michael thornton
Member
i shoot a big oak stump, alot of my cast bullets fall back out , i can remelt them one day,
Bullet Trap
- Thread starter jchapm9
- Start date
target tech
Member
If anyone is interested, this is roughly how a comercialy made rubber Gran trap is made.
This top picture is the steel frame that holds the bedplates and the ground up rubber.
The next picture is the bedplates attached to the framework. This also shows the fill line for the rubber. The bedplates only hold the rubber the bullets should never contact the steel if the trap is properly maintained.
The last pic shows the trap filled with rubber. The rubber that we used was more like cubed up than shredded.
The granulated rubber was covered with pure gum rubber sheets which had a great "self healing" properties.
This trap was good for up to .308 ballistics or so. Remember---NO TRACERS with the rubber.
The gran trap dose a great job of stopping the bullet with just basically friction. The bullet is kept intact until the trap gets too full and bullets start banging into each other.
This is another kind of rubber trap. It works fine for a low volume range. It is three rows of the belts in a herringbone pattern. We installed these in mostly crime labs and private residences.
I hope these pictures helped with some ideas that you already had.
This top picture is the steel frame that holds the bedplates and the ground up rubber.
The next picture is the bedplates attached to the framework. This also shows the fill line for the rubber. The bedplates only hold the rubber the bullets should never contact the steel if the trap is properly maintained.
The last pic shows the trap filled with rubber. The rubber that we used was more like cubed up than shredded.
The granulated rubber was covered with pure gum rubber sheets which had a great "self healing" properties.
This trap was good for up to .308 ballistics or so. Remember---NO TRACERS with the rubber.
The gran trap dose a great job of stopping the bullet with just basically friction. The bullet is kept intact until the trap gets too full and bullets start banging into each other.
This is another kind of rubber trap. It works fine for a low volume range. It is three rows of the belts in a herringbone pattern. We installed these in mostly crime labs and private residences.
I hope these pictures helped with some ideas that you already had.
Last edited:
Great info and pictures!. Thanks for sharing those.
How is the lead sorted out when the rubber base is filled up?. Some type of sorting machine?
I watched the process at a State run outdoor range when they came and sifted out the giant dirt berms and put the lead in 55 gal steel containers. What a job!. They were there for over a week doing 2 rifle ranges and a handgun range. Very efficient operation though.
How is the lead sorted out when the rubber base is filled up?. Some type of sorting machine?
I watched the process at a State run outdoor range when they came and sifted out the giant dirt berms and put the lead in 55 gal steel containers. What a job!. They were there for over a week doing 2 rifle ranges and a handgun range. Very efficient operation though.
oldRoger
US Veteran
In my 12” X 12” X 12” box filled with mulch the bullets tend to migrate to the bottom and since I am shooting in the center the bullets look undamaged. I haven’t felt the need to harvest the lead yet but it will be easy to do. I am not seeing much mulch break up, I had imagined the need to keep topping it off.
There must be 20 places around here who sell the stuff, very good for pathways. If I were going to build an outdoor range without a concrete pad I would put rubber mulch on the ground, very good to walk and stand on.
There must be 20 places around here who sell the stuff, very good for pathways. If I were going to build an outdoor range without a concrete pad I would put rubber mulch on the ground, very good to walk and stand on.
target tech
Member
Caswell sells a giant industrial "shop vac" for recycling the trap. It has either a 220v electric motor for indoor use or a Briggs and Stratten for big outdoor ranges. There is no can on the vac just a big 6" dia pick up tube and an exhaust tube, to blow the rubber back into the trap. You basically shovel the contents of the trap out onto the floor of the range and carefully vacume the rubber up, leaving the lead bullets on the floor. A trap recycle is a very messy and EPA/OSHA regulated affair, that is why there are outside companys like the ones that go arround and do asbestos abatement to take care of the recycles.
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