Are you new to firearms? Do you want to get better at shooting without burning through ammo and range fees? Are malfunctions a mystery you need to solve?
Dummy rounds, also called snap caps, can help with all of that.
Today, I’m going to explain why you should own these very inexpensive training tools, show you how to use them properly, and recommend some of the Pew Pew Tactical team’s favorites.
Let’s get smart about dummy rounds together!
THE QUICK LIST
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Best Overall
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Best for Dry Fire
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Best Color-Coded
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Most Realistic Weight
Table of Contents
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Dummy Round Comparison Chart
| Price | Supported Cartridges | Material | Colors | |
| A-Zoom Snap Caps | $16 | 83 | Aluminum, plastic | Blue, orange, red |
| Tipton Snap Caps | $6 | 18 | Plastic | Clear, orange, red |
| Ready Up Gear Dummy Ammo | $19 | 7 | Brass, plastic | Blue, green, orange, red, yellow |
| B’s Dummy’s | $19 | 11 | Brass, plastic | Blue, green, orange |
| ST Action Pro Dummy Rounds | $12 | 9 | Brass, plastic | Orange |
How We Tested the Best Dummy Rounds
Dummy rounds aren’t complicated, but it’s important to know what you’re putting into your firearm – live or not. For this article, I included dummy rounds that I have personally used, and some that other members of the Pew Pew Tactical team recommended.
Functionally, I make sure that dummy ammo can do the following:
- Load into multiple magazines designed for that specific cartridge.
- Insert into the chamber under normal operation of the action.
- Remain visible for a press check.
- Safely absorb the impact of the firing pin or striker when the trigger is pulled.
- Extract and eject under manual operation of the action.
Meet the Experts
This article comes to you from Pew Pew Tactical contributor Megan Kriss. Megan is an avid recreational shooter by day, and writer/editor by night. She has an extensive linguistics and writing background, and has written for everyone from Allstate to celebrity plastic surgeons. She also has experience in international affairs and political policy analysis.
Editing this article is Scott Murdock. Scott got his start shooting in the Marine Corps, and has continued his firearm education with courses and training in the civilian sector. He uses dummy ammo on a regular basis as part of his dry-fire training routine, and when teaching new shooters about firearm safety and proper weapons handling.
Best Dummy Rounds
1. A-Zoom Snap Caps – Best Overall
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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Pros
- Massive selection of supported cartridges
- Easily identifiable colors
- Aluminum is gentle on firearms
Cons
- Shorter service life than brass-cased snap caps
- Anodized finish may wear off prematurely
The Bottom Line
These A-Zoom snap caps check a lot of boxes when it comes to picking the best dummy rounds. They're visually easy to distinguish from live ammo by color, and the soft materials are gentle on firearm components. Best of all, you can't beat this range of popular and obscure cartridges.
Specs
- Supported Cartridges: 83
- Material: Aluminum, plastic
- Color: Blue, orange, red
- Count: 6 (revolver), 5 (pistol), 2 (rifle, shotgun)
- Country of Origin: USA
A-Zoom’s Snap Caps are available for a massive range of cartridges, and new options are added to the lineup on a consistent basis. These snap caps are a great place to start if you’re working with an obscure cartridge.
Sorting by firearm type, A-Zoom lists 54 products for rifles, 12 for pistols, 10 revolvers, and six for shotguns.
These come in packs of five for standard pistol cartridges, six for revolver calibers, and two for rifle and shotgun cartridges.
The caps are constructed with anodized aluminum that is fairly robust. Supposedly, each cap can last more than 3,000 cycles, but some people have complained about the finish scraping off and the cap wearing out around the case rim.
That reportedly doesn’t seem to be the case with the latest run from A-Zoom. Maybe we’ll luck out, and they can actually last 3,000 cycles.
These are a favorite of the Pew Pew Tactical team. We particularly like that the 12-gauge shells have a nice heft to them. These simulate real ammo weight, which is indispensable for safely practicing loading and unloading shotguns.
What’s your take on A-Zoom? Rate it below!
