At Issue: Testing Standards – Sound Advice On Toy Guns

The revision of the US Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety ASTM F963-07, which became effective in February 2009, among other issues addresses the maximum noise level for various types of toys, including those for cap guns.

In addition to a toy's overall noise level, the sound peak conveyed by toys that use percussion caps or other explosive actions has been taken into consideration by the regulation and the result is that the maximum impulsive sound level measured at a 50 cm distance from the ear is established at 125 decibels (dB). It's a standard that applies directly to the sound volume produced by toy guns and their caps.

How have some unscrupulous manufacturers complied with the noise levels that have been established by the ASTM? There are many rumors. One says that in order to obtain import and distribution licenses for toy guns and percussion caps, some companies resort to testing each item separately, obtaining one certificate of compliance for the toy gun and another for the percussion cap. Doing so makes no sense because only the combined use of the toy gun and its percussion cap causes the noise effect that is subject to compliancy by the ASTM F963-07 standard. One, therefore, should distrust presentations of sound level certificates for toy guns and their caps separate from each other.

A problem that is typical of poorly made percussion caps (especially roll caps) are so-called "crazy shots," unexpected shots resulting from the accumulation of residual gunpowder and that go far beyond the maximum noise level of 125 db. For that reason it is also suggested that importers confirm that tests surveying the peak noise coming from a toy gun have been done on a relative high numbers of shots, so as to verify that there is no risk of "crazy shot" explosions.

The European laboratories that are credited to release ASTM certifications do their testing in coherence with the above. While the 125 db limit is new for the US market, European manufacturers of such products already meet the new regulations because similar noise levels, established by the European Commission's EN71-1 rules, have been obligatory in European Union for at least 8 years.

In the meantime, importers, distributors and dealers should verify that both the caps and toy guns they sell are certified, that the certification is released by a credited laboratory, and that test results are for the use of the guns and their caps together.