Toy Caps, Cap Toys Or Cap Guns
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment · CPSC Code 5015
Down 42% over 5 years
The verdict
Toy Caps, Cap Toys Or Cap Guns carry a danger score of 22/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 114 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 42% over the last five years.
- 22/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 114
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 0.7%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 5015 - last data year 2023.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 22/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for toy caps, cap toys or cap guns - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume114 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)0.7%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-42%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Toy Caps, Cap Toys Or Cap Guns (CPSC product code 5015, in the Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment category) generate an estimated 114 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 1,590 ER-treated injuries across the 19-year span from 2005 to 2023. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 22/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 42% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (363 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (10 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for toy caps, cap toys or cap guns is burns, thermal to the upper leg, accounting for approximately 205 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the finger (173 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1,296 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 0.7% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 5 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how toy caps, cap toys or cap guns fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2023-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2023)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 144 | 94 | |
| 5-14 | 1,025 | 271 | |
| 35-44 | 56 | 0 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Ear | Foreign Body | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| Elbow | Strain, Sprain | |
| Face | Foreign Body | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Burn, Not Spec. | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ear | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
3YOF PLACED A CAP IN HER HER LEFT EAR PER MOTHER. DX: FOREIGN BODY OF LEFT EAR
7 YOM PLAYING WITH NEW CAP GUN WHEN A SPARK HIT HIS R EYE DX CORNEAL ABRASION
2YOM WAS AT HOME WHEN HE PLACED A WHITE RUBBER CAP (0.5CM IN DIAMETER) IN R NOSTRIL AND WAS UNABLE TO GET IT OUT. DX: R NOSTRIL F.B.
39YO M LACERATED HAND BETWEEN THUMB AND INDEX FINGER WHEN CHANGING OUT A CAP MACHINE. HAND SLIPPED AND THUMB SLICED BY MACHINE. DX:HAND LACERATION.
10 YO F WAS PLAYING WITH A CAP GUN AND IT SPARKED IN EYE DX EYE TRAUMA LT
3 YO M C/O SCALP LACERATION AND HEAD INJURY S/P HIT IN HEAD BY METAL TOY CAP GUN DX SCALP LACERATION, CLOSED HEAD INJURY W/O LOC
3YOM TOOK A CAP FROM A CAP GUN & PUT IT IN HIS LEFT EAR EARLIER TODAY DX: FOREIGN BODY IN EAR
2YOM WITH WHITE PLASTIC CAP IN NARE. PUSH DEEPER AFTER HOME ATTEMPTTO DISLODGE. DX: FB IN NOSE
11YM FIRED A CHILD'S TOY CAP GUN MULTI TIMES THEN PUT IT IN HIS POCKETWHERE IT IGNITED FIRE&BURNT FINGERS TAKING IT OUT OF HIS POCKET>>BURN
12YOM PLAYING WITH A CAP GUN LAST NIGHT, PUT CAPS IN HIS POCKET AFTERWARD, OUT OF NO WHERE THEY POPPED/EXPLODED IN POCKET;BURN INJ THIGH 2ND
13 YOM COUSIN THREW METAL POP GUN AND HIT HIM IN THE RT ELBOW. DX ELBOW SPRAIN @
7 YO M PLAYING WITH A TOY CAP GUN THE PAPER CAP TYPE PELLETS WERE SMOKING IN HIS PANTS POCKET BURNING HIS THIGH. DX 2ND DEGREE BURN RT THIGH
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
When firing the cap gun, one of the caps ignited and had a flame the size of a cigarette lighter flame. Luckily, my husband and I were standing right there when it happened (our 5 year old son was playing with the gun). The flame went out when our son dropped the gun in fear, but it was still smoldering for another minute where the flame had occured on the cap paper. Our son had been successfully enjoying the gun prior to this incident, so we were not expecting it at all.
08/20/2013) The consumer stated that her son had been shooting the cap gun for about five minutes. The consumer stated that all of a sudden flames shot out of the middle of the gun. The consumer stated that she grabbed the gun from him. The consumer stated that the flames burned themselves out in about a couple of seconds. The consumer stated that she thinks this is an unsafe product.
After turning the crank twice one of the caps ignited and caught on fire. It went out after a second and continued to smoke afterward. Thankfully I was the one using it when this occurred but it very easily could have been my 7 year old daughter. Needless to say she will not be playing with this toy.
My daughter's friend was showing her his cap gun he got for Christmas. He shot it a couple times then put it on his nightstand and they began playing something else. My daughter was sitting on the floor and moved her foot out and her sock hit part of the white thing the gun shoots out and ignited her sock leaving a burn mark on her foot and the floor. The boy shooting the cap gun was 9 and she is 6. The cap gun itself was nowhere near the incident.
While the 8 year old was playing with the cap gun (amount of time is unknown) , the roll of caps caught fire and fell to the floor. The cap gun spewed sparks in all directions. The mother of the child was able to put the fire out (method was not provided). The toy was taken away from the child and the firm as not contacted because the consumer was not sure the name of the company. No further information was provided.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to toy caps, cap toys or cap guns on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are toy caps, cap toys or cap guns?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, toy caps, cap toys or cap guns have a danger score of 22/100 (low risk). An estimated 114 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from toy caps, cap toys or cap guns?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the upper leg, accounting for approximately 205 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from toy caps, cap toys or cap guns increasing or decreasing?
Down 42% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for toy caps, cap toys or cap guns injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1,296 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by toy caps, cap toys or cap guns?
Of all ER visits involving toy caps, cap toys or cap guns, approximately 0.7% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (99.3%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with toy caps, cap toys or cap guns?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Swimming, Water & Beach Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 22/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 5-14 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
