Private gun range (indoor) question

**tobie** · 08-10-2019, 12:41

Originally Posted by The Beast

Any idea what the price is on box culverts? out of interest

Depending on span you could build it like a normal concrete roof. with lintels and precast blocks and then a concrete top. this should be easy to waterproof...

Prefab floor like eco prestress would make a quick roof after the walls are built.

If you use form work you could concrete everything in place in sections. With a small "workforce" this could work out well on a price/time basis.

There are a few tricks in soundproofing. If constructed correctly your ventilation system can self soundproof to a certain degree before using dampening materials. Basically every time the sound needs to bounce off a surface to get out it reduces in intensity. an S shape in the extraction and inlet will have a major impact on escaped sound. it will also negatively impact on ventilation efficiency which wants a straight line...

Not sure on pricing, will have to ask around the office, but they do come in 1,22m wide sections, so 10 sections will give you a 12,2m long "range". I believe you can also get a prefab base section, so you get a completely enclosed structure.

I suppose you could also use the culvert pipe sections instead of box culverts to construct a shooting tunnel. I recall that Harold Vaughn in his book "Accuracy Facts" also constructed a shooting tunnel for his tests, but I'm not sure if he used Culvert Pipe sections.

And then you could probably also bury a shipping container, to double as a Apocalypse/Nuclear bomb shelter, but I think those are pricey.

**BigT** · 08-10-2019, 13:30

Have you looked here

http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/foru...-Introductions

**High Power** · 08-10-2019, 14:12

Originally Posted by shooty

But I believe SAPS will want an SABS approval before they approve and accredit. I could be wrong.

Yes, you are wrong, as is nearly everyone else. ALL shooting ranges in SA must be certified by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) as complying with their compulsory specification VC 9088. The NRCS is an independent regulatory body falling under the Minster of Trade and Industry; no connection with the SABS or SAPS.

Accreditaion by the SAPS is, as someone said above, only required if the range is going to be used for the purposes of training for a competency certificate.

Peter

**Ds J** · 08-10-2019, 14:14

Blinker, I studied the process some years ago. Basically you present plans to a subsidiary of SABS, they approve it, you build it, SAPS approve it.

The list of prerequisites is quite long but it is doable.

Their main concerns are safety (no bullets flying around) and pollution (sound & chemicals)

We planned to build a handgun range inside a container and got preliminary approval.

**tobie** · 08-10-2019, 14:25

Originally Posted by Ds J

Blinker, I studied the process some years ago. Basically you present plans to a subsidiary of SABS, they approve it, you build it, SAPS approve it. The list of prerequisites is quite long but it is doable.Their main concerns are safety (no bullets flying around) and pollution (sound & chemicals)We planned to build a handgun range inside a container and got preliminary approval.

Ds. did you do anything w.r.t ventilation inside the container?

**Blinker** · 08-10-2019, 16:07

Originally Posted by High Power

Yes, you are wrong, as is nearly everyone else. ALL shooting ranges in SA must be certified by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) as complying with their compulsory specification VC 9088. The NRCS is an independent regulatory body falling under the Minster of Trade and Industry; no connection with the SABS or SAPS.

Accreditaion by the SAPS is, as someone said above, only required if the range is going to be used for the purposes of training for a competency certificate.

Peter

So, just to recap, in a nutshell, what do I exactly do to register a gun range? Just register with NRCS? and if that's done, I'm good to go?

forgive me if I'm being doff.

**High Power** · 08-10-2019, 18:05

Originally Posted by High Power

Yes, you are wrong, as is nearly everyone else. ALL shooting ranges in SA must be certified by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) as complying with their compulsory specification VC 9088. The NRCS is an independent regulatory body falling under the Minster of Trade and Industry; no connection with the SABS or SAPS. Accreditaion by the SAPS is, as someone said above, only required if the range is going to be used for the purposes of training for a competency certificate.Peter

NRCS: https://www.nrcs.org.za/index.asp?menuId=1
VC 9088: https://www.nrcs.org.za/siteimgs/vc/VC9088.pdf

Peter

**High Power** · 08-10-2019, 18:15

Originally Posted by Blinker

So, just to recap, in a nutshell, what do I exactly do to register a gun range? Just register with NRCS? and if that's done, I'm good to go?.

No. Before you can legally use a range it must be certified by NRCS. However you would be silly to just go ahead without ensuring that what you planned would satisfy them in terms of VC 9088. The thing to do would be to contact them once you have your plans made and ask for comments. Don't forget that, as others have said, your local municipality must be happy that your building plans etc are acceptable to them as well.

Better still, forget the whole idea! Any indoor range is going to be very expensive, particularly the sound proofing, bullet trap and ventilation.

Peter