steel
mikhail,
You make a nice target.
Here is a list of steel and the approximate Brinnel hardness. I have welded bulldozer teeth shanks onto heavy equipment buckets and cannot remember what rod they gave me to use. i was thinking it was something on the order of E10018 or E12018 meaning the rod is listed as 100,000 or 120,000 PSI tensile strength. I'll have to verify the 120K rod.
Here's a link of steel types.
http://www.arntzentargets.com/index.htm
Here's a link for armor plate
http://www.cuttingedgesupply.com/Products/target-armor
These links are for general steel target knowledge that I've found out very few people know.
Here's a bit of info for welding AR plate.
Welding
Low-hydrogen-producing electrodes must be used in welding. Where maximum strength of joining plates is not important, rod type AWS E7016, 15, or 18 should be used. If possible, 7018 and 8018 electrodes should be used with the 500 BHN steel. If the weld is to be subjected to wear, it may be capped with a hard facing electrode having a low hydrogen type coating. When higher weld strengths are required, electrodes of the AWS E90, E100 or E120 low hydrogen series should be used, depending on the strength levels required.
Request a quote for Tensalloy Blue AR500 steel.
MGM target website. I own a couple of these.
"We manufacture a full line of steel targets for competition, Law Enforcement, and Military firearms training. We would be honored if you would consider us the next time you need steel. Our products are competitively priced, and you can't buy higher quality anywhere. Please call us at 888-767-737 or send us an email
[email protected]
Back to the top
What are your targets made of?
All our targets are made of 500 brinell steel, which is the same hardness as Armor Plate. AR 500 is comparable to roughly a 52 on the Rockwell C scale, which is also about the same hardness as a good knife blade. While 'AR-500' steel is a common industry term, its manufacturing processes vary resulting in varied hardnesses, often as low as 465. MGM Targets has considered this and to maintain more consistent material and the highest standard of performance from our products, we require the hardness of the AR-500 steel we use be not less than 495.
In addition to the chemical composition of the steel, a 'quench and temper' process at the steel mill further enhances the steel hardness and toughness. In comparison, your car is made of mild steel, about 135 Brinell, and T-1, (the old steel for targets) is about a 235 hardness. AR500 can withstand literally thousands of rounds from reasonable distances without significant damage.
"AR 500" is a steel mill designation, but, not all AR 500 actually has a Brinell hardness of 500. Often it will be as low as 495. MGM has had a standing internal requirement that no steel would be used for our targets unless it was a 495 BHN (Brinell Hardness Number), or higher. MGM's acceptable tolerance measurements on steel is the tightest in the industry and we require our steel suppliers to contract and supply to this tolerance."
There's a ****pot full of info if you google it.
Bullets that strike a flat surface will explode off the face in roughly a 20 degree angle. For this reason, anyone who shoots steel should wear eye protection as well as a ball cap with a front facing bill. Spatter coming off a steel face will have some material falling down and back to the shooter. Lead or jacket pieces WILL get between your glasses and your eye. Even close fitting glasses are not foolproof. A ballcap will will stop almost all of it.
I shoot steel as close as 7 yds and fragments DO come back.
I shoot rifles at steel from as close as 50 yds. Bullet frags DO come back.
It's all in what your individual risk threshold is. The manufacturers instruct to not shoot their products at various ranges. This is for liability reasons.
Everyone has an opinion on this and some will almost try to force their logic/ reasoning on others, yet it still comes down to individual risk assessment and choice.
I have had minor cuts from steel jacket or lead frags. I've seen some people need stitches to close up a gash from ricochet out of a berm with rocks in it.
You can all choose to shoot at whatever distance you feel comfortable with.
Cratered steel is flat out DANGEROUS to shoot at.
People shoot at all kinds of targets I consider dangerous from a ricochet aspect.
To each his own.
mikhail, Good luck with marketing the targets. I suppose I would do more research on proper welding techniques for hard steel.
To everyone else, I hope at least a bit of this info is instructional. If something I posted is not factual, please let me know and I'll edit that stuff out.