NEC classification of a live round shoot house

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Sparky Ogara

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Good day all,

I am currently working on a project and I could use some direction. On the premisis there is going to be built live amo out side ranges and a live amo indoor shoot house. Is there an appropriate classification in the 2008 NEC on the proper way to install electrical wiring? I have a few ideas but I would like to be certain that I am on the right track of NEC to follow. Anybody else have some feed back for me...Thanks,
 
Sparky Ogara said:
Good day all,

I am currently working on a project and I could use some direction. On the premisis there is going to be built live amo out side ranges and a live amo indoor shoot house. Is there an appropriate classification in the 2008 NEC on the proper way to install electrical wiring? I have a few ideas but I would like to be certain that I am on the right track of NEC to follow. Anybody else have some feed back for me...Thanks,
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AFAIK there is no classification (meaning hazardous) required per the NEC.

Pete
 
Munitions and ordnance are not within the scope of the NEC (See 500.1 FPN 1). In fact, the NFPA doesn't generally deal with the issue except to keep records of major related fire events. They do have a general standard (NFPA 495) for explosives, and you will find a list of other relevant standards in its scope statement.

Oddly enough, operation, storage and handling are far more important than the wiring methods. This is not to say I recommend a haphazard installation, but I would put far more emphasis on phyically protecting the electrical equipment and wiring methods than being concerned about the electrical systems intrinsic ability to ignite the installation.
 
Well, there are a lot of tidbits here and there in the NEC about protecting equipment and conductors from physical damage. That might offer a little bit of guidance about which particular parts of the electrical system you need to be most concerned about.

Bottom line is that you probably need to consult with whoever is engineering the indoor shooting range about where it is safe to place conductors and equipment and where it is not. Hopefully they are experienced and have been asked this question on previous projects.
 
I helped wire up the club range I shoot at. We ran all the EMT above the overhead steel plate baffles where it is not subject to damage.

We have been shooting in this range since the mid to early 90s. There is some lead splatter now and then but no damage to any of the EMT that I have ever noticed.

As for any hazardous classification, that is mostly about housekeeping. I do know of at least one range where unburned powder laying on the floor ignited. Ignition source was not electrical. It was not a well maintained range.

Despite the presence of steel baffles overhead, and wire mesh screens over the lights, the light fixtures do require periodic replacement due to lead splatter.
 
The one range I did, we didn't do anything special. Now that said there were also numerous bullet holes in places where there shouldn't have been bullet holes, so I don't know if you could ever really make it idiot proof.
 
I think routing is more important than what type of raceway is used. I have been involved wih a couple of ranges (mediocre to excellent). One thing they all have in common is eventually errant rounds are fired in just about any direction more or less down range, including straight up. Caliber and type of firearms may also be a factor - rifle bullets have MUCH more penetrating ability. I presume a "shoot house" is where the shooters progress through a structure looking for pop-up or other targets as opposed to a standard shooting range where shooters fire from predetermined and fixed locations.
 
So, what do bullets have to do with electrical work? It's as 'ordinary' a location can be, in NEC terms.

The NEC does require the electrical to be protected from mechanical damage- i.e.: bullet impact. Since there in no wiring method that is intended for this use, you will have to protect your stuff using other methods and materials- for example, by the routing you choose.

OTHER codes will affect the job .... things like the mechanical code (ventilation) and EPA rules (lead).
 
sgunsel said:
I think routing is more important than what type of raceway is used. I have been involved wih a couple of ranges (mediocre to excellent). One thing they all have in common is eventually errant rounds are fired in just about any direction more or less down range, including straight up. Caliber and type of firearms may also be a factor - rifle bullets have MUCH more penetrating ability. I presume a "shoot house" is where the shooters progress through a structure looking for pop-up or other targets as opposed to a standard shooting range where shooters fire from predetermined and fixed locations.
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Action shooting is much more popular that traditional bullseye shooting these days. Most ranges have to be able to deal with shooters discharging rounds from just about anywhere down range of the shooting points.

Shoot houses are ranges specifically constructed so that targets can be set up in a wider arc as the shooter progresses through a course of fire. Normally the backstop is only immediately down range, and the targets are all set up in front of the backstop, so they tend to be almost directly in front of the shooter. But in a shoot house, the backstop covers a wider arc, so a target might be just about anywhere, from the far left of the shooter to the far right. in a few cases the backstop completely surrounds the shooter.
 
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