2. Tipton Snap Caps – Best for Dry Fire
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
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Pros
- Spring-loaded to reduce wear and tear on your firing pin
- Clear plastic is easy to recognize as dummy ammo
- Prominent label for each cartridge type
Cons
- Less durable than snap caps with no moving parts
- Higher price per round
The Bottom Line
One of the reasons people use dummy ammo is to absorb the impact of the firing pin during dry-fire training. These spring-loaded snap caps act like little shock absorbers to reduce wear on your firearm. The easy-to-read label on the side is a nice touch, too.
Specs
- Supported Cartridges: 18
- Material: Plastic
- Color: Clear, orange, red
- Count: 2 – 25
- Country of Origin: Italy
Tipton is one of the biggest names in firearms accessories, so it’s no surprise that they started manufacturing their own snap caps.
While these training rounds aren’t weighted like a live round, they do have other great features – namely, that they’re spring-loaded. The primer has what is in essence a tiny shock absorber that softens the impact of the firing pin.
This makes both your firing pin and the snap cap last much longer.
These training rounds don’t feel like live rounds because they’re so light, and the clear red plastic doesn’t look like the brass case of a live round, so they might not be the best option for teaching new shooters what a loaded gun looks like – but they’ll get the idea.
The best news? Tipton supports popular cartridges for pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns.
3. Ready Up Gear Dummy Ammo – Best Color-Coded
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Pros
- Brass case is great for instructional purposes
- Color coded by cartridge type
- Available individually or in packs of up to 50
Cons
- Look like live rounds in the chamber
- Limited cartridge selection
The Bottom Line
I use Ready Up Gear Dummy Rounds when I'm teaching firearm safety and handling to new shooters. These are well-made products, and you can buy them individually, in packs of up to 50, or in a variety pack. I only wish we had more cartridge options.
Specs
- Supported Cartridges: 7
- Material: Brass, plastic
- Color: Blue, green, orange, red, or yellow
- Count: 1 – 50
- Country of Origin: USA
I recently got to test Ready Up Gear Dummy Ammo, and these snap caps earned a spot in my training kit.
Like a few other options, these use brass cases and plastic for the simulated bullet and primer. I like using these to show new shooters what to expect when they handle, load, and clear a firearm because it looks like the real thing. For dry fire practice, you may prefer something that is very obviously not live ammunition with just a press check.
Ready Up Gear only offers seven cartridges, but those include four must-haves – 9mm, .45 ACP, 5.56 NATO, and 7.62 NATO – and .380 ACP, .38 Spl, and .40 S&W.
In addition to having the cartridge designation stamped on the case, these dummy rounds also have different color plastic inserts for the projectile and primer that make them easy to identify. Some colors are used for rifle and pistol cartridges, but not two of each.
You can buy these individually, in packs of up to 50, or get a multi-caliber kit that covers all five of the supported pistol cartridges with five rounds each. That’s a great option for people with multiple pistols or instructors who may need to work with a range of firearms brought by their students.
4. B’s Dummy’s – Most Realistic Weight
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Pros
- Realistic weight
- Prominent dummy label on the case
- Multiple cartridge and color options
Cons
- Not the most cost-effective dummy ammo
- Large quantities will weigh down your range bag more than other snap caps
The Bottom Line
B's dry fire snap caps make dry-fire training more realistic by replicating the weight of live ammunition. That makes these snap caps great for magazine changes and other drills. They aren't cheap, but they're quality items that will last a long time.
Specs
- Supported Cartridges: 11
- Material: Brass, plastic, rubber
- Color: Blue, green, orange
- Count: 4 – 10
- Country of Origin: USA
B’s dry fire snap caps, also known as B’s Dummy’s, are designed to mimic real ammo. Not only is the weight almost exactly the same, but the design also includes a real brass case.
Even with the heft and brass case of real ammunition, it’s difficult to confuse one of these snap caps for a live round.
They come with bright blue or neon green tips instead of bullets, and a giant logo is etched directly on the case to let you know it’s a dummy round. That level of clarity is what we like to see in dummy ammo.
Other than that, B’s has pretty much nailed the size, weight, and feel of 124-grain 9mm ammo.
If you’re looking for a dummy round that’s as close to the real thing as possible, this is the way to go.
The only downside is that it’s more expensive to buy in bulk.
