Grumble,

My brother is currently occupied moving all this snow we are accumulating at my home in Idaho. And with these forty mile per hour winds, he gets to move it multiple times per day. Call again come spring (June).

Hammer

Snail Technologies is a division of Savage Arms and you can see their stuff on the Savage website.

Think their EPA approved model cost in the $1,000s.

Hammer

The sound suppression part is important, but can be done using lots of insulation and some egg-carton foam rubber. Also, remember the ventilation and a powerful exhaust fan.

At one time lived in a house between the local sheriff and the county judge. Didn't think they knew about the basement range until we moved after several years and they saw us removing the backstop, etc., and asked about it.

Later, they said they had known about the indoor range and was waiting for an invitation to use it.

Hammer

Heh-heh, I bet that straightened out those pinky fingers holding the teacups, alright. <GGG>

If it were me, I'd just make a 45-degree plate out of some thick, hard steel to deflect the boolits into a sandbox underneath it.

The 45 degree steel plate will work, but is noisier.

And it more fun watching a brother move thousands of pounds of sand. And railroad ties.

Hammer

I have a few yards of gravel that needs to be spread on my driveway. Will you loan me your brother?

I have an old commercially made trap that handles 44 mags with ease. It is 1/4" plate - 4 pieces in a 4 sided pyramid (wide open on one end 4" hole on other end) 4 pieces are top/bottom, left/right sides. The narrow opening goes into a snail shell about 8" in diameter 4" thick. The bullets deflect into the small hole and go round and round in the shell, grinding themselves up. Opening on the side for cleaning. Pix on request.

There is a commercially available model - much newer and is EPA cosher too - Snail technologies I think.

My neighbor uses the 3-yard bucket on his front end loader as a backstop. Once, we were shooting at some cans sitting on the bottom lip of the bucket, and after he shot, I heard a "plunk" on the tin roof of the barn behind us. After two or three more shots and "plunks," I noticed the lead tracks inside the bucket. The boolits were hitting the inside curve of the bucket, following that curve, and launching up over our heads and falling on the tin roof behind us.

Pretty safe, I guess, unless we shot at the top of the bucket! <GGG>

TRK, I would really like to see a picture of what you have. My idea was to copy my .22 rim fire trap idea only using 1/2" plate and instead of a tray to accumulate the spent bullets let them fall into a bed of sand at the bottom of the trap. Only problem is I can't find anyone that will take the first shot . I tried to find a commercial one but all I could find was the shooting range type costing waaay too much. Phil PS is the 45* angle the accepted pitch for the backstop?

A bullet hitting a 45 degree plate should bounce off straight down. At any other angle it will be moving at an angle downrange or back toward the shooter. I've seen the 45 degree angled plate and bed of sand work VERY well with muzzleloaders.

I think that the 45 dgree plate would probably work well UNTIL it started getting pitted and or dented from shooting. Then the bullets may be boncing at some angle other than 45 degrees. I would try to soft mount the plate some how (like putting a rubber gasket behind it) to help it absorb some of the impact. I've been looking at building an oversized airgun pellet trap for indoor use. Although the comercial types are OK I wanted to build a larger one to prevent my son from shooting up the wall as he learns to shoot offhand. As na alternative to the angled plate design the airgun folks use a box with a bunch of putty like "duct seal" in the back of it which makes for a nice quiet bullet trap. Don't know how much duct seal would be required to stop handgun bullets though. Probably enough that the weight would pull it off of your wall. KevD

Thanks Ricochet. I was just able to get on the AOL site and checked for bullet traps there. Found a very simple idea using a peice of plate steel set at a 45* angle and supported by 2x4's. He used 3/8" steel but I think if I can find a decent peice of 1/2" I'll use it. Instead of wood frame work I'll weld up a frame.....it won't be pretty but it will stick. Planning on shooting my pistols, no mag loads. Phil

Shooting our own cast bullets is a pretty safe activity.

HOWEVER, when we move the shooting process indoors, it can get very complicated, and it's easy to create unsafe and unhealthy conditions.

Ventilation is absolutely critical, and firing in open rooms into a trap is very poor practice because airflow (and the DIRECTION of the airflow) is tough to regulate.

Proper indoor ranges of modern (safe) design have so much airflow that there's a perceptible breeze blowing past the the shooters toward the targets. This breeze is sufficient to insure that all the combustion products are carried away from where they can be inhaled. These pollutants include vaporized lead from the bullets, plus the lead compounds from the primers, and also include carbon monoxide and other nasty chemicals. In an at-home setting, I think the only practical way to control the airflow is by shooting through a tube of some description, with the vent fan at the target end. An exhaust opening to the outer air is necessary, of course. Such a tube can aso greatly reduce the noise problem.

At impact on a steel backstop, the bullets degenerate into pieces from dust-size up to big chunks, and all have to be controlled. The most efficient way to minimize dust is a WET backstop, which also tends to minimize formation of splatter and dust. This can be done by oiling the steel occasionally with heavy oil of some sort, or other methods, such as a drip system with antifreeze or light oil applied from above a REVERSE-sloped plate...that is, instead of the plate leaning toward the firing point, it leans away from it. The bullets then skid UP the plate into a receiver. A six-inch-diameter iron pipe slotted along its length to receive the top of the plate works well. Then, as the pipe at the top fills up with old bullets, the scrap lead will simply slide down the backstop for easy and CLEAN recovery from the liquid reservoir at the base of the steel sheet.

