MEGALINK - Protecting the Aluminium Faces

[jhmartin]

Many of us have received some of the old CMP Travel Range targets with aluminum Faces.
From what I recall from Richard, the steel faces are something like $385.

In Albuquerque we have moved 6 of these to a smallbore range which we can use for either 10m work or 50ft work.
Our challenge is to protect those aluminum faces from a smallbore impact. Rather than fork out money (which we don't have) for new faces, Richard suggested using a steel face cover.

So I've come up with using 10ga cold rolled A366 steel to protect the faces.
I've made these to velcro on top of the aluminum faces ... to protect the faces only. I know 10ga will dimple, but the aluminum behind it will be protected.
These plates made of 10ga weigh about 5lb2oz so velcro strips (One on top & 1 on bottom) easily attaches them to the regular face.

I did a test to see how much this steel will dimple with both STD velocity and high velocity ammo.

Very acceptable for our use as we only use STD velocity ammo on our range.

Here is what they look like:


The drawing can be downloaded at:
http://www.vc4hss.com/_2018_Info/22Plat ... nPlate.pdf

[Trooperjake]

Would a plywood back on the steel face, reduce the dimpling?

[jhmartin]

Or at least absorb it a bit.
I had tried gluing 2 thicknesses of 3/4 beech plywood and that worked ... a 2 foot STD velocity shot won't penetrate, but they were very bulky.

In my 4-H program most of the kids come from our 3-P air program and I really don't have to worry about faceplate strikes.
The only 2 we've had in 3 years have been one from a new rifle with a riser block issue, and another when an extension tube was installed cocked.

Now when shooters make changes to the sight setups of their guns, we raise to standing position, hang a paper target in prone, and get them in the black before going to the electronic target.