Civilian rifle range plans

[enfieldspares]

IMHO cheapest and quickest option will always be a, unless you can construct a bank or a wall, a tube range. This could either be exposed or by laying the tubes in a cut (and covered) trench. I think that you might find it useful to visit some of those commercial ranges that are already made like that?

 

[gonzo]

Neither the Home Office or the police have any involvement in civilian range design/certification/approval.
As far as using firearms held on an FAC for target shooting, you only need to adhear to the conditions on the certificate. ie. Suitably constructed range and adequate financial provision. The former, there are no formal requirements. The latter is being able to obtain insurance.

In the case of Home Office approved clubs, the club inspections are done by the police. Which could be where the confusion starts.
But all the police are doing is checking that all the club procedures and record keeping is in place. If they visit the range it is only because that is where the club meet. Though it is usual for them to take an interest in the facilities that shooters are using, but they have no say in that side of things.

Tube ranges are a very convenient way of making a NDA (non danger area) range.
Any construction that provides the material thickness' required for the calibre, is fine. Pre-cast concrete tubes are good, but heavy and expensive.
I was involved with one built from a concrete base, 4" dense concrete walls either side, and capped with 2" solid concrete slabs. That was overkill spec for rimfire.
The backstop was steel plate with a rubber curtain. And though this would have been fine as a bullet catcher, we decided to try a rubber chip catcher, leaving the plate just to catch flyers.
Anyone looking at buller catchers, I cannot recommend rubber chip enough.

 

[danblack1]

Neither the Home Office or the police have any involvement in civilian range design/certification/approval.
As far as using firearms held on an FAC for target shooting, you only need to adhear to the conditions on the certificate. ie. Suitably constructed range and adequate financial provision. The former, there are no formal requirements. The latter is being able to obtain insurance.

In the case of Home Office approved clubs, the club inspections are done by the police. Which could be where the confusion starts.
But all the police are doing is checking that all the club procedures and record keeping is in place. If they visit the range it is only because that is where the club meet. Though it is usual for them to take an interest in the facilities that shooters are using, but they have no say in that side of things.

Tube ranges are a very convenient way of making a NDA (non danger area) range.
Any construction that provides the material thickness' required for the calibre, is fine. Pre-cast concrete tubes are good, but heavy and expensive.
I was involved with one built from a concrete base, 4" dense concrete walls either side, and capped with 2" solid concrete slabs. That was overkill spec for rimfire.
The backstop was steel plate with a rubber curtain. And though this would have been fine as a bullet catcher, we decided to try a rubber chip catcher, leaving the plate just to catch flyers.
Anyone looking at buller catchers, I cannot recommend rubber chip enough.

sounds the job unfortunately each Chief Constable seems to have their own criteria, here FAE (explosives ) have full authority and ALL CIVIL ranges must pass THEIR approval, at the moment they even dictate to Dealers what where and when they can store ammunition and volume and are pressing to have ammunition stored separately from premises, as you rightly say check your FAC and conditions regards discharge of firearms, I have used pipe ranges 25 mtr indoor and no danger outdoor as well as Tank Ranges am full Qualified Instructor POLICE ;MILITARY; HOME OFFICE and the more bumph generated the more confused everyone gets, good old pamphlet 21 was the best of the lot with amendments,

 

[Bill.Stickers]

Tube ranges are a very convenient way of making a NDA (non danger area) range.
Any construction that provides the material thickness' required for the calibre, is fine. Pre-cast concrete tubes are good, but heavy and expensive.
I was involved with one built from a concrete base, 4" dense concrete walls either side, and capped with 2" solid concrete slabs. That was overkill spec for rimfire.
The backstop was steel plate with a rubber curtain. And though this would have been fine as a bullet catcher, we decided to try a rubber chip catcher, leaving the plate just to catch flyers.
Anyone looking at buller catchers, I cannot recommend rubber chip enough.[/QUOTE]

How easy is it to de-lead rubber chip? For sand we erect a screening box and riddle spades of sand/lead. For our .22rimfire indoor range we use steel baffles and 8mm conveyor belt (with a tarp screen to stop bounce back of air pellets)

 

[gonzo]

Dan:
As far as I understand, the police approve only the HO approved club, not the ranges that they use.
If they were asked to issue a range safety certificate, I recon they would run to the hills screaming. Certainly our constabulary want nothing to do with it, or the liability that it would attract.
I can't see how they can insist on their approval, unless they added it as an extra condition on FACs. But they they can't enforce it outside of their area.
BTW, I see your profile shows you as NI. I know that there are big differences in the firearm law and the whole way that it is administered over there. My experience is only with the GB system.

Locally, they just need RFDs to have a separate locked storeage for ammo. Similarly to FAC owners.


