It takes utmost confidence to steadily advance to within a foot of a bullet trap’s face while pouring in everything from 9mm to .50 BMG rounds. Yet, that’s what Gary Mol, founder of American Range Systems, routinely does while testing the company’s many innovative bullet trap designs.
American Range Systems bullet traps are setting the pace for personal and professional range applications, facilitating the transformation of almost any space—from basements and barns to backyards and farms—into shooting ranges. Nine distinct models are available across ARS’sRanger, Warrior, Mobile and Badger lines, offering rugged, safe and reliable performance in any shooting application, from .22LR to .50 BMG.
The new ARS Mobile bullet trap is both versatile and affordable. It adjusts from ground height up to 6’ and is designed for calibers ranging from .22LR to the most potent .300 magnums, offering an incredible combination of portability and flexibility.
“You can hook it to an ATV and take it over uneven terrain, or put in in the back of a pickup and easily move it around in training settings,” says Mol. “Shooting paper targets at a range has its place, but the mobile unit is invaluable in terms of injecting challenge and authenticity. Tape a standard 16x24-inch target to it and move it around, creating variability for the situation without requiring security personnel to deviate from their vantage point. Move the target – not the shooter!”
Besides the Mobile unit, American Range Systems’ consumer lineup consists of the popular Ranger series, designed for handguns; Badger clearing boxes for gunsmiths, gun shops and law enforcement that can handle .300 magnums; and the Warrior series, which includes the mighty Warrior 858 Max and versatile Warrior 540. The Warrior 858 Max stops everything .357 Mag up to .50 BMG, including ball ammo, armor piercing and tracer rounds.
The units set up easily. Just attach a target and zero your weapon, then back off and shoot.
“You can shoot as close as you want, which is great for practicing with your pistol, “Mol says. “Hunting enthusiasts who like to work up their own loads can set a unit in their basement or garage near their reloading bench and shoot through a chronograph and do all the ballistics work you could never get done at a public range.”
So, how do American Range Systems traps do such an effective job at stopping bullets? The technical term is “inelastic collision.” First, a uniquely designed, self-healing ballistic face slows down projectiles on impact. The bullet then collides back & forth with the ballistic compound medium that rapidly slows its momentum. If a bullet passes through the medium, the patented rear-angled AR-500 steel panels deflect high-powered projectiles back into the ballistic medium where they stop. ARS traps don’t result in the intense bullet fragmentation often seen in other trap designs. Users can reclaim the lead, since the bullets stay largely intact. This patented design solves both safety and environmental concerns.
The self-healing face material includes several layers of woven-in fabric. “I’m bringing a new face to the SHOT Show,” Mol says. “We shot it about 74,000 times and the unit was still working with that face. We’ve got some faces that have been shot more than 30,000 times and still look almost brand new.”
Mol calls maintenance on American Range Systems units “the utmost in simplicity. All you need is a ¾-inch wrench, a dustpan and a broom; that’s it. Simply remove two bolts and swing the door open. The old face hangs on two pins inside the door. You take the old one off, put the new one on, shut the door and tighten it. “I wish I could make it sound more complicated!” Mol says.
Doug Veldhuizen, National Sales Manager for ARS parent company, Nexus Outdoors, notes that a reliable American Range Systems bullet trap on a personal range helps mitigate the otherwise worrisome liability concerns about bullets going awry. “There are all kinds of potential safety problems associated with shooting on private property ranging from deflected bullets hitting neighboring livestock to ricochets hitting vehicles or dwellings. These units can solve many of those problems.”
Attendees at next week’s SHOT Show can take a personal look at American Range Systems’ new Mobile model in the New Products Center, and talk with Mol and Veldhuizen while viewing additional ARS models at Booth #2333.
About American Range Systems
Headquartered in Ohio, all American Range Systems units are manufactured in the United States. Our mission is to create and share the most advanced bullet-catching technology that takes the fear out of knowing a bullet’s final resting place. Whether you are a private citizen looking to improve or sustain your shooting or a commercial business, ARS delivers the safest and cleanest way to bring the range to you, providing the ability to sight weapons, test weapon functions, test bullets and teach others safe firearms use within a personal or commercial range setting. American Range Systems is a subsidiary of Nexus Outdoors, which also markets and distributes ScentLok® OZ®,
ABOUT NEXUS OUTDOORS
Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, MI, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of performance, hunting and casual odor-controlling apparel, footwear and equipment under the ScentLok®, OZ®, ScentBlocker®, Scent Shield®, Whitewater Outdoors® and Tree Spider® brands. Nexus Outdoors is the only company with access to all scent-controlling technologies, including their patented Carbon Alloy technology and Trinity technology, which provide superior success in the field. ScentLok and Scentblocker are pioneers in the hunting industry, which many credit with creating a market based on the elimination of odors to get closer to big game.
