You’re probably reading this best snap cap review because you’re looking to safely function test your weapon, without shattering the firing pin in the process.
For those who don’t know, snap caps are essentially dummy rounds. The snap caps are there to absorb the shock of your guns firing pin, without damaging it. The best snap cap usually has a plastic point in which the pin will strike, allowing you to simulate shooting with your gun.
Obviously, there is a huge array of snap cap dummy rounds available on the market, for nearly all gun types. We’ve researched long and hard to find some of the best deals out there, so you don’t have to.
After reviewing 6 of our favorite products, we’ll run you through a quick buying guide, to help you focus on what’s important when buying snap caps. Then we’ll let you know which are our favorites and why?
So, let’s fire through the products…
Contents
- 1 Top 6 Best Snap Caps Reviews
- 1.1 1 Premium Brass 9mm Snap Caps 9mm Luger Dummy Rounds (10 Pack)
- 1.2 2 A-ZOOM Action Proving Dummy Round, Snap Cap
- 1.3 3 B-Unique Enterprises, Inc. B’s Dry Fire Snap Caps – Dummy 12 & 20 Gauge Training Rounds (9 Pack)
- 1.4 4 Tipton Snap Cap Pistol 9mm Luger, 5 pack
- 1.5 5 Tipton Snap Caps 40 S&W (Per 5)
- 1.6 6 Tipton Snap Caps 45 ACP (Per 5)
- 2 Best Snap Caps Buyer’s Guide
Top 6 Best Snap Caps Reviews
1 Premium Brass 9mm Snap Caps 9mm Luger Dummy Rounds (10 Pack)
First on our list, are these high-quality brass 9mm snap caps made for Lugers. This is a ten pack of premium rounds, not made from cheaper materials such as aluminum.
It is also claimed that these rounds will not break up, chip or flake away. We did notice a very little flaking with this product, but it was hardly noticeable. Plus the rounds have been balanced and weighted carefully, so that they mimic a real round in the chamber.
A safe way to test your gun…
Obviously, safety is of the utmost when testing your gun. These dummy rounds are completely inert and should never fire as a normal round. Plus they are designed with a special trademark Black Stop. The Black Stop is there to preserve the firing pin, even after thousands of “dry fires.”
Make sure you know…
As well, it’s always important to be able to distinguish between live rounds and dummy rounds. The rounds come with colored tips and a clear trademark patina on their surface, so they’ll be easily distinguished.
Overall, these rounds are perfect for anyone who is in training, or just wants to test their firearm safely. Plus the Arizona based company that make these snap caps are known to have great customer service, if you do happen to have any issues.
(4.9 / 5)- Made from premium quality brass.
- Solid durable and long lasting.
- Carefully balanced and weighted to mimic real rounds.
- A safe way to test and practice with 9mm Lugers
- Trademark Black Stop.
- Easily distinguished against real rounds.
- An Arizona, USA made product.
- You may experience a little flaking with this product.
2 A-ZOOM Action Proving Dummy Round, Snap Cap
Next up, we have what is said to be the perfect training rounds, in the form of A-ZOOM Precision Rounds for Dry Firing. A-ZOOM is a reputable company for producing dry rounds, and we think they offer a great deal on these specific rounds.
Learn how to handle your gun safely…
The real purpose of these rounds is for safe training, without any live fire having to occur. These rounds should replicate the same feeling of having a bullet in the chamber, but without the loud bang!
So whether you’re practicing or training, you should feel safe with these A-ZOOM quality rounds. Made specifically as 9mm Lugers, these snap caps are made from hard anodized aluminum, which should stand the test of time.
So much choice…
Though A-Zoom also offers snap caps in over 100 calibers if the Luger 9mm isn’t what you’re looking for. You get five 9mm Luger rounds per pack for handguns, six rounds for revolvers, two rounds for shotguns and two rounds for rifles.
A-ZOOM has a patented Dead Cap, which allows you to fire at least a guaranteed 3000 times, without the best snap cap wearing out.
All in all, A- ZOOM offer a decent deal with their snap caps, and the quality does seem to be assured.
(4.4 / 5)- A reputable company for snap caps.
- Allows the gun user to train and practice safely.
- Snap caps replicate a real bullet in the chamber.
- A-ZOOM offer snap caps for over 100 calibers.
- Patented Dead Cap technology used.
- Red color on the caps makes them easy to distinguish.
- The firing pin will make a snapping sound when it hits the cap.
- Possibly a little uncomfortable to handle with sharpish edges.
3 B-Unique Enterprises, Inc. B’s Dry Fire Snap Caps – Dummy 12 & 20 Gauge Training Rounds (9 Pack)
Now we move on to some B-Unique Enterprises, Inc. Dry Fire Snap Caps. These are said to be essentially training rounds, and are assembled by hand from real 12 gauge hulls.
Extremely durable snap caps…
They really went to town in making these snap caps ultra durable. B-Unique say that these shells will not flake, break apart or chip like low-grade test shells. As well, they say that these are weighted and balanced to replicate a real bullet.
However, it is advisable, that when these caps are ejected, that it should be on a softer surface. Ejecting the caps onto a harder surface could jeopardize their durability.
Clean easy…
A good selling point for these snap caps is that the casing cleans so well. This is because of the strong plastic casing used. With the casing being a solid blue color, it also makes these caps ultra safe. By seeing the blue color, you’ll instantly know these caps are not live rounds.
Finally, B-Unique has an excellent customer service department. So any queries or issues you may have will probably be solved with not too much effort.
(4.6 / 5)- Built to strict USA quality standards.
- Made to be training rounds.