Bill:
You de-lead the rubber chip in the same way.
When you first griddle, you get quite a lot of chip, much of which was below the griddle size when the chips were new. After that, you get just the bullets and a tiny amount of rubber.
Because the bullets are slowed as they enter the rubber, by the time they reach the mass of previous bullets, they don't have much energy. So if they do strike other bullets, they do not impact to form a lump. The recovered bullets come out pretty much undeformed. And the action tends to stir the chips, aloowing the lead to fall through to the bottom.
And, as the energy is not being disipated by smashing the bullet, you don't get all the lead dust. This is especially good for an indoor range. Also minimal impact noise.
Though, similar yo your range, if using airguns, you need to add an extra hessian curtain, as pellets may bounce back from the chips.
I've been trying to get our local club to consider this, but it's all a bit too new for them. And they insist that the NSRA recommend against them. Which is interesting, as the NRA have just installed it on one of their ranges.. Again, yet another lack of consistency in the current system.

 

[bowji john]

Very very useful - thanks for everyone's input - particularly Gonzo's

His ''been there - done that'' advice is really useful

Many thanks

J

 

[Bill.Stickers]

Thanks, that's all been very worth while. Cheers

 

[bishoplad]

I know this is an old thread but i have been asked by a local landowner for some advice about building a rifle range. I have read loads of stuff on this and it appears that there is no hard and fast rule about what to do
and that no one in authority wants to touch this hot potato. It appears that there are no guidelines apart from advice to contact the planning authority and the local FLO. Is the NRA the only body still approving ranges.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[welshwarrior]

NRA and NSRA do approve ranges but there’s also a couple of specialists who will help design approve etc. They’ll do as much or as little as you require depending on your experience.

 

[jasonmillar]

I am a landowner in Wigan I am looking to build a pipe range on some land I own that used to be an old tip. The site is a couple of acres and is passed by the police for shooting over. Can anyone recommend someone that can help me. What is required for planning consent

 

[gonzo]

Jason,

If planning is required, then it should be the same as any other construction project. There isn't anything special because it's a range.
They may want to know about noise pollution (whch should be zero if you build it right) and things like extra traffic.
Ours was built under 'Permitted Development'. So no need to bother the planning people.
If you are burying your range, it may not be any different to putting in some drainage?
But I'm not a planning expert.

For the construction, have a look at the JSP403 docs (chapter 2 if I recall correctly). There is a whole section on pipe ranges. There should be enough info in there for you to decide if you need extra input, or whether you can tackle it youself.
That document is what the NRA and NSRA range build guides were based on. So if you are going to ask either to do a range inspection for you, they will be inspecting using these docs as guides.

But feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions, and I'll do my best.

 

[welshwarrior]

I’ve done a few now.
For public use your are required to have any required planning permission and insurance.

insurance companies generally require the range to be signed off by an appropriate source. The NSRA do small bore ranges their guy easy enough. For full bore there are 3 guys I know of all ex TAS RE (Army) who did this for defence, they will provide range logs etc if needed as well as any other engineering spec you can’t do (expensive) all work to JSP 403 and comply to insurance requirement in my experience.

PM if I can help anymore.

 

[shooter]

@goldypurple whats the final outcome?
did the range get built?

 

[Donkey Basher]

Two things to be aware of for those looking at building private ranges:

1. I have a friend in South Africa who has his own indoor range for practice, he has not been well & after many tests the diagnosis was lead poisoning. Tests on his range then identified an area where the extraction system wasn't working as well as it should & everytime he walked down to the targets he was breathing in lead. Just something to throw out there for those considering tunnel ranges - positive ventilation is a must.

2. NRA are on a bit of a soapbox re private ranges at the moment as a consequence of various problems reported by adjoining landowners, I recall this all started when someone was running a 'miniature rifle range' that used the M25 as a backstop... As I also recall, NRA are now the authority who sign off on & inspect civilian ranges, private individuals (ex TAS etc.) can advise on design & range safety checks but can't approve them. NRA, I believe, stick rigidly to JSP403. My advice, engage with them at the earliest stage possible to ensure you're not wasting time & money, & be prepared to have to jump through hoops if you're planning anything other than somewhere you & a friend can occasionally go to check your zero or do some load testing.

 

[8x57]

Two things to be aware of for those looking at building private ranges:

1. I have a friend in South Africa who has his own indoor range for practice, he has not been well & after many tests the diagnosis was lead poisoning. Tests on his range then identified an area where the extraction system wasn't working as well as it should & everytime he walked down to the targets he was breathing in lead. Just something to throw out there for those considering tunnel ranges - positive ventilation is a must.

