RE: Is it necessary to fire a cap prior to loading!
firing a cap prior to loading is for only one reason, sometime after a cleaning your gun some patch fibers or lubricant can get into the nipple and you want it clear before you load the gun, I know you wouldnt want your shot on a buck of a life time to be compromised because of a little lube in the nipple that caused your gun to go "click, pop sfiss" when you pulled the trigger.