It helps a great deal if the backstop plate is NOT flat as looked at from edge-on. Rather, install it with a bit of a curve or "dished" effect, presenting a slightly-concave face to the impacts. This reduces the bullet's tendency to bounce away from contact with the steel, and maximizes the time the lead is in contact. This also reduces splatter and decelerates the bullet more efficiently.

Use the HEAVIEST AND HARDEST plate you can find! I wouldn't even consider anything under 1/2", and if I was building a backstop today it would be at least 3/4" AR plate and preferably something harder than that, such as T40. ANY dimpling will seriously degrade your backstop and increase the risks. Backstop steel is not the place to scrimp on quality!

There can be some serious legal implications. Does your jurisdiction ALLOW firng live ammo at all? Does an indoor range need a permit? When you sell your place, you HAVE to notify the buyer of possible lead contamination. Can you handle the clean-up costs? Will expelling lead dust and carbon monoxide possibly run you afoul of some environmental regulations? What if a bullet somehow escapes the confines of your place? It CAN happen, and you'd better be aware of it.

On a personal (not legal) level, you MUST be sure that the shooting area is bulletproof over the firing point area. Otherwise, family members are at risk whenever there's shooting going on. Make sure you're prepared for these problems.

Laws permitting, I think the best home range would be built in a buried culvert or other tube extending from a firing port in a basement wall. Only the firing point would be inside the wall. With the fans, backstop and targets all out in the tube, pollution becomes almost a non-issue. Noise is practically eliminated. Overhead safety is easy to achieve, too. Cleanup for future sale of the home is also fairly simple. A hatch for cleaning access and lead recovery could be included out in the yard-end of the range.

Please think this through carefully. It would be wonderful to shoot at home, but go into it with your eyes open.

Regards from BruceB (aka Bren Mk1)

A minor point on what happens when the bullet hits the steel - it deforms and skids. That's why the angle of the plates is about 30 degrees. The bullet doesn't bounce unless you hit exactly at 90 degrees to the plate - don't ask. So if the angle is small the damage to the plate is minimal (at pistol velocities - at rifle velocities you WILL get penetration). The issues of ventelation and lead are real; not to mention that neighbors can hear the 44 mag go off even if the roof window is closed.

Smoker -
Two poor quality pictures headed your way.
Text on casting (snail shell) says XRING centrifugal bullet trap. Access hole is on underside of snail (which in picture drops into a coffee can.)

Thanks for the advice BruceB. I'm not planning on doing a great deal of shooting per session.The main area I'm shooting in is ~ 32x35 with 10' cielings. Sliding door at the rear is 10' high and 12' long, so I can open it some to exhaust the smoke. OK TRK I'll be waiting for you pic. Thanks Phil

Hammer, I had made one back in the summer using your method except I used an archery target(self healing foam) to retain the sand and hold the targets. You are right about smoothing the sand, I tested some rounds from a rifle and the sand had moved and the bullet went through. I have not shot it with flat nose bullets of any kind (especially wadcutters) for fear of accelerated deterioration of the target foam. What is your experience in this matter?

45LCshooter,

Nearly all my handgun shooting is with Keith, LBT, or SWC style bullets, so can't make a comparison to what round nose bullets would have done. The flat nose bullets do tear up the plywood and the foam rubber. Added another piece of plywood to the front about every year. After about four years, empty the box and replaced the foam rubber and entire front of box.

And, yes, the used foam rubber is no longer suitable for a mattress.

Hammer

I have used a method similar to the one mentioned by safeshot for several years. However, I use a four gallon pail instead of a wooden box. The pail is about a foot deep and has a quarter inch steel plate in the bottom. The pail needs to be replaced about every 1500 rounds, since I am not a very good shot even up close. The pail is laid on its side and I shoot thru its snap on top. A hunk of inner tube will hold the sand/shredded tires in place. .45 ACP end up on the bottom, and .22s near the top. At first I filled the pail with dry sand, but now I use ground tires that I talked a tire recapping shop into giving me. An advantage for my pail is that it weighs about 40 lbs. and goes to the gun range(the national forrest) with me. Lately it has occurred to me that a worn out ATV tire filled with shredded rubber of some sort might even stop 44 maggies and still be portable. Naturally, the tire would be bolted to a sheet of plywood.

If I knew how to post a drawing I would post a plan of my trap. I have used it for 20 years with good results on all normal pistol and rifle loads. it is a 3' square box with two angled hardened steel plates inside. The bullet slides up one plate and down the other to a collection box. Most of the iron was scrap and the only cost was for the hardened stock. I think when we made it it cost about $30.oo As to ricochets with steel targets. We don't allow jacketed bullets on our steel range because of this. Lead bullets will slide off at abut a 17 degree angle. BUT if yu have a dent or hole from a shoot through the bullet can come right back at you. Steel targets HAVE to be perfectly smooth to work.

Sheriff Bart, Your bullet trap sounds very interesting. I can't visualize how the steel plates lay in the box. You mention a 17 degree angle. If you could email me a digital picture of the trap, or fax me a drawing at 503-644-1683, I could get it posted. jra@aracnet.com Thanks! PhotonII (aka Turbo)

I'll fax you a drawing.

Just finished the super structure and hopefully will weld up the side panels today. I used many of your suggestions and a few ideas of my own and it looks like it should work. I used a 1/2" plate 18x22, with an angle between 30* and 45*. I'll try to post a picture, not good at it but I'll try. Just wanted to say thanks for all the great and helpfull ideas. Phil