Building home indoor shooting range

[James]

I've got a 30x45' area in the basement of my vacation place that I want to make into a range for some practice. I'm a welder with access to whatever I need for a proper backstop. On one side, I'll devote 6' width and the full 45' to build my booth. This area also has a small basement window in which I can pipe some sort of exhaust. Before I ask if anyone has one or has experience contructing a shooting booth I'd like to know about legalities. I shoot regularly on the rural property, there's not much there at all. I know for certain noise isn't an issue but can you legally shoot a firearm inside? Has anyone done this?
Looking forward to some advice

[sdb3023]

try ecode360 for your local and search the town codes for firearm realted sections.

Not to sure about NYS law regarding them......i wouldnt go telling ur insurnace company either....

[Sprout47]

I believe you can legally shoot from the inside of your home - there are plenty enough of indoor ranges across the state.

That said - things to think about are proper ventilation so you don't get lead poisoning and to reinforce the ceiling to avoid the off chance of putting a round through the living areas.

I have been to a few different indoor ranges and have seen a bit of different construction methods. One thing that I would recomend, whatever your backstop is made out of put a single stack layer of cinder blocks up behind it. The cinder blocks just need to be stacked not even mortared in place and will take the steam out of any over penetration of your backstop.

[James]

try ecode360 for your local and search the town codes for firearm realted sections.

Not to sure about NYS law regarding them......i wouldnt go telling ur insurnace company either....

Thanks for the link. It's a subscriber only site and they don't list a subscription price, sends me straight to check out. Do you know the cost of it?

[kmussack]

That part of NYS law that applies here is;

It is illegal to discharge your firearm within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling, farm, building or other structure unless you own it, lease it, are an immediate member of the occupying family, an employee of the business or have the expressed consent of the owner.

Obviously, if this is your own property then you are “an immediate member of the occupying family and have your own consent to shoot there. So it looks like you’re good to go on that count.

However there remain two issues that can be problematic;

1.Is this property inside an incorporated jurisdiction that expressly prohibits the discharge of firearms?

If so you can request special dispensation for your range which would likely be denied. Realizing this you may choose to just ignore this particular code and hope you don’t get caught.

2.Is this property within 500-feet of some other occupied dwelling, etc.? If this is the case you can ask for permission of those owners/occupants.

Again you run the risk of exposing your intent and being denied. You must decide what course you will follow.

Keep in mind that the law restricts the discharge of a firearm not the existence of a range.

Today there are scores of ranges both indoor and outdoor that are well within 500-feet of neighboring dwellings etc. These are in operation in spite of the above cited code so there must be some form of exemption, exception or perhaps the issue has never been pressed.

If you decide to go forward with the construction of a private indoor range keep safety and hygiene foremost in your plans.

[sdb3023]

Thanks for the link. It's a subscriber only site and they don't list a subscription price, sends me straight to check out. Do you know the cost of it?

Try googling this "(your town) ecode360" most of the time it takes u to it, bypasses the subscription. if u want i will do it just need the town the building is in

[GottaCarry]

You may want to consider the possibilities of lead contamination.

Lead Contamination Forces Closing of Clarkstown Police Firing Range - New City, NY Patch

[kmussack]

About 30-years ago, when I built my house, I included an indoor range in the basement.



This range is 12-feet wide, 7-feet high and 48-feet long. The entire range is below grade.

Lighting in the range is rheostat controlled allowing for variable lighting conditions from full illumination to total darkness. This facilitates training in various low/no light techniques.



The walls are 12-inch sand-filled block and the ceiling is made of 4-inch pre-stressed concrete planking topped with 4-inches of steel reinforced concrete.

The floor is epoxy coated with range marker lines at 3, 5, 7 & 10-yards. The walls are paneled with Tectum sound absorbent paneling. (Eventually the ceiling will also get acoustic paneling.) Sound abatement is effective to the point that typical handgun calibers sound like light thumps to people in the living room upstairs directly over the range. The sound of firing is virtually undetectable from the property line.

See the range in use here:
The Weather Outside is Frightful......

There is an underground exhaust duct near the target line and an underground inlet duct at the opposite end of the range. The exhaust fan exchanges the air in the range every 2-minutes reducing shooter exposure to gun smoke and airborne residue.

Only jacketed or plated bullets are allowed. Cast lead bullets are prohibited to reduce airborne lead contamination and smoke.

There are three fully enclosed steel bullet traps. These traps contain 99.9% of all bullet fragments and dust thereby contributing to safety and good hygiene.