5. ST Action Pro Trainer Dummy Rounds – Best Bulk
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Pros
- Available in large quantities
- Weighted like live rounds
- Low price per round
Cons
- Limited cartridge selection
- Only one color available
The Bottom Line
If you're an instructor who needs to keep a large stockpile of dummy rounds on hand for classes, ST Action Pro dummy rounds are the way to go. There are only nine supported cartridges, which is a drag, but that included the most popular ones. For buying in bulk, this is the way.
Specs
- Supported Cartridges: 9
- Material: Brass, plastic
- Color: Orange
- Count: 1 -100
- Country of Origin: N/A
ST Action Pro Trainer Dummy Rounds are awesome for practicing mag change drills; in fact, it’s one of our preferred options because you can order a single dummy round, a box of 100, or something in between. That’s great for instructors and people who are concerned about losing dummy rounds.
Pew Pew Tactical contributor Travis Pike likes to use these dummy rounds when he’s sitting at his desk or standing in front of the TV practicing mag changes. If that’s a drill on your training regimen, then this might be a go-to dummy round for you.
You can do the same drills with an empty magazine, but the weight will be off, and it won’t have the same effect on muscle memory.
If you’re doing more complicated tasks, like drawing a second mag from a CCW mag holder, you want your training experience to be as close to the real thing as possible.
ST Action Pro Trainer Dummy Rounds are an effective option for practicing self-defense scenarios and training for competitions.
When these rounds are loaded, your mag will feel close to its regular, fully loaded weight — which is exactly what you want.
How to Pick the Best Dummy Ammo & Snap Caps
You don’t need to overthink this one, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
Cartridge Selection
Dummy ammo isn’t real ammo, but it is cartridge-specific. That means you need to match it to each firearm you want to train with – 9mm dummy ammo for 9mm pistols, .45 ACP ammo for .45 ACP pistols, etc.
That also means that cartridge compatibility applies to snap caps. For example, .38 Spl dummy ammo will work just fine in .357 Mag firearms. Since there’s no actual combustion or pressure, 5.56 NATO dummy ammo will work in 5.56 NATO or .223 Rem firearms interchangeably.
Color
Dummy ammo comes in a variety of colors and materials. While there may not be a functional difference between two types of snap caps, there are reasons to pick one over the other.
If you’re concerned about mixing up dummy ammo and live ammo, it’s reassuring to buy dummy rounds that are a different color or material than the real thing. Red plastic or aluminum is a great choice.
On the other hand, there are times when it’s helpful to have dummy ammo that looks like actual ammo. This is particularly true for purposes of instruction. Brass-cased dummy ammo can be really helpful for educational purposes.
How to Use Dummy Ammo
Not sure why you’d need this stuff in the first place? Here are a few smart uses for dummy ammo.
- Safety training: As gun owners, we need to be able to identify the condition of our firearm. New shooters often have trouble telling if a firearm is clear because they don’t know what a loaded one looks like. By chambering a dummy round or snap cap, we can clearly see what it would look like if there were a live round in the chamber. We can also practice loading and unloading safely, without introducing the risk of live ammunition.
- Dry-fire training: We should all be practicing at home without live ammunition. This is the most efficient way to improve marksmanship fundamentals, but some people worry that pulling the trigger without anything to catch the firing pin could damage their firearm. Dummy ammo provides a safe surface for it to strike.
- Remedial-action training: Malfunctions happen, and loading dummy rounds into your magazines among live ammo can help you identify and clear a failure when you’re training at the range.
- Exposing recoil anticipation: Not sure if you or someone else is anticipating recoil by driving the muzzle forward and down with each shot? Load a dummy round somewhere in their magazine, but don’t show them where. When they encounter it during a string of live fire, you’ll know right away if they’re developing a flinch.
Final Thoughts
Dummy ammo is a useful training tool, and it may wear and tear on your firearm if you dry-fire regularly. Best of all, it’s really inexpensive!
For a few dollars, you can boost your training effectiveness, and help new shooters better understand how a firearm works so they can use one safely. I keep dummy rounds handy in my range bag and at my workbench, and I think you’ll appreciate having them available, too.
Do you use dummy rounds? Share your favorites below. Looking for more training aids? Check out our guide to the Best Shooting Range Gear!
Latest Updates
April 2026: Removed NewBold Dummy Training Rounds. Added Ready Up Gear Dummy Rounds. Updated supporting content.
