Clearing trap construction

[IronMonster]

I am considering building a clearing trap for test firing firearms. A quick look around on Google gives you plenty of construction ideas but not a lot is said about media. Many use a kind of granulated rubber product. I have seen water filled traps someplace but I don't see many of those on line.

What would you think about sand in a double walled heavy steel tube? Or any idea where that rubber media comes from?

I don't have any problem with actual construction of the metal parts, but any info or feedback on geometry, media any any other concerns would be appreciated

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[Joe13]

5 gal bucket filled with sand for pistols, from what I've read most rounds will stop in the first 6"

 

[Joe13]

With your skills, I'm sure it will be much cooler then a 5 gal bucket though

 

[IronMonster]

I wonder about using this. It is a can that holds the runway lights that are installed at SeaTac. I built a bunch of parts for them and this is the sample they brought me to build them too. It's scrap now. It's half again taller than a 5 gallon bucket and has a pre made cap with holes already in it.

 

[IronMonster]

I have an old oxygen cylinder that drops right in, it's made out of 4140 alloy steel. So that full of sand inside the other can also full of sand with some sort of protective lid?

 

[Velzey]

That will work great! And any kind of sand will work for the trap! I built a large double wall (very similar to this) when I worked for a certain 50 bmg mfg here in Oregon. But it was about 7' long and went thru a wall to a large 3'x3'x'3' sand box. We could test fire probably 1500 rounds before we had to pick the bullets out! So the one I made you actually shot down the tube into the sand trap. With your you could maybe just fill it halfway with sand?

I would suggest a rubber flap to poke the muzzle thru.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Seen bags of ground rubber at home depot.
$6 a bag, if by chance thats what you're talking about. Its similar to what Bevercreek Armory has in their indoor range backstop.

 

[Stomper]

When I was in the Army every clearing barrel I saw was a steel 55-gallon drum propped at 45* angle, filled about 3/4 full with sand, with the steel lid on and a square 6x6 hole cut in that. That'll stop just about every small arms projectiles.

 

[Caveman Jim]

You beat me to it Stomp, you are on your game brother!!!!!

 

[IronMonster]

When I was in the Army every clearing barrel I saw was a steel 55-gallon drum propped at 45* angle, filled about 3/4 full with sand, with the steel lid on and a square 6x6 hole cut in that. That'll stop just about every small arms projectiles.

I thought about doing that, Biggest issue is shear size and weight of the thing. In reality I doubt more than a few dozen rounds a month would ever be fired into the thing and probably not even that. But it sure seems like it would be nice to be able to test fire things before a range trip. I just finished doing quite a bit of work to that 9MM AR and need to see if the modifications fixed my issues. I hate to spend an hour and a half round trip to the range just to fire 10 rounds through the thing to see if I did good.

 

[blackadder]

It depends on what you want it to stop and how much testing you want to put into it. I'm skeptical of the oxygen cylinder, because it looks like it's considerably smaller in diameter than the runway light bucket. With my (limited, not a doctor) knowledge of physics I would imagine having a greater radius of sand around your shooting trajectory would be more beneficial than a more stout container. I don't see an issue with light rifle (556/300BO/etc) and pistol rounds. I would HIGHLY recommend testing it in a local shooting honey hole. Also, my wife (HS physics teacher) recommends putting holes in sides of the barrel near the top where there isn't sand to give a way for the gases to expand reducing the push on the bullet. Hope that makes sense and is helpful.

 

[Joe13]

Yea, id vote for a larger single walled container over a double cylinder set up. More surface area for the energy to disperse.

And not knowing, but I suspect with that size container you would be good with anything up to a medium rifle cartridge. .308 might be pushing it though.

 

[Stomper]

LOL... I've seen meatheads bust OO-buck into the clearing barrel....

 

[IronMonster]

Well, it's literally thrown together out of bits from the scrap pile. I ditched the inner chamber as you guys recommended. Now I just need to find something to fill it with.

I think it will do the job though.

 

[blackadder]

Looks good. Sounds like a trip to Golden Gardens is in order [emoji2]

 

[etrain16]

Looks great IM! How about a short video of you firing into it with a couple of different guns - rifle and pistol? Just so we can see how well it works.

 

[IronMonster]

Sure, I'm up for that. Sometime in the next day or two I'll find some sand

 

[jbett98]

I would line the inside of the square tubing with some type of hard rubber to protect the muzzle of the firearm.

 

[IronMonster]

I did this, it should offer a bit of protection and help keep the barrel centered

 

[Velzey]

Whats your wall thickness of the main tube?