Ballistic Protection Systems – Maknoon Shooting

Integrated Ballistic Protection Systems: Ultimate Safety Engineering in Shooting Ranges

The foundation of any safe shooting range design, whether enclosed or open, rests on one scientific principle: Total Ballistic Containment.

This principle means that the facility must be designed, both architecturally and physically, to safely absorb and contain every shot fired within it, preventing any ricochet, penetration, or dangerous fragmentation. At Maknoon, we don’t treat protection as an added element; it’s the architectural and scientific framework upon which the entire range is built.

Shooting Area Enclosure:

Walls, ceilings, floors, and booths

These components form the “safe envelope” that surrounds the shooter and ensures that all stray or ricocheting shots are safely directed. The Importance of Protecting Walls, Sides, and Ceilings:

This is the first line of defense against stray bullets that may be fired due to human error or weapon malfunction. Its primary function is to prevent projectiles from penetrating field walls and protecting personnel and facilities outside, as well as preventing dangerous ricochets within the field. For this purpose, we use:

Armored Steel (AR500):

It is installed at scientifically calculated angles to safely deflect the bullet towards the main bullet trap instead of ricocheting randomly.

Ballistic Rubber:

We cover hard surfaces with layers of high-density rubber that encapsulate the bullet, preventing fragmentation and drastically reducing recoil, noise, and bullet-laden dust.

The Importance of Protecting Floors:

Protecting the floor prevents bullets that hit the ground from ricocheting upwards and injuring shooters or damaging roof equipment such as lighting and monorails.

The Importance of Shooting Booths:

These booths act as dividers between shooters, and their function is vital for protecting shooters from each other. They prevent spent cartridges from a neighboring weapon from reaching the shooter and, most importantly, prevent any accidental muzzle sweep outside the shooter’s designated lane, ensuring that every shot is directed only towards the end of the range.

The Heart of the Range:

Bullet Traps

These are the primary engineering system at the end of the range, designed to receive the largest mass of bullets, absorb their energy, and collect them safely. We offer several types, each with its own characteristics:

Escalator Steel Trap:
- Description: A system consisting of a series of highly rigid, armored steel plates inclined at a steep angle.
- Importance: When a bullet strikes the inclined surface, its kinetic energy is converted into a downward sliding motion, gradually losing momentum until it falls into a collection container below. This highly durable design is ideal for ranges using high-volume rifle ammunition and high rates of fire, and it boasts a long service life.
Rubber Lamella/Block Trap:
- Description: A thick wall composed of vertical blocks or slats of compressed ballistic rubber.
- Importance: When a bullet penetrates this wall, the rubber’s elasticity and friction gradually absorb its energy and stop it without shattering. This type is the best at reducing the amount of bullet-laden dust in the air. It also significantly reduces noise and prevents any ricochet or shrapnel, making it the ideal choice for tactical training ranges and close-quarters combat.

Protection of Mobile Equipment

Importance: In the field, valuable equipment such as mobile vehicles, robots, and target vehicles are located. We design custom protective shields for this equipment using a combination of materials (steel, high-density rubber, and wood) to protect it from direct or stray bullet impacts, ensuring its continued operation and protecting the client’s investment.

Summary: The protection system at Maknoon training ranges is a multi-layered defense system, designed based on meticulous ballistic and engineering studies. From fully encasing the range to ensure containment, to selecting the most suitable bullet trap technology for the type of training and caliber used, we guarantee a training environment that is not only realistic and effective, but also offers the highest possible levels of safety.