'm retired, I"m not sure that I want to take the chance. I don't want dry fire for training, just to set up the trigger stages to my liking. I guess I'll just fire into the trap.