23 Leave a Reply
I've had good success with SteelWorx. Quality construction at half the price of A-Zoom.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Just don’t get them mixed up with your powder coated reloads. Easy to do except for the clear plastic type.
Not sure why dummy rounds wear out, but I’ve had the same set of Liptons since they first came out, minus one which a student walked away with after a thunderstorm ended the day’s training. The Liptons proved to my wife that she was jerking the trigger, and helped her firearms proficiency overall.
The fun you can have loading your buddy’s mags… or your wife’s.
Sounds like a nasty joke to pull on someone, but the first time they experience a dead trigger, they’ll never forget. Do it a few times and when it happens, they get immediately past that denial stage and swing right into action.
Getting desperate, huh? Reviewing dummy rounds? Hmm.
More important is what you do with them. My students think it’s awfully nice of me to load their magazines or revolver — but I’m sneaking one or more dummy rounds into their ammo, particularly after we’ve discussed failure-to-fire drills. I may even load one of their magazines when they’re otherwise occupied. That first unexpected “click” is a killer (hopefully only in training).
Expect the unexpected… a training motto.
You're our #1 fan and we appreciate all the engagement you give us! Thanks, Champ!
*Looks nervously at the airsoft in the corner
I have a set of the Tiptons in 9mm. What I don't have is a single pistol that I've tried them in yet that they don't jam up. The polymer body seems to not have enough of a step at the case mouth and to jam itself into the throat. The extractor can't pull hard enough to pull the cas eout before the extractor pops off the case rim. I've tried them in over a dozen pistols and PCCs over the years.
Since the diameter is the same, does any 40 caliber laser cartridge for practice work in a 10 mm like the XDM Elite 3.8 inch?
Just a caution. I reload ammo using popular "Blue Bullets". They make great bullets for re-loaders. I also buy from SNS Casting which makes "Red bullets". Both of these are some kind of polymer coating. So if you reload these bullets make sure your snap caps are neither Blue nor Red and eliminate the chance of confusing your "snap caps or dummies" with your colored reloaded live ammo. I also make my own "dummies" by leaving a fired primer in the case and drilling a hole in the case before seating a new bullet in the drilled case. If the bullet or case deforms from repeated use I throw it away and make a few more. While it is true that it is easy to mistake the dummy for a live round if you miss seeing the hole in the case no harm is done if you chamber one of them and pull the trigger. And when it is time to reload the live pills you should be checking them each time you load your carry ammo anyway.
My biggest complaint is the cost. You practice with dummy things to not spend so much on the real item. Here the the dummy is several times the cost of the real thing. I understand, it's a safety thing, but darn, these things are expensive!
Ugh. I can’t determine the diff btn snap cap and a dummy.
i want dummy rounds for ball and dummy training. the problem with lead cast bullets is that they often deform an we spend time on malfunctions which is time consuming
can i cast the bullet with linotype or other super alloy for harnness
You can get whatever color of bullet you want these days. B's Dummys are made with Eggleston colored bullets.
I have seen some negative reviews about these not cycling thru an automatic and getting stuck in the weapon.
I can't dry fire my Bond Arms Derringer, so that is a gimme to buy these. And makes sense for revolvers.
* But have been told most all automatics are meant to be dry fired? And have done that regularly after cleaning and fresh lube.
If you reload using "Blue Bullets", don't use B's Dry Fire Snap Caps. They look too much alike, even with the case engraving. not worth the safety risk
That’s exactly what I was thinking, having blues loaded right now.
I know it's a bit nit-picky but the word you wanted in #3 was "regimen", not regime. Common mistake but most of us are not intimately involved in governmental powers.
Additionally for us revolver shooters. Snap caps are great for practicing reloading from either speedloaders or speed strips, not so much for ejecting empty brass. Snap caps don't swell like fired brass does. Suggest you use fired brass, punch out the old primer but don't resize the case. Use a rubber type caulking to fill the primer pocket. Now you'll have a practice case that sticks in the cylinder, acts like a fired case should. Good article.
Clearly you guys have never tried striker caps. These make it far easier to work on your trigger pull and barrel discipline WITHOUT chasing plastic all over the floor.
We'll check these out! Thanks for the suggestion!
Striker Caps