Shoot my .36 Revolver in the basement?

[B P Arn]

OMG!!! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!!!

Global cooling, holes in the ozone layer, Y2K, global warming, second hand smoke, burning of fossil fuels, the COVIC scamdemic... and now this!!!!!!

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[leadhoarder]

I have shot in my basement many times, with Black Powder... or other. My backstop is 6x6 timbers, covered by multiple layers of 3/4" plywood, held together with drywall screws. It is about a foot thick, or maybe a little more. Easy to replace wood as it gets chewed away.

No exhaust fan in my basement. I just shoot a cylinder (of 6 shots) and then head up stairs for a while and wait for the smoke to settle.

I have never had a ricochet, or have a bullet bounce back, even though I have missed a few times (I am forbidden to describe here what I was shooting at the time ).

I wear foam ear plugs AND ear muffs.

Do not try this at home. I am a professional.

View attachment 79306View attachment 79307

That would cost a lot at the local trading post these days.

 

[B P Arn]

No cost at all. I just used what was available in my scrap wood pile.

 

[GomezMunoz1951]

When my Uncle built his house he had a shooting range built into one side of his basement. It had a fan for ventilation. This was back when he was on his National Guard Shooting Team. It was awesome, when I was a kid he used to let me shoot down there and I loved it when he would give me a brick of .22 long rifle bullets... Back when I was in the Air Force I lived in base housing that had a basement. I set up a target in the basement, drilled out 6 .357 brass so I could put a shotgun primer in the brass, used wax as a bullet and shot away. I got no complaints from the neighbors or the wife.... It was good practice. I had to do a demonstration for a NCO leadership and I did it on loading a muzzle loader. I got a couple of toy "percussion" looking cap guns and used them. When I was home I took the toy guns downstairs, put a grain of BP down the barrel, and a marble and put a cap on the "lock" and fired it. Awesome! It was a little smokey bot not bad and I hit the target every time. I wager if I did the same with a Remington .44 and found a round ball (non-lead) that would fit I could shoot it out with no problems.

 

[11Bravo]

Some of you folks make me laugh. The OP was asking about either a bullet trap or a good back stop. Not about lead inhalation or making unhealthy smoke, or as he pointed out, knows about hearing protection. Gee I spent a year in combat, do you think when we were ambushed I yelled "wait one I have put in my ear plugs" oh but we weren't issued any. So to the original poster, use your head about the possibility of a ricochet, as that is all I would worry about. And I was also smart enough to do things my Lady wouldn't like when she wasn't home, like using the dishwasher on my ROA

 

[nhmoose]

If you have a wife IMHO don't. You will live much happier.

Singe your own house go for it.

 

[eggwelder]

2 x10 box with plywood front and back. Fill with sand, set the top 2 x 10 and blast away. I use several layers of cardboard behind the front plywood to help prevent sand loss. When you are out of lead, sift your spent bullets out of the sand and recast.
but i don`t shoot in the house. I think the smoke smell would still be in the house by the time the wife got home......

 

[Stantheman86]

Your house would smell like black powder smoke FORever. Whether that's good or bad depends on you I guess.

I periodically test pop caps in the closet of my gun room to test nipples, etc. The occasional Musket cap.....and even at that the cap smell and some smoke odor can linger for a couple days through my whole upstairs.

Even a light. 36 charge is about equal to probably a .38 S&W so we're not talking a pop gun.

 

[user 34300]

I am aware of what we used to do. We know better now.

Primers and caps contain lead azide. The smoke will spread lead all over every surface in the basement. IF at some point you intend to sell the house the inspector will probably check for lead paint. When he does EVERY surface will light up the lead test swabs like a christmas tree. You will probably be forced to have your basement gutted by a hasmat certified contractor.

And then there is the negative impacts on you heath from breathing lead smoke and getting lead residue accidental ingestion.

There is good reason for those noisy and annoying fans in indoor ranges.

Let the detractors begin! They do not change the facts I presented above.

 

[B P Arn]

How about posting some links to the sources of that gloom and doom information you posted.

 

[user 34300]

https://www.bevfitchett.us/ballistics/priming-compounds-and-primers-introduction.html
I'm not speculating. I was a court qualified expert witness in the area of gunshot residue for 30 years.

Maybe Mad Monk can chime in?