Starting an indoor range, Air/Rimfire?
- Thread starter kenbro
- Start date
only as complicated as you want to make it, for health and safety reasons, ie possibly extraction fans for lead particles in the air.
ContinShots
Well-Known Member
In Scotland, a mini rifle range is the same as in England & Wales. However, an air rifle range requires the operator to hold AWC, much like the new MRR FAC requirement.
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ContinShots
Well-Known Member
The NABIS position on zeroing is preposterous. In fact, an increasing amount of their input makes you wonder if any of them actually shoot guns outwith their controlled laboratory environment.
ContinShots
Well-Known Member
It's 22 rimfire. So 22wmr would still be lawful for a MRR. 17hmr is not, nor is any non-22 rimfire round.
Correct as the definition of a MRR predates the introduction of the .17hmr and non-22 rimfire were never classified as miniature rifle calibres, as I understand it.
But you do not need any approval for any calibre rifle range now, the approval system was scrapped several years back. But you do need to comply with heath and safety responsibilities, liability insurance and users FAC conditions.
ContinShots
Well-Known Member
Absolutely they remain a good option with far less bureaucracy.
if a Club then you are likely Home Office approved so new members can use membership of the Club as good reason to be granted a firearms certificate.
Private zeroing and practice ranges where only users in possession of a firearms certificate can shoot, will not be Home Office approved and are not accepted as good reason to be granted a certificate.
Two completely different modes of operation.
Edit to add third type is the exemption for Miniature Rifle Ranges, but again not HO approved, used by schools and scouts etc.
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fixedwheel
Well-Known Member
Can I just point out that only FULL members can use it as a good reason. Probationary membership does not fulfil the requirement, and FEOs will check with the club to make sure that the applicant is a full, active, member of the club.
Shooting at a miniature rifle range (MRR) is also now (since 1st May) considered good reason for possession of a .22LR
Now that is intriguing, as I believed that only those rifles owned by the MRR could be shot at such a range - no matter whether the shooter held an FAC or not
That clearly is (now) not the case as the new rules imply that an FAC holder with a .22LR conditioned for a MRR can shoot at that range
Now that is intriguing, as I believed that only those rifles owned by the MRR could be shot at such a range - no matter whether the shooter held an FAC or not
That clearly is (now) not the case as the new rules imply that an FAC holder with a .22LR conditioned for a MRR can shoot at that range
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enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
No that's incorrect. A miniature rifle was defined as "a rifle firing miniature ammunition". So what was miniature ammunition and where can we find a definition of it? Miniature ammunition was defined in the rules of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs. The SMRC which would become later the NSRA.
These rules from memory define miniature ammunition as having certain characteristics. Now this is where my memory may err. But essentially an unjacketed bullet (so all lead with no metal casing) propelled by a powder charge of less than so many grains of black powder (or its equivalent in smokeless powder) and a case that may be rimfire of centre fire, straight or bottleneck of less than such and such a diameter.
What is, one may ask, the way that you would measure this equivalent in smokeless powder? I'd suggest by the comparing the velocity potential of that smokeless powder in any given cartridge with the actual measured velocity produced by the same cartridge when tested and loaded with seven grains of black powder.
So by definition 22 WMR is not owing to the bullet having variously a full or a half jacket (and see below) more powder (or velocity) than the allowed amount not a miniature cartridge. And the 5.56mm/.223 by its exceeding the maximum diameter. And at 55 grains bullet weight. But the bottleneck, centre fire .297/.230 was allowed as the miniature rifle definition and parameters was written to allow it. And a .17 falls foul of the powder limits.
Now the politicians that passed the original exemption were contemporary to those SMRC Rules and so knew what was a miniature rifle. But as today both are politicians...and many of our shooting organisations...are lazy and don't seek original sources that confusion over 5.56mm NATO/.223 Remington being enabled then arose. Yet a mere two minutes on the internet gives a link to those original sources.
Link:
The Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs - a brief history - and access to searchable PDF files of the society's monthly journal "The Rifleman" from both World Wars
Historic Arms Resource Centre facility for British and Commonwealth Enfield and other Miniature calibre training and small-bore TARGET RIFLES (BSA- Birmingham Small Arms Co.), conversion units and accessories with representation of other nations' training rifles, plus Postal League competitions...
rifleman.org.uk
Extract from the Rules found by opening the link. Note the words in Rule 3 that benchmarks that miniature ranges are those on which rifles using ammunition as defined in paragraph 4 are used.
(2) Miniature Ranges.—A miniature range is a range not exceeding 100 yds. in length, upon which miniature rifles and ammunition, as defined in paragraphs 3 and 4, are used.
(3) Rifles.—A miniature rifle may be of any pattern, single-loading or repeating, of any calibre not exceeding .23 of one inch or 6 mm. ; or, a rifle of larger calibre fitted with any device for firing miniature ammunition, as defined in paragraph 4.
