Any application for any private residential indoor shooting range must conform to the most current standards set out in The Range Source Book, published by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and as such standards may hereafter be modified. However such standards shall never be less than the minimum standards as set forth below.
Private Residential Indoor Range Design Specifications
Approval of a permit, as set out in Section 1188.06
of this Chapter, for the installation of a private residential indoor shooting range will be dependent on the applicant providing plans and specifications for such range as prepared by professional engineer or architect (licensed by the State of Ohio). The plans and specifications should consider the type of use by the facility. Any residential indoor shooting range must be constructed completely below ground level.
(a) Backstops and Bullet Traps.
(1) Steel bullet trap. Angle of deflection will be 42 degrees from horizontal.
(2) Granular rubber traps.
A. Granular rubber trap for capturing jacketed, semi-jacketed and non-jacketed, shot and slug projectiles with velocities 600 feet per second (FPS) (183 meters) to .308/7.62 mm grade, certified up to 3600 foot-pounds(4881 joules) of impact. Granular rubber traps capture projectiles fired from oblique angles and point-blank range without back-splatter or ricochet.
1. Trap Assembly includes a support frame inclined relative to the direction of Incoming projectiles.
2. Support frame includes an inclined support surface fabricated from 10 gauge Steel and supported by a steel truss structure arranged and configured to properly support the granular rubber media.
3. Rubber granulate material fills the area within the support frame.
4. Ballistic rubber bloc forms the front edge of the trap assembly to contain the rubber granulate fill and capture, rather than redirect, errant rounds.
5. A hopper located above the target region of the trap provides a supplemental volume of rubber granulate to maintain a constant depth of material. The front facing of the hopper is constructed of AR 500 steel and covered with 2 inch (51mm) thick ballistic rubber to provide ballistic protection and capture errant shots. To accommodate lower ceiling height, trap assembly will be complete without hopper components.
(3) Thickness.
A. Backstop of armor plate 300 Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) will be minimum 10 mm (.375 inch) in thickness.
B. Backstop of 440 BHN steel plate will be minimum 6 mm (.25 inch) in thickness.
C. Backstop of 500 BHN steel plate will be minimum 6 mm (.25 inch) in
D. Rubber bloc bullet trap:
1. Trap assembly must include 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) thick AR 500 class with a Brinell hardness rating of 475 to 545 plates with 2 inch thick (51 mm) rubber panel anti-ricochet rubber tile. A series of ballistic rubber blocs must be stacked and positioned relative to the direction of incoming rounds and secured in place by a compression system installed on top of the trap assembly and protected with a ballistic faceplate.
2. The material must have self-healing properties such that the ballistic rubber self-heals the bullet's path after the round has penetrated the surface so each bullet is encapsulated inside the ballistic rubber material.
3. The trap assembly must encapsulate standard handgun and frangible rounds and defeat armor piercing and non-armor piercing rounds, with appropriate steel armor plate backing. The ballistic rubber surface should be self-healing to 2,500 rounds distributed uniformly over the panel surface area without eroding, deteriorating, or significantly distorting the surface.
4. Trap assembly should be modular in design to allow installation to a wall structure or as a free-standing assembly.
5. Full trap assembly should provide a footprint depth of 20 inches (508 mm).
6. Formulated rubber ballistic material should be a mixture of modified high density composite rubber based particles and bonding agents, cold molded under high pressure to a minimum of 3,000 psi to form dimensionally stable ballistic panels and blocks.
7. The ballistic rubber material must be adhered directly to the AR500 steel plate with manufactures approved adhesive without mechanical fastening.
(4) Anchorage. Steel plates anchored to concrete or masonry must be anchored with an approved expansion or toggle bolts.
(b) Baffles/Deflectors/Shields.
(1) Baffles.
A. Baffles must extend the entire width of the range and downward to cover or protect vulnerable ceiling areas or range fixtures.
B. Ceilings, which may also serve as floors for inhabited space above the range, must be impenetrable by bullets and ricochets.
C. Baffles are required to have steel portion covered by a minimum of 1 inch of soft wood or an approved ballistic rubber adhered directly to the steel.
D. Baffles must be installed at a 25 to 30 degree angle as measured from the horizontal plane of the ceiling.
E. The baffles in a fixed position range must achieve a "no blue sky design".
(2) Deflectors. Deflectors will be installed vertically or horizontally to redirect wide angle shots into the backstop area and will be installed at a 25 degree angle either to the wall surface or floor, or be designed with an approved ballistic rubber facing for encapsulating rounds.
(3) Shields.
A. Shields are to be installed above the firing line, to protect ceiling areas.
B. Shields are to extend the entire width of the range and 12 feet forward of the firing line.
(c) Walls, Ceilings and Floors - Walls, ceilings and floors of an indoor range facility must be impenetrable.
(1) Walls. Walls must be poured-in-place concrete, precast concrete or dense masonry block core filled.
(2) Floors. Floors must be either poured-in-place concrete, precast concrete or dense masonry block (common solid cinder block should be used in place of the hollow-core block to better withstand glancing strikes of an occasional direct hit without sustaining much damage).
(d) Shooting Booths – Shooting booths should provide an impenetrable barrier between shooters, restrict the travel of expended brass and act as a spray shield when revolvers are used.
(1) Booth panels must be impenetrable by the bullet from any firearm used on the range. (Panel must be capable of withstanding the impact of a bullet fired at any angle to the surface and at point blank range. Recommended construction of booth panel is 3/8" AR 500 steel plate covered with a nominal 2 inches of soft wood, or an approved ballistic rubber panel 2" thick.
(2) Booth panels must reduce muzzle blast effects on shooters and range personnel, including the shooter occupying a booth. This can be accomplished by special acoustical material.
(3) Booth panels must not restrict airflow.
(4) Booth panels must not restrict visibility of the firing line by the range officer.
(5) Booth panels must extend from floor to at least 6 feet high, preferably to the ceiling.
(e) Target Carriers –All indoor shooting ranges shall have a target transport system in order to alleviate manual target retrieval.
(f) Sound Control – Sound control on indoor ranges include two distinct components, sound levels within the range, and sound levels in adjoining, occupied rooms.
(1) To minimize amplification of sound within the range by reflection, acoustical material must be applied to walls and ceiling.
(2) To reduce transmission of sound to adjoining rooms, doors, windows, ceilings and walls should have air leaks sealed with air-tight insulation. Ventilation and heating ducts should be lined with acoustical material.
(g) Ventilation and Filtering Systems – The ventilation system design should provide an air flow that passes across the shooter at the fixed line of fire and exhausted near the bullet trap passing through a filter and recirculated.
(Ord. 140401-21. Passed 6-3-14.)