How about you just use the proper technique and LOOK to see that the chamber is empty before messing around with sand?

If one follows the proper procedures, it’s not necessary to actually check the chamber. And since we don’t have to actually check the chamber to ensure the gun is unloaded, then we don’t have to avoid pointing the gun we know is unloaded at someone we don’t intend to shoot. Or to avoid touching or even pulling the trigger while we’re pointing the gun at someone. It’s all a matter of just doing the right thing the first time.

Multiple, redundant safety rules and procedures are intended to make it possible to recover from the mistakes we fallible humans (most of us, anyway) inevitably make.

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Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

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But in number 2s scenario, you might want to clear it thru the wife before you put three layers of sand bags against the far wall. Just saying.

Guys who ask questions like these are NOT married or are divorced. Just kidding!

...or just married the right woman.

I do not have a trap to clear firearms, but I do have a bullet trap for the range in the garage....that the wife uses!

Both the sand and the rubber mulch will work. My trap uses 14" of rubber mulch inside A500 and is rated up to .454.

Nice to have for pistols with frame mounted decocking lever

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Originally posted by sigfreund:

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Originally posted by SgtGold:
The Army told us that you need 18" of packed earth to stop rifle small arms fire.

I have always wondered about such figures. I have some old Army engineer data books that provide the capability of other materials to stop various projectiles and they always seemed very high. I suspect that they are based on what’s absolutely, positively necessary to stop sustained fire, not just a single shot.

Another of my tests was to fire a 175 grain 7mm Remington Magnum bullet into a printer box of sandy gravel. It was an expanding bullet and penetrated no more than about 6 inches. An FMJ bullet might have penetrated farther, but probably not too much.

Yea, probably overkill like much military is. I've seen a lot of sand bagged positions with single bag depth protection.

Man, you have clean floors.

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Originally posted by M4Super90:

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Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

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But in number 2s scenario, you might want to clear it thru the wife before you put three layers of sand bags against the far wall. Just saying.

Guys who ask questions like these are NOT married or are divorced. Just kidding!

...or just married the right woman.

I do not have a trap to clear firearms, but I do have a bullet trap for the range in the garage....that the wife uses!

Both the sand and the rubber mulch will work. My trap uses 14" of rubber mulch inside A500 and is rated up to .454.

Well if they still made big phone books...

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Originally posted by M4Super90:

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

But in number 2s scenario, you might want to clear it thru the wife before you put three layers of sand bags against the far wall. Just saying.

Guys who ask questions like these are NOT married or are divorced. Just kidding!

...or just married the right woman.

I do not have a trap to clear firearms, but I do have a bullet trap for the range in the garage....that the wife uses!

Both the sand and the rubber mulch will work. My trap uses 14" of rubber mulch inside A500 and is rated up to .454.

Where did that trap come from?

Given the relatively low cost of sand, why not jsut go for 12 inches and eliminate any doubt. Of course, you will want to be careful that you are aiming straight into the bucket. Angling the weapon towards the sides of the bucket inadvertently could dramatically alter your results.

I've seen folks use rubber mats stuffed in a barrel as a clearing station. Certainly some stacked mats under sand would yield a foolproof setup

I can say with some confidence as it was the solution we picked for our range that a 5 gal pail filled with fine dry sand will stop any handgun round you would normally see at a competition range.

If you're going to use a bucket of sand as a clearing barrel, you might want to put the lid on it. It won't deflect the bullet, and it will keep sand from blowing back in your face or onto your floor.

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Originally posted by PASig:
How about you just use the proper technique and LOOK to see that the chamber is empty before messing around with sand?

This x 100