NCJ Number
51765
Journal
Security World Volume: 15 Issue: 8 Dated: (AUGUST 1978) Pages: 74-79
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
GUIDELINES FOR RANGE DESIGN, INVOLVING RANGE LIGHTING, NOISE AND VENTILATION CONTROL, OUTDOOR SHOOTING RANGES, AND EQUIPMENT COST, ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE MOST WIDELY ACCEPTED APPROACH TO RANGE LIGHTING IS THE COMBINATION OF GENERAL AND TARGET LIGHTING, ALONG WITH DIMMER CONTROLS FOR BOTH. THIS PERMITS THE RANGEMASTER TO CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE LIGHTING LEVEL FOR EACH SIMULATED SITUATION. BEGINNERS CAN HAVE THE EXTRA ILLUMINATION THEY NEED, AND LIGHTS CAN BE DIMMED TO SIMULATE NIGHT SHOOTING FOR MORE ADVANCED SHOOTERS. NOISE CONTROL IS ESSENTIAL. THE TWO PRIMARY SOURCES OF NOISE ARE MUZZLE BLAST AND THE IMPACT OF THE BULLET ON THE BULLET TRAP. BOTH GENERATE AUDIBLE NOISE, TRANSMITTED AS SOUND WAVES THROUGH THE AIR, AND 'STRUCTURAL THUDDING,' TRANSMITTED AS VIBRATIONS THROUGH THE BUILDING'S STRUCTURE. THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF MINIMIZING AIRBORNE NOISE IS TO ISOLATE IT IN THE RANGE AND PROVIDE HEARING PROTECTION, PREFERABLY ELECTRONIC HEARING PROTECTORS, FOR SHOOTERS. TO ISOLATE NOISE WITHIN THE RANGE, AIR LEAKS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED AND THEN A BARRIER CREATED BETWEEN THE SOURCE OF SOUND AND THE AREA WHERE THE SOUND WOULD BE OBJECTIONABLE. HEAVY MASONRY WALLS, DOUBLE-GLAZED WINDOWS, AND CARPETED FLOORS ALSO HELP TO ISOLATE RANGE NOISE. BY USING NEOPRENE RUBBER VIBRATION TRAPS, STRUCTURAL THUDDING CAN BE MINIMIZED. VENTILATION IS A VITAL CONSIDERATION IN RANGE DESIGN. WITHOUT PROPER VENTILATION, BOTH SHOOTERS AND RANGE OFFICERS ARE EXPOSED TO DANGEROUS LEAD-POLLUTED AIR. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH GUIDELINES FOR MAINTAINING LEAD EXPOSURE LEVELS WITHIN ALLOWABLE LIMITS SHOULD BE OBSERVED. OUTDOOR RANGES OFFER AN ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE MORE WIDELY USED INDOOR RANGES. THEIR EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS ARE MINIMAL AND PROBLEMS OF NOISE AND VENTILATION CONTROL VIRTUALLY ARE NONEXISTENT. OUTDOOR RANGES SHOULD BE LOCATED AT A RELATIVELY REMOTE SITE AND SHOULD BE ENCLOSED ON BOTH SIDES AND AT THE REAR. SPECIALTY RANGE EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS POP-UP TARGETS, RUNNING MAN SYSTEMS, AND HOGAN'S ALLEY, IS PARTICULARLY ADAPTABLE TO OUTDOOR USE. THE COSTS OF RANGE EQUIPMENT VARY SIGNIFICANTLY, DEPENDING ON THE LOCALE AND ON THE QUALITY AND VERSATILITY OF THE EQUIPMENT SELECTED. IT IS BEST TO SELECT EQUIPMENT DESIGNED FOR MAXIMUM SAFETY, SINCE IT IS USUALLY MORE EFFICIENT AND LASTS LONGER. IF FUNDS ARE LIMITED, ONLY THE BASIC EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE BOUGHT TO OUTFIT A SMALL RANGE. AS MORE FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE, MORE LANES CAN BE EQUIPPED AND SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT CAN BE ADDED. SEE NCJ-47237 FOR PART 1 AND NCJ-51764 FOR PART 2. (MGB)