5 Best Dummy Rounds & Snap Caps For Dry-Fire Practice

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!

Dummy Round Comparison Chart

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

Best Overall

A-Zoom Snap Caps

$19

at Amazon

Prices accurate at time of writing

$19 at Amazon

Palmetto State Armory (see price)

OpticsPlanet (see price)

MidwayUSA (see price)

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

Best for Dry Fire

Tipton Snap Caps

$6

at GunMag Warehouse

Prices accurate at time of writing

$6 at GunMag Warehouse

Amazon (see price)

OpticsPlanet (see price)

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

Best Color-Coded

Ready Up Gear Dummy Rounds

$19

at Amazon

Prices accurate at time of writing

$19 at Amazon

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

Most Realistic Weight

B’s Dry Fire Snap Caps

$15

at Amazon

Prices accurate at time of writing

$15 at Amazon

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

Best Bulk

ST Action Pro Trainer Dummy Rounds

$10

at Amazon

Prices accurate at time of writing

$10 at Amazon

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.