Anyone used a heavy duty bullet trap for testing, etc?

[Burt Gummer]

It sure would be nice to be able to SAFELY test in a basement, etc, firearm function like they do at some gunsmiths. Not have to drive miles to a range just to see if 'ammo A' will cycle a pistol.

Maybe still not the greatest idea. I mean something like this would have to be 100% safe. I supposed it is an illegal endeavor if you do this inside city limits? I have places I could take this where it would be legal + suppressed fire so no one would complain. Not interested in breaking the law or putting anyone in harms way of course.

Not talking about using it for sighting in, target practice, just up close 10' testing.

If someone has a trap like this, or a better idea, please do tell. Not interested in trying a stack of phone books or a sand bag either.

Bullet Trap for Use with 22 thru 44 Magnum | eBay

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[oknow]

steel plate thick enough for the calibers you are going to be shooting at a 30 degree angle, a sand box below it to catch the main portion of lead, side panels to stop the splatter and a rubber curtain to catch any bounce back.

that is how my indoor range is set up.

 

[40calruler]

My cousin has converted the basement that had a bathroom so exhaust fan was easy to put up to a small "test range". Not really a place to shoot for target practice but for making sure your new ammo cycles well or your new gun functions like you expect it works. My brother in law is a welder and built a large steel box about 6' wide and 4' tall that is a really thick but I am unsure how thick. At least 3 or 4 inches of heavy duty steel. with a heavy duty backdrop tarp of some sort in it. I do not feel safe using it. He lives on 5 acres so no worry about noise complaint but I looked at at it and was not feeling a lot of comfort down there. He uses it often with pistol calibers and has never disclosed an issue. Basement is about 30' by 50' in an older house with concrete walls down there. I would not call it a safe range but for shooting a few rounds to make sure the ammo cycles or ammo we reload works properly he seems to be just fine with it. I think he could do it much safer with a larger box and a few additions but like I said it works for him and he has been using it for years.

 

[40calruler]

On the other hand a friend that is a gun smith uses a simple heavy duty pipe with a rest that makes a pistol fire straight down into a large tightly packed sandbox that is a box made from 2 inch steel. That does feel safe and he can fire with comfort and no safety concerns. easy route if you are not worried about anything but making sure everything cycles proper.

 

[Burt Gummer]

I wish the Ebay seller had an exploded drawing of how he made his, but he probably doesn't want every welder copying it. I looked through his feedback and everyone seems happy with it.

 

[Bacchus]

How are you containing the noise when you shoot in a basement ? Live in the country or use a silencer ?

 

[40calruler]

My cousin lives on a little more than 5 acres and the closest house is more than 10 acres through forest away so noise is not an issue for him.

 

[Modeler]

Everyone I know uses either a bucket of sand or a cardboard box full of tightly packed paper. My own plan is the bottom half of a steel oxygen tank filled with sand.

 

[speeddemon94]

I've used THESE. They are a very cool, and effective. Shot many pistol, rifle, and shotgun rounds into one.

 

[Rotty]

These are pretty cool. Assuming you want to pay this kind of money for one, it's not exactly ebay.

Choosing the Right Clearing Barrel

 

[U201491]

Just go to a scrap metal yard & find a piece of 6 or 8 inch round x 1/2" wall steel tubing about 5 or 6 ft long.
Weld a 8" square 1" thick plate to one end.
Fill half way full of sand, or a couple feet worth.
Make a frame to hold the open end up at about 45° and shoot into that.
If you want quiet wrap a piece of blanket around the barrel (be sure the muzzle is clear) or punch a one inch hole in an old truck inner tube and clamp over the end of the tube.
You can test all day long with it.
If you wrap the tube with some closed cell foam like a backpack pad, you will hardly hear anything. Put it on with contact adhesive.
Makes a great test chamber.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Well I would never, ever do this!!! A round of oak about 2' 6" in diameter (I can't lift it alone) in the basement. Turn up the stereo in the garage and leave the door open. Watch where the heck you aim!!! No more than 3-4 rounds! If I ever stooped to doing something like this it would be to zero the lazer on my carry gun or something similar.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

I know a guy who would just fire a couple rounds into the opening of his crawl space. It was about 3 feet down from the subfloor, with hard packed dirt on the bottom. He would fire an entire magazine of 9mm or .40, and with me living next door, I could never hear it.

 

[Modeler]

Now that I'm near a computer...

Burt, if you're a handy kind of a guy you should take a trip down to Cherry City Metals in Salem. They have a large scrap yard where they sell all sorts of metal and metal stuff by the pound. They have a bunch of old compressed gas bottles that they've cut in half crossways, leaving the bottom 3' +/- intact. You can fill it with sand, weld on a cover with a small hole and a base or whatever you like to make a good bullet trap. Or you might find something else that will meet your needs. It's a great place, lots of cool old metal items.

Used

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[NoLimePlease]

Is this legal?

 

[Koda]

The only thing illegal about this is its illegal to discharge a gun within city limits....

 

[Mikej]

Is this legal?

It SHOULD be illegal......To drag three year old posts up, which I read on down and then notice are ancient!

Quit it!

 

[IronMonster]

I built this

It's a double wall tube with sand and steel "gravel" in the bottom.

I have shot .308 into it with no issue

 

[Koda]

Id like to come up with a DIY design that would also muffle the sound of the discharge...

Maybe a kind of enclosure for pistols....

 

[IronMonster]

If you put the muzzle down in the trap it's pretty quite. For pistol caliber stuff it's hearing safe