Sand Trap?

[mallc]

Theroretically speaking, how might one go about setting set up a drum or carboy of sand or for testing loads and repairs? Any there any commercial traps for this task?

Just curious,
Scott

 

[ReloaderFred]

The most common way is to get a piece of 12" pipe about 3' long and mount it at an angle from the ground, so the open end is facing up. The best way to determine the angle is to point a handgun at the ground at a comfortable angle, and put the pipe in line with that angle. Then you fill the pipe about half way with sand, and then add about a foot of shredded rubber on top of that.

If you can find some heavy rubber sheeting, cut a 12" circle and lay that on top of the shredded rubber. This is to keep debris from blowing back at you when you fire into the trap. You'll want about 12" of pipe with nothing in it to give you some space for expanding powder gases. You can also cut a hole in the open space and weld a small piece of pipe with a 90 degree bend in it that will vent gases away from your face, or just an angled piece of pipe that faces away from you.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[rcmodel]

Good source for rubber sheeting is EDPM garden pond liner.

Or a big tractor tire inner-tube.

You definately want to use it, or you will get blasted by sand every time you shoot into it.

rcmodel

 

[nicholst55]

My last tour in Korea we had an old, currently not in use test-firing drum made from a 55-gallon drum. An angle iron frame held it about eye level, and it had a 1" piece of steel plate welded to the bottom of the drum. The drum was FULL of sand (36" deep), and had a cutout on the face to fire through. The cutout was covered by a piece of a truck tire, and had a 6" or so U-shaped sheet metal lip around it to contain any escaping sand.

I only fired (my own) pistols into it, although in theory, 32" of dry sand will stop a .50 BMG Ball round.