2. NRA are on a bit of a soapbox re private ranges at the moment as a consequence of various problems reported by adjoining landowners, I recall this all started when someone was running a 'miniature rifle range' that used the M25 as a backstop... As I also recall, NRA are now the authority who sign off on & inspect civilian ranges, private individuals (ex TAS etc.) can advise on design & range safety checks but can't approve them. NRA, I believe, stick rigidly to JSP403. My advice, engage with them at the earliest stage possible to ensure you're not wasting time & money, & be prepared to have to jump through hoops if you're planning anything other than somewhere you & a friend can occasionally go to check your zero or do some load testing.

Excellent point regarding the air lead contamination Donkey Basher, but I would not entirely agree with you about the NRA. They would like you all to think that they are the only ones able to approve ranges but I don't think that's entirely right. They may insist that if insurance is through the NRA then it must be approved by them but if the range is constructed to an acceptable design standard and the insurance is through another company they will have no say in the matter.

 

[Liveonce]

Since 2006 for civilian ranges their is no legal responsibility for the range to be certified by the HO, Police, Army. NSRA or NRA.

Firearms

Home Office circular 031 / 2006 Firearms Broad subject: Crime and Disorder Issue date: Mon Oct 23 00:00:00 BST 2006 From: Crime Reduction…

www.gov.uk

A range is land with insurance and the responsibility for it’s safe use is with the range owner/operator.

If HO approved club and affiliated with the NSRA or NRA then I think one of them (NRA) want to inspect it before they will issue insurance.

If a totally private range or for a club not affiliated to the NRA or NSRA then insurance and safe use is totally the responsibility of the operator and the person using the range, Just like when out hunting.

Planning consent would probably be required as it is change of use of the land.

If going to be used for target competition shooting as a Club then the club would need to be Home Office approved.

If a zeroing range used by members of a club or private hire then no Home Office approval is required.

The clay pigeon Club I am secretary for in Kent has recently started construction of a members zeroing range, with 25mtr, 50mtr and a 100mtrs bullet catchers/backstops.

Will reveal more once finished which we hope will be towards the end of April.

 

[bb2]

My club has a 100 yard range that is pretty much open for all calibres. It is situated in an old quarry and each side of the range has protective banking. On the right to protect the 50m range beside it and to the left to protect a parking area. The committee have recently decided to replace a wooden storage structure with a metal shipping container just to the left of the shooting lanes and within the banked safety walls. Any comments on the danger of doing this have been totally ignored. What to do now?

 

[Robs]

First let me say I'm a NRA member. They have improved greatly under Andrew Mercer IMO.

If you contact the NRA regarding range construction you may not get a straight answer. If you approach the NRA they will say that in order to satisfy safety requirements you will have to follow the JSP 403 or documents based upon it. The NRA may not explicitly say you must but for outdoor shooting but that is the reality.

Talk of expert range designers is really a red herring. Anyone can understand the principles as it's straightforward. If you take time to study JSP 403 you will note as previously stated it's for MOD ranges but also some of the assumptions on richochet angles is just bizarre. I could give examples of very poor ranges built and "approved" but in truth it is simply the professional indemnity they give the NRA should you have an accident and the NRA provides your insurance cover, the designers insurance would pay if the range were defective.

Our club was paying over £800 capitation fee on top of the insurance. Needless to say the NRA has lost it, as our members ask what are we paying for. Simply, it took months to get anything from them. Eventually they conceded that the range operator is responsible for approving the range, that is the gritty truth. Our range was an old militia range operating for around a century and was certified by the MOD. The NRA wished for it to become a NDA range to be considered safe, just not possible in modern UK. Planning alone would scupper us. The NRA had insured for forty years or more. Talked to other range operators and followed their advice:

Do you believe your range construction is safe?

Can you maintain it to a safe standard?

Create a company or public interest entity to control financial liability.

Purchase correct insurance from a specialist such as bluefin.


If you want to look at a firearms certificate, the wording will tell you everything:

"On ranges suitable for the safe use of that class of firearm and with adequate financial arrangements in place".

I like much of the NRAs work but reality is control of range construction has been taken away from the authorities and it is the operator who is responsible.

Whatever you decide you can still be affiliated to the NRA either with or without their insurance and the decision to be HOA or not again does not depend on your range being "approved".

 

[8x57]

My club has a 100 yard range that is pretty much open for all calibres. It is situated in an old quarry and each side of the range has protective banking. On the right to protect the 50m range beside it and to the left to protect a parking area. The committee have recently decided to replace a wooden storage structure with a metal shipping container just to the left of the shooting lanes and within the banked safety walls. Any comments on the danger of doing this have been totally ignored. What to do now?

Possibly nothing. Is it within the safety angles and has the necessary safety assessment been carried out?