How loud is a toy cap gun?
Toy cap guns produce impulse peaks of roughly 120 to 155 dBC at 25 cm. A 1991 study measured 155 dBC at 0.25 m from cap pistol shots, and 2006 tests of three toy guns including a cap gun found 120 to 140 dB(C) at 25 cm, against a toy safety limit of 125 dB(C) for cap guns.
- Level
- 120–155 dBC peakC-weighted peak sound pressure level
- Distance
- 0.25 m25 cm
- Daily limit
- No safe unprotected exposureimpulse noise
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. C-weighted peak levels: 155 dBC at the ear 0.25 m from toy cap pistol shots (1991 study), and 120 to 140 dB(C) at 25 cm for three toy guns including a cap gun (2006 UCL tests for Deafness Research UK).
Percussion caps are tiny explosive charges, so they produce a sharp impulse rather than a steady sound. In 2006 a UCL Ear Institute researcher tested three toy guns, including a cap gun, for Deafness Research UK: they measured 130 to 143 dB(C) at 2.5 cm and 120 to 140 dB(C) at 25 cm.
A 1991 study measured cap pistol shots at 0.25 m with a peak level at the ear of 155 dBC. Guinea pigs exposed to 50 or 100 such shots mostly showed pronounced inner-ear sensory cell loss.
Toy standards allow cap firing toys more than other toys: the Australian and New Zealand standard caps their peak at 125 dB(C), compared with 115 dB for other toys.
How dangerous is a 120–155 dB peak?
A peak of 155 dB is at or above 140 dB, the impulse limit used by NIOSH and OSHA and the EU and UK exposure limit value. A single exposure at close range can damage hearing.
| Rule | Peak limit | This sound |
|---|---|---|
| UK and EU lower exposure action value | 135 dB(C) | Above |
| UK and EU upper exposure action value | 137 dB(C) | Above |
| UK and EU exposure limit value; NIOSH and OSHA impulse ceiling | 140 dB | Above |
Children
Children fire cap guns close to their own and their friends' heads; at 25 cm peaks can reach 155 dBC. Teach them to hold the gun at arm's length and never fire indoors or next to someone's ear.
Protecting your hearing
Choose toy guns without caps or sounds, fire caps outdoors only and at full arm's length, and never point them at or near anyone's ear.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Questions
Is there a legal limit for cap guns?
Toy safety standards cited in the research set a peak limit of 125 dB(C) for cap firing toys.
Are cap guns louder than other noisy toys?
Yes. Toy guns were the loudest toys in the 2006 UCL tests, at 120 to 140 dB(C) at 25 cm.
Sources
- Inner ear damage from toy cap pistols and fire-crackers, International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology (1991). Supports: dB_high: 155 dBC at 0.25 m.
The peak sound level at the ear was 155 dBC for both impulsive sounds.
Checked 2026-11-02. - Noisy Christmas toys could damage children's hearing (Deafness Research UK / UCL), ScienceDaily. Supports: dB_low: 120-140 dB(C) at 25 cm.
These were found to have noise levels between 130db(C) and 143 dB(C) at 2.5cm and of between 120 -- 140dB(C) at 25cm from the toy.
Checked 2026-11-02. - Noisy Christmas toys could damage children's hearing (Deafness Research UK / UCL), ScienceDaily. Supports: 125 dB(C) limit.
The peak noise level of a cap gun should not exceed 125dB(C)
Checked 2026-11-02. - Noise producing toys and the efficacy of product standard criteria to protect health and education outcomes, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2013). Supports: 125 dB cap toys vs 115 dB others.
The AS/NZS ISO 2010 standard made substantial reductions to 115 dB, except for cap firing toys where the peak level of 125 dB remains.
Checked 2026-11-02.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.