Lyman/A-Zoom Snap Caps - Quarter Master

Guns Magazine, Feb, 2002 by Jim Gardner

A set of snap caps is one of the most important accessories that any shooter can have. By far the best use for snap caps is to train yourself to avoid flinching (see Dave Anderson's Rifleman column). If, like myself, you are often alone at the range, a good set of snap caps will allow you to perform a "ball and dummy drill." Load three live rounds and two snap caps into your magazine or cylinder in random order. With the semiauto, you will need to look away as you load the magazine and not pay attention to the order in which the live and dummy rounds are loaded. With a revolver, simply give the cylinder a spin so that you do not know whether to expect a live or a dummy round.

Now, align the sights, focus on the front sight, and apply careful trigger pressure. If the gun fires, then you really don't learn anything. If, however, you get a click rather than a bang, take notice of what your front sight did at the moment the hammer fell. Did it remain steady on the target? Good job! Odds are, though, that you saw it dip slightly. This is clear evidence that you anticipated the shot. Now relax and try it again. This sort of constant reinforcement is the best way to beat a bad case of flinching.

All snap caps are not created alike. A-Zoom's aluminum snap caps are by far the best I've ever used. They are hard anodized to resist wear, and in place of a primer is an extremely tough material that cushions the firing pin and is said to be good for 3,000 impacts. These will cycle through an action much better than the common plastic snap caps, and will last longer as well. Price varies by caliber, but as an example, a set of six .44-40s like those pictured retails for $18.98.