- Solid blue color makes the caps easily distinguishable.
- Made from real 12 gauge hulls.
- Extra durable snap cap design.
- Weighted and balance to feel like a real bullet.
- Easily cleaned.
- Could be difficult with certain 20 gauge shotgun types.
- The rubber coating is a little soft.
4 Tipton Snap Cap Pistol 9mm Luger, 5 pack
The Tipton Snap Cap Pistol 9mm Luger comes as a five pack, and they’re quite an inexpensive design.
What strikes you when you first look at these snap caps, is that they are a distinct red. This is great when you want to make sure you’re using a dummy round rather than a real live round!
Check and adjust your trigger pull…
They’ve been designed to be a good option for checking your trigger pull, which you can then adjust. If you didn’t use a snap cap for trigger pull checking, you could damage the firing pin, as mentioned earlier.
Also, we should mention that in general, if you are storing your guns with the hammer down, a snap is very useful. With the best snap cap, you don’t have to lower the hammer slowly down by hand.
Great for drills…
Overall, this Tipton design has been marketed as a great snap cap for drills, and we agree for the most part. Whether you’re doing dry fire drills, malfunction drills, or whatever, these will do an excellent job.
Other more expensive caps may exhibit more durability. However, Tipton offers this decent quality inexpensive option.
(4.4 / 5)- Distinct red color allows you to identify the dummy round easily.
- Great for testing your trigger pull.
- Good for storing your guns hammer down
- Made for use in firearm drills.
- An inexpensive snap cap option for Luger 9mm.
- The paint may flake a little when dry firing.
5 Tipton Snap Caps 40 S&W (Per 5)
Here we have another set of Tipton snap caps or dummy rounds as they are also called. If you’re not happy with the price range of the caps we’ve looked at so far, check these out!
For an extremely low price, you can have a set of 5 40 S&W snap caps. So if you’re looking for a bargain, but still expect some decent quality, Tipton again shines out above the rest.
High impact design…
These caps have been made with a solid high impact polymer. When the firing pin hits this cap, it will have a strong and durable resilience. As well, the pin and brass shell itself add to the caps durability and resilience.
It is worth to say that the caps will most likely come apart to some sort of degree, with constant impacts over time. Yet in comparison to other snap caps, these Tipton made caps really do last! Again like the previous Tipton caps, these are made with a very bold trademark red that they use. This coloring is obviously great for distinguishing your live and dry rounds.
A recognized gunsmith…
A final thought is that Tipton is a well-recognized gunsmith, that are known for making excellent gun components and accessories. In this case, Tipton does not disappoint in delivering a quality product.
(4.6 / 5)- Extremely inexpensive yet a quality design.
- Includes 5 40 S&W snap caps.
- Partly made with a high impact polymer.
- Brass shell aids in durability.
- Made in a bold red color to be clearly identified.
- Can withstand a large number of impacts.
- Will partially break up over time.
6 Tipton Snap Caps 45 ACP (Per 5)
Finally, we again round up the reviews with yet another Tipton snap cap set of 5. This time the only real difference is that they are .45 ACP snap caps.
Typically a .45 ACP is a much heavier round than say a 9mm. Tipton has successfully replicated the size and weight well, to mimic the real .45 ACP round. A real visual difference is, of course, the bold red that Tipton typically use, for safety and identification.
Testing and practice makes…
Just like the previous Tipton caps, this set is made to last. The caps can also be used as a means to test your trigger pull or to perform training and practice without using live rounds. In addition, you can test the functioning of extractors and ejectors with these dummy rounds.
A final thought is that if you like to store your guns with the hammer down, it’s a good option to have a snap cap resting in the barrel.
Overall, another solid buy from Tipton for the durability and value in their snap cap series.
(4 / 5)- .45 ACP high-quality snap caps.
- Incredibly inexpensive and great value for what you get.
- Mimics the weight and balance of a real bullet.
- Made in a bold red to be easily identified.
- Excellent choice for testing your weapon.
- The snap caps are slightly undersized compared to the real thing.
Best Snap Caps Buyer’s Guide
We’ve now run through all our best Snap Cap options currently available. Mostly we covered quite a few 9mm Luger types and other variations.
When choosing a set of snap caps, your budget and intended use for them should be at the forefront of your mind. Some people just want a few spares, for when they ever want to test out their firearm on occasion. Others, however, will want some durable and long lasting snap caps for training and drill work.
Whatever your intended use for the dummy rounds is, we have included a good range of options to choose from.
For inexpensive and fairly long lasting snap caps, we were really impressed with the Tipton series that we looked at. Yes, these caps will flake a little and break somewhat, though they do last for many dry fires! We think you’ll get good use from the Tiptons. Plus they are great for training and drills.
The A-ZOOM snap caps are said to last as many as 3000 dry fire rounds. So if you are looking for a really durable option, the A-ZOOMS could be a great choice.
For a real high-quality 9mm Luger option, the…
Premium Brass 9mm Snap Caps 9mm Luger Dummy Rounds
…could be a good decision. Though, to distinguish these from live rounds might be a little confusing for some.
Finally, if you’re looking for the best snap cap that mimics a real shell very closely, then maybe the…
B-Unique Enterprises, Inc. snap caps
…are for you. These caps are made from real 12 gauge hulls.
To conclude, we think its always important to try and get snap caps that show clearly that they are dummy rounds. It could be disastrous to make a mistake and load in a real live round when that wasn’t the intention. Choosing caps that are very noticeable in color is always one of the safest options.
We hope this article was informative and has helped you choose the best snap caps for your particular needs. Stay safe!
