I began the day cleaning out some old stuff and found a heavy gauge filing cabinet. So I got to thinking if I could use it as my personal .22 firing range... I needed to gauge the strength of the steel so I got my sons Benjamin pump pellet gun and began with one pump. The steel absorbed shots all the way up to around 850fps. 
I have now insulated the inside with some old phone books and will start looking for some 1/4 steel to make a trap. I don't have the balls to test it against my 10/22 with standard ammo yet. I'm going to start looking for some aguila colibri ammo first. I'm glad my house is pretty well insulated.

I asked my neighbor if he could hear me blasting away with my Benjamin and my co2 semi auto handgun. He said he didn't hear anything but wants to come over and shoot also. 

Colibri and Super Colibri are the way to go! 

Rubber Sheet works well if you can find some.  We use to get them from the boat yard.  2" of the stuff will slow down the 22 enough.

If you go bigger wax loads are fun with just shell casing and primer.  I shoot my m1 carbine in the house as well as some 9mm

He said he didn't hear anything but wants to come over and shoot also. 

Can all of us come over too? 

You should read up on shooting lead indoors. Especially if you have kids.

You should read up on shooting lead indoors. Especially if you have kids.

Will do... I'm googling it now.

Small Kine Hazard.  It was terrible at the Honolulu Gun Club because we only could shoot lead.
Wax loads or Plastic Bullets are safer

Both of your purses are nice. 

Both of your purses are nice. 

I'm going to use them as my range bags. That should turn some heads.

I'm going to use them as my range bags. That should turn some heads.

One for ammo, one for tools & supplies. 

Will do... I'm googling it now.

Our Natl Guard Armory had a indoor pistol range on Wheeler that was shut down because of lead contamination.  Dont let your house suffer the same fate.

I'm curious to know how many rounds of 22LR can contaminate a house?

Wow nice to see what you have done. I have been thinking of doing the same in my backyard. 22 and 9 with wax bullets.

I think besides a backstop, you need proper ventilation to do an indoor range. I understand that the lead contamination comes from the primer.

Here's a good forum discussion on this topic.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-389858.html

This is what I use.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/315781/speer-plastic-bullets-38-caliber-357-to-358-diameter-box-of-50

Security use to have them.  They are reusable.  Some of mine are 30 years old!

I went by Young guns today and picked up some augila colibri ammo. Still not sure how im going to handle the lead vapor aspect. I have some ideas I just have to test them out. I think if I used old phone books as a bullet catch it should minimize the lead dust in the cabinet.

Made some improvements this morning. I bolted the phone books to the cabinet. I got an idea for the lead dust in the cabinet. Because its pretty much sealed already I'm going to add a computer fan to the side with a hepa filter on the inside. It will create a negative air chamber and all dust will get caught in the filter. Even with the holes in the target the fan should be strong enough to maintain negative pressure. As far as lead vapor from the gun I'm still working on that one. If silencers were legal that would solve the problem.

"Discharging a firearm in the city limits" occured to me.  Or an incorporated area.  DId you check this out.... (anonymously, of course)?

There was some famous writer (forgot who, offhand --Tom Clancy?) who wanted to put a firing range in his Maryland condo and had applied for a permit to build it.  Don't know what the upshot was on that.

Maryland is one of the worst states for gun stuff.  I think he wanted to do this in Baltimore itself, to boot.

The thing is, even if you aren't caught for that, if anything else happens, that might be one whale of an "additional charge."


I'm not pouring cold water on the idea --I think it's great, but just sayin'.  I'm reminded of the days of the "Parlour Guns," intended for target practice and fun for your guests in the drawing room after dinner and like that there.

Terry, 230RN

REF:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlor_pistol

Right now the wife said I'm not allowed to shoot a real gun in the house. I've been blasting away with a co2 bb pistol. BUT.... I work swings, and my wife works days  so, I don't think she will ever know if I actually shot off a few aguila rounds once in awhile. 

"Discharging a firearm in the city limits" occured to me.  Or an incorporated area.  DId you check this out.... (anonymously, of course)?

There was some famous writer (forgot who, offhand --Tom Clancy?) who wanted to put a firing range in his Maryland condo and had applied for a permit to build it.  Don't know what the upshot was on that.

Maryland is one of the worst states for gun stuff.  I think he wanted to do this in Baltimore itself, to boot.

Strangely, Hawaii has no laws against discharging firearms on your own property.  So long as the bullets don't leave your property, it is legal.  Well, it is not illegal.  There was a news story posted here a short while ago about a fellow arrested for shooting, but no follow up, and not enough details to know what the circumstances were.