(4) Ammunition.—A miniature cartridge may be rim fire or central fire, with projectile of any calibre not exceeding .23 of one inch or 6 mm., and, in case of bottle-shaped cartridges, the shells may not exceed .297 of one inch. The powder charge may not exceed 7 grains of black gun powder, or its equivalent in any other explosive. The projectile must be of lead, not cased with other metal, and not exceeding 50 grains avoirdupois in weight.
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interesting, but in practice it was assumed to be limited to .22lr given what was available in early 1900.
.223 remington was 1957, .22WMR 1959.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
I'd somewhat disagree. The .297/.230 was extremely popular in its day especially as being a centrefire it meant that conversion units to enable its use in rifles (or revolvers) could be a simple rifled tube concentric to the bore and not involving an angle as with a .22/.303 "conveyor" cartridge or as with a Webley .22/.455 cylinder.
.297/230 Morris - Wikipedia
in its day yes, but the practical assumption today is MRR applies to .22LR only.I'd somewhat disagree. The .297/.230 was extremely popular in its day especially as being a centrefire it meant that conversion units to enable its use in rifles (or revolvers) could be a simple rifled tube concentric to the bore and not involving an angle as with a .22/.303 "conveyor" cartridge or as with a Webley .22/.455 cylinder.
.297/230 Morris - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Yes, we are a Home Office approved club that is affiliated with the NRA. We are very small and only have around 12 members but have a committee and a constitution. Its a very friendly club and it's nice to be to shoot indoors all year round. The range is only 15 yards but if the targets are small enough that doesn't matter. Just nice to be able to get regular trigger time in. Let If I can be of any help answering any questions.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
100% agreed that for all practical purposes MRR means .22"LR today.
kenbro
Well-Known Member
Hi,
As someone who’s never visited an air rifle range I’ll need to know everything.
How ranges are set out, firing points etc and also H & S issues.
Maybe I should find a club and go visit for general ideas.
Thanks, Ken.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
Car parking and easy access.
The best equipped range in the world with the finest furnished "lounge area" is useless if it is halfway up Mount Everest or if the only parking is on street parking some good distance away from the premises. So as with many enterprises the best such facilities will usually be on industrial estates. These offer free off street parking, usually no noise objection issues, weekends and evenings they are not busy and (for deliveries) easy to access wit DHL, Royal Mail, Parcelforce or etc..
Next is facilities.
Do you want to make additional money from hot or cold drinks? If so you'll need a "kitchenette" area to wash up your dirty cups and as one follows the other a lavatory for your customers. Again the best range in the world in an urban setting is useless if your clients have to go outside and p1ss against a wall. Best solution of course is if on an industrial estate that the lavatories are a separate unit common to all tenants as you don't have to clean them!
Range facilities.
If shooting prone and possibly kneeling you will need a flat level floor. If all shooting is from sitting at benches or standing then that isn't an issue. So check what sort of needs your clients want. A range that you cannot shoot prone would be useless for most small bore rifle .22" Rimfire NSRA type postal competitions or practice as these are mostly shot prone. OTOH a pistol club shoots mostly standing up. So for that you'd be looking at different dimensions.
Range length and width.
Again what sort of needs will your clients have? Twenty or twenty-five metre NSRA competitions? Or ten or fifteen metre competitions or just plinking? And remember that any backstop or bullet catcher will take up at least a few feet of the length of your range.
Plus if firing cartridge weapons such as .22" Rimfire you may need ventilation. In the late 1970s I shot on Leeds University's indoor .22" Rimfire range. It was bloody nasty and always after a sore thraot from dust and suchlike. Horrible so I stopped going. So clients must be able to enjoy their shooting without feeling dog rough afterwards or they'll not come again.
Width must be able to accommodate screened firing points. That is a vertical screen separating each firing point from its neighbour. You'll need a minimum of three feet width for each firing point for standing shooters. More if the shooters are sitting. If you are only having five shooters in the range at a time then you won't need as much width as if you want ten shooters.
Fire escape.
You may need a rear fire door escape from the range as well as a usual everyday door entry and exit. A proper industrial estate works unit will usually have such on each unit.
Lighting.
I have shot on fullbore indoor pistol ranges (before the 1996 Tory Government handgun ban) with a glass roof...Spon Street in Coventry...so as long as you can be sure that nothing will exit the range through any glass roof then it isn't the issue it might at first seem. The same with ranges with glass windows. Those may however may need internal shutters or simply side baffles so that a shot fired from the firing point hits one of the side baffles. See diagram.
My own personal opinion is research your client base before committing money! The type of facilities they want may not correspond with what you can offer.
or by contrast, an indoor air rifle range could be as simple as a disused farmers barn if you can find one.
Simpler to start with sub 12ft/lbs limit as back stop is then very much simpler. Years ago a local sports centre used to have an air rifle “range” and archery obviously on at different times but in the same hall other sports were played.
Must it be an indoor range? would not outdoors with a nice covered shooting area work?
Simpler to start with sub 12ft/lbs limit as back stop is then very much simpler. Years ago a local sports centre used to have an air rifle “range” and archery obviously on at different times but in the same hall other sports were played.
Must it be an indoor range? would not outdoors with a nice covered shooting area work?
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