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Indoor shooting range Ventilation?

mtlogcabin

mtlogcabin

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Oct 17, 2009
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Big Sky Country
We have an indoor shooting range coming in. Does anyone have experience on what is needed for ventilation on these? Looking for info on what I should be looking for. There will be a lot of smoke and lead particles in the air. Filters, scrubbers, air changes per hour, energy loss ar some of the questions.
 
Try the National Guard. A local Guard told us some the the requirements for their indoor range. I do remember air changes was one requirement. Another was the ceiling sloped to the floor at the back of the range, to control the bullets richochet. I do not remember who set the requirements, State or Military.
 
Greetings,

I have no experience with them from the inspection end but I shoot at one from time to time. Where I've been you can't shoot lead indoors. I would expect that lead is prohibited in any indoor range but I don't know who governs.

Byron
 
They do make lead traps for firing ranges. They basically just trap the bullet. The problem is that they eventually fill with bullets and must be removed and replaced. There are a lot of rules about disposal etc.
 
mtlogcabin said:
We have an indoor shooting range coming in. Does anyone have experience on what is needed for ventilation on these? Looking for info on what I should be looking for. There will be a lot of smoke and lead particles in the air. Filters, scrubbers, air changes per hour, energy loss ar some of the questions.
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Fun project/review challenge. A quick search led me to a 2002 peer reviewed article on HVAC considerations for an indoor range.

Indoor Shooting Range

By A. Boyd Morgenthaler, P.E., Member ASHRAE, and David F. Shumway, P.E., Member ASHRAE
 
I can't help with the code stuff but I wanted to share that all indoor ranges I've been to, do not allow lead ammo. Some even require that you can only shoot ammo that is purchased from them.
 
Well welcome gct

How did you find us???

How is your job related to codes???
 
Thanks cda. Real quick so I don't hijack the thread. I'm a Commercial Contractor, member of ICC, this site seems to be doing better than the ICC boards so here I am. I'm interested in being more eduacated so I have the ammo (pun intended) to fight with building officials! :banghd

Found this: http://www.wbdg.org/design/firing_range.php

Ventilation and Lead Exposure Mitigation: The ventilation system must control exposure to lead in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1025, Lead Exposure. The supply and exhaust air system is critical to the operation of an indoor range and the health of building inhabitants. The design must include a positive exhaust system for removal of airborne lead. A slight negative air pressure must be maintained on the range, which can be achieved by exhausting typically 3 to 7 percent more air than is supplied.

I didn't read every word but I didn't see were they talk about lead-fee ranges where you're just worried about powder smoke.

Hopefully Frank will chime in since there's a large indoor range in the works in his juristiction.
 
Hay we will give you ammo if you are right, and shoot you if you are wrong!!!!!!!!!
 
the college I went to built a really nice range for us cadets.. unforunately, there wasn't enough ventilation to remove the lead laden air from the structure.. the air lead levels tested way too high.. even back then (more than a quarter of a century ago... boy.. that was hard to acknowledge)
 
I came across this thread and didn't see any reference to a valuable resource for this very thing that I came across 8-9 years ago. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has a very useful design guide for shooting range design and even has a division that offers assistance to people and organizations designing them. Here is a link to their design manual and if you google shooting range design you should get their site info;

www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/sourcebook.asp

Good luck!

ZIG
 
Ventilation is supplied behind the shooters and the returns are high 1/4 the way down range and low at the bullet traps. Return air goes through MERV 8, MERV 13 and HEPA filters before relief or reuse. Outside air is controlled by a CO2 sensor limiting CO2 to 25 PPM. Ranges are maintained at slight negative pressure relative to the rest of the buildng.

Ventilation rate is about 1600 cfm per shooting lane. This gives about a 20 fpm down range air velocity.

There are provisions for collecting and recycling the spent bullets from the bullet traps.
 
Frank said:
Ventilation is supplied behind the shooters and the returns are high 1/4 the way down range and low at the bullet traps. Return air goes through MERV 8, MERV 13 and HEPA filters before relief or reuse. Outside air is controlled by a CO2 sensor limiting CO2 to 25 PPM. Ranges are maintained at slight negative pressure relative to the rest of the buildng.

Ventilation rate is about 1600 cfm per shooting lane. This gives about a 20 fpm down range air velocity.

There are provisions for collecting and recycling the spent bullets from the bullet traps.
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Hey Frank, thanks for this info! Just found this old thread, that seems relevant to my current situation. Where does the ventilation rate of 1600 cfm per shooting lane number come from?

I am only seeing numbers in terms of the FPM at the firing line, but I don't think this applies to my application. My application is for a high school indoor firing range using compressed air pellet guns with lead bullets. There is no combustion, and the bullets are low speed and do not produce airborne lead at the firing line. They produce airborne lead contamination at the bullet trap. Thus, I don't believe our application needs to meet, the firing line airspeed requirements and is not concerned with laminar flow. But we still want exhaust down the firing line to maintain air quality, per 29 CFR 1910.1025. Thanks!
 
jdnewmanme said:
Hey Frank, thanks for this info! Just found this old thread, that seems relevant to my current situation. Where does the ventilation rate of 1600 cfm per shooting lane number come from?

I am only seeing numbers in terms of the FPM at the firing line, but I don't think this applies to my application. My application is for a high school indoor firing range using compressed air pellet guns with lead bullets. There is no combustion, and the bullets are low speed and do not produce airborne lead at the firing line. They produce airborne lead contamination at the bullet trap. Thus, I don't believe our application needs to meet, the firing line airspeed requirements and is not concerned with laminar flow. But we still want exhaust down the firing line to maintain air quality, per 29 CFR 1910.1025. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Hey,

The ventilation rate of 1600 cfm per shooting lane is a common guideline for indoor shooting ranges, but it might not apply directly to your situation. Since you're using compressed air pellet guns with lead bullets and no combustion, the airborne lead contamination is likely concentrated at the bullet trap rather than the firing line. You still need to maintain air quality down the firing line to meet regulations like 29 CFR 1910.1025.
 
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