Shooting Steel

Smokin Joe · 04-01-2005, 22:03

My Father and I built a steel pistol target out of 3/8 inch steel plate unfortunatly I don't know the density of the steel. It was bought at a local steel shop.

Will this steel be of sufficaint thickness to stop the following pistol rounds: 9mm, .40cal, and .45 acp?

We cut a 2 inch hole in the head and placed and 3/4 inch steel ringer that will swing when rounds are properly placed in the 2 inch hole. In the torso I cut a 4 inch hole (man was that a bitch with a hand drill and hole saw) and placed a 3/4 inch steel ringer that will swing as well when rounds are properly placed in that are.

Any recommendations for improvements would be greatly appericated.

Here are some photos of the target. I built it at my parents house and shipped it to my house. I will snap a few more/ better photos when I recieve it on monday.

1. Full target w/o stand or ringers
2. Close up of head
3. Ringer

**Bill Harsey** · 04-01-2005, 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smokin Joe

My Father and I built a steel pistol target out of 3/8 inch steel plate unfortunatly I don't know the density of the steel. It was bought at a local steel shop.

Will this steel be of sufficaint thickness to stop the following pistol rounds: 9mm, .40cal, and .45 acp?

We cut a 2 inch hole in the head and placed and 3/4 inch steel ringer that will swing when rounds are properly placed in the 2 inch hole. In the torso I cut a 4 inch hole (man was that a bitch with a hand drill and hole saw) and placed a 3/4 inch steel ringer that will swing as well when rounds are properly placed in that are.

Any recommendations for improvements would be greatly appericated.

Here are some photos of the target. I built it at my parents house and shipped it to my house. I will snap a few more/ better photos when I recieve it on monday.

1. Full target w/o stand or ringers
2. Close up of head
3. Ringer

I'm guessing you got mild steel and it will probably "give" a little with each round.
Depends on what your shooting, some stuff may be able to go thru 3/8ths.

Anyone else?

Spartan359 · 04-01-2005, 23:20

HAHA you used a hole saw to cut a 4'' hole in 3/8's mild steel!! Man I bet that took about an hour or two. Why didn't you use your acetylene torch to cut the hole and just grind away the sides? You did an outstanding job regardless. Looks awesome. One tip you can do with that steel is to take and heat the center of mass/head ringer with your torch and dip it in oil to harden it. It also would help if you heated the areas that you know rounds will hit. Like on the sides of the ringers. Heat it up and dip it in oil a couple of times and you should be good to go. Just don't use and AP rounds or FMJ and you should be ok.

**Bill Harsey** · 04-02-2005, 08:25

It's really hard to grind the inside edge of a small diameter hole that has been torch cut. It was done the right (and hard) way for a good result.

Yes I would have used the torch for the hole but my skills with a cutting torch are like Team Sergeant with a handgun.

If any steel is going to be heat treated, it must be of the correct type, that is it must have enough carbon to respond. If you don't know what steel you have you run the very high risk of doing everything wrong if you just heat it up and quench it.

Are steel targets heat treated?

My instincts say NO.

**The Reaper** · 04-02-2005, 09:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

Are steel targets heat treated?

My instincts say NO.

Yes, to 500 Brinell, last ones I looked at.

Once a target starts getting dinged and surface dimpled, it will start backsplashing and throwing ricochets.

TR

**Bill Harsey** · 04-02-2005, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Yes, to 500 Brinell, last ones I looked at.

Once a target starts getting dinged and surface dimpled, it will start backsplashing and throwing ricochets.

TR

Brinell hardness testing, using different weight loads to press a round ball in to the surface of a metal is used to measure the hardness of much softer materials than tool steels. I couldn't tell you what hardness 500 Brinell is if my life depended on it. more*&#!*#!%#@$homework.

I have had that experience with dimpled targets.

**The Reaper** · 04-02-2005, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

more*&#!*#!%#@$homework.

Here, let me help you.

http://www.sizes.com/units/brinell_number.htm

TR

**Bill Harsey** · 04-02-2005, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Here, let me help you.

http://www.sizes.com/units/brinell_number.htm

TR

Thanks, read the link.
I will also do more homework.

**The Reaper** · 04-02-2005, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

Thanks, read the link.
I will also do more homework.

If you can convert to Rockwell, I would love to know it.

TR

**Ambush Master** · 04-02-2005, 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

If you can convert to Rockwell, I would love to know it.

TR

I think that I've got a Conversion link on my machine at work !! I'll post it Monday !!

**Ambush Master** · 04-02-2005, 13:12

Here's one, but the one at work is much better !!!

http://www.anvilfire.com/FAQs/hardness.htm

**The Reaper** · 04-02-2005, 13:16

Thanks, AM!

Bill, based on that, I would make 500 Brinell to be roughly 51 Rockwell C.

TR

**Bill Harsey** · 04-02-2005, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Thanks, AM!

Bill, based on that, I would make 500 Brinell to be roughly 51 Rockwell C.

TR

That's fairly hard.
What steels are shooting targets being made from to get there?

Smokin Joe · 04-02-2005, 14:39

Whooshh....most of the above just shot WAY past my head.

I'm guessing that the steel I got will not me conducive to pistol shooting?

TR, I'm aware of the back splatter effect we angled the steel so it sits at about a 15 degree down angle so rounds will deflect downwards toward the ground upon impact.

This was our prototype target, we learned a lot building this first one. Hopefully I can break it in next week.

Team Sergeant, let me know if you want to help break it in.

**Bill Harsey** · 04-02-2005, 17:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smokin Joe

Whooshh....most of the above just shot WAY past my head.

I'm guessing that the steel I got will not me conducive to pistol shooting?

TR, I'm aware of the back splatter effect we angled the steel so it sits at about a 15 degree down angle so rounds will deflect downwards toward the ground upon impact.

Smokin' Joe! I think your target is great, here is the really short version of the above steel and hardness references, shoot the sumb*tch and if it breaks then make it thicker next time.
If no holes, then you done good.. I think you'll be fine.

My only thought about your steel plate is you have to know what alloy of steel you have before you heat treat if want a result worth the time and effort (money) spent.