The range floor is regularly vacuumed and wet mopped to control the accumulation of powder residue.

Periodically the lead is reclaimed from the traps and contributed to local black-powder shooters for their bullet casting.

This range has been in operation for three decades and has been a tremendous asset to my personal training.

[Bill]

incredible!

[fastk9dad]

About 30-years ago, when I built my house, I included an indoor range in the basement.

That is simply awesome. I think you are my new best friend.

[James]

The floor is epoxy coated with range marker lines at 3, 5, 7 & 10-yards. The walls are paneled with Tectum sound absorbent paneling. (Eventually the ceiling will also get acoustic paneling.)

Thanks so much for posting your personal pics; that is precisely the type of range I envision an my place and will be duplicating much of your set-up. With the walls, can I assume you only built one side wall and the other three walls are the home itself which you'd added the sound padding to? How it the remaining wall constructed? Did you just frame it out and add Tectum?

I don't have an option for inground exhaust vents. I have two half height basment windows which would be at the firing line and the back stop on the left side up high. Figuring out how to remove the smoke, etc is a challenge but I'm up to it.
James

[Gunner57]

Kevin -

That's awesome! I built my house 13 years ago and am still kicking myself in the arse for not doing the same, along with a gun vault. I'm now considering putting up a separate shooting structure that I can use year-round.

NICE JOB!

[Les]

I do believe I'm feeling a bit of jealousy. Very nice set up, must be fantastic to be able to go downstairs whenever you feel like it and burn some powder.

[kmussack]

Thanks so much for posting your personal pics; that is precisely the type of range I envision an my place and will be duplicating much of your set-up. With the walls, can I assume you only built one side wall and the other three walls are the home itself which you'd added the sound padding to? How it the remaining wall constructed? Did you just frame it out and add Tectum?

I don't have an option for inground exhaust vents. I have two half height basment windows which would be at the firing line and the back stop on the left side up high. Figuring out how to remove the smoke, etc is a challenge but I'm up to it.
James

The entire range is walled with 12-inch sand filled block. The Tectum was mounted like this:

1-1/2" foam backing then 1-1/2" Tectum panel attached to horizontal stringers...

[Jeff]

Kevin, do you worry about toxic dust getting into the tectum and it not being cleanable?

[kmussack]

Kevin, do you worry about toxic dust getting into the tectum and it not being cleanable?

All of the lead is kept in the traps.

The only dust that could possibly accumulate in the tectum is from powder residue and that's not exactly "toxic".

Ultimately, the tectum can be vacuumed but so far I haven't found that to be necessary.

[Gunner57]

For any of you planning a trip to the Detroit area, would you mind picking this up for me?

Detroit Armory inc. indoor gun range

indoor range 1.jpgindoor range 2.jpg

http://cgi.ebay.com/Detroit-Armory-i...item336349f95b

[Smurfette]

LOL, I was supposed to be going for xmas to spend it with friends, but just got canceled. I think that would have fit in my suv no problem.

[Gunner57]

LOL, I was supposed to be going for xmas to spend it with friends, but just got canceled. I think that would have fit in my suv no problem.

Christmas just got canceled? NO, say it aint so!!

[ChrisFry]

Kevin,

That is very cool.

Having the forethought to plan and build something like this into your house plan/design 30 years ago speaks volumes and explains a lot!

If I ever build another home this is something to seriously consider.

Thanks for posting.

[OscarWhiskey2]

Kevin,

That is very cool.

Having the forethought to plan and build something like this into your house plan/design 30 years ago speaks volumes and explains a lot!

If I ever build another home this is something to seriously consider.

Thanks for posting.

Yes it does, however, when you spend time with him and think you have Kevin all figured out, he will reveal just bit of a new aspect of himself, and then the process starts all over.

[Smurfette]

Christmas just got canceled? NO, say it aint so!!

yup, canceled. Send me all your gifts for safe storage.

btw if I had an indoor range I don't think I would ever leave. That is amazing. I would guess a ton of people would visit me and everything else can be delivered. I'd be a big fatass but wow would I shoot well.

[RAM]

Very impressive.

[av8r]

One of the old timers that I used to shoot Bullseye with had a "range" in his basement. He had opened up a square in his foundation wall about eye level and dug it back about 3'. He put a wooden frame in there to hang targets on and used it daily for 30+ years. Very simple and no one knew it was there unless he told you.

[Dennis]

Too cool i would love to do this in my house