Shooting .38 Specials in the garage?

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

BigBlock

member
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
952
Location
OR
I'm thinking about setting up a target/backstop in my garage to shoot light .38 specials from my GP100. The problem is I live in the suburbs and have uptight neighbors...the door has to be shut and I'll have the lawnmower running on the outside of the door. Otherwise the police would be here faster than if I called and reported a murderer in my house....:rolleyes:

My worry: Lead. I'll be shooting FMJ, but I'm more worried about the primers. Am I going to get lead poisoning if I shoot in an enclosed area without ventilation? Maybe just 6 or 12 rounds at a time? Maybe I should wear a respirator?
 
if you're inside city limits typically discharging a firearm is illegal.

For the direction you're shooting what's your backdrop? What if you miss?

It seems to me that setting up your own range in your garage is a terrible idea.
 
Well I think that you are asking for trouble, but depending on the size of your garage you could get like 200 CFM exhaust fan or 2.
 
I'll tell you what - I love guns, and believe that a fella should generally be allowed to do what they please, but if I were your neighbor and knew that you were shooting in your garage without a proper backstop (which is gonna be dang near impossible to build in a garage in the first place) I'd be pretty pissed as well. It's not safe, and in the off-chance that one of your rounds misses the backstop you have set up (or goes straight through it) it has a very high chance of hitting and injuring someone or causing other damage.

Is it really worth it?

That said, I know I get a scratchy throat if I stay too long at the local indoor range - I can't imagine an enclosed garage is going to be any better. If you really, really, really have to shoot so bad that you go through with your plan, at least get some sort of fan.
 
Doesn't sound like a good idea in general to me.

As to the ventilation, yes. You're going to have a major problem. Might as well sit in your car in an enclosed garage with the engine running. It's just about the same thing.


-T.
 
If you reload, you could load up some primer-only rounds with rubber bullets. Or, if you have a .22LR revolver, shoot primer-only Aguila Colibris. Technically, it's still discharge of a firearm, though, and very possibly illegal where you are, and lead in the primer would still be a worry. Better idea than shooting real .38s in your garage. :eek: Even if I lived in the boonies, I'm not sure I'd do that.

How 'bout an air pistol revolver or an airsoft revolver? Likely a lot more legal, quieter, and cheaper. Heck, you could even shoot the airsofts inside your house (with appropriate backstop, of course). No lead involved at all! Many competitive shooters use airsoft clones at home for training. Check out the link below.

CO2 revolvers:
http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/show.pl?cmd_category=show&category_id=55

Airsoft revolvers:
http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/show.pl?cmd_category=show&category_id=54


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlV6V36NXls
 
They'll still hear it.

I used to frequent a popular indoor range here in VA. Even in the parking lot you could hear the shots.

I highly advise you don't do it.

Or, you could get a supressed 22 and shoot the Colibris...
 
Bad idea, very very bad idea.

A good idea is to use wax bullets powered by a primer, rubber bullets(IIRC these are available from Midway) powered by a primer, or use the Speer plastic cases with Speer plastic bullets powered by a primer made for exactly this type of use. The speer stuff is also available from Midway IIRC.


Sometimes I really wonder where folks get ideas....
 
This sounds like a disaster.

Just buy a pellet gun, BB gun, airsoft gun, whatever.

Don't go way out of your way to break the law and possibly get yourself in jail/prison and possibly yourself or others killed.
 
Not a good idea. You live in a beautiful state with tons of National Forest Land. I'd find someplace otside thats's legal. Then you can shoot at things more fun than paper. Just remember to pack out whatever you shoot up.
 
BigBlock

In my younger days, when I thought I needed daily practice, one of my FTO's turned me on to bees wax bullets. A standard 1/4 bees wax block and a primer work well for trigger control and sight alignment drills at 10 ft. The bees wax is just enough that the primer will not back out, and the primer is enough to send the beeswax pellet down range.


Clean gun just like after shooting normal ammo.

Good Luck & Be Safe
 
Speer makes plastic .38 cases to be used with their plastic .38 practice bullets. The ammo is primer fired only and primers don't need any special equipment to seat so even if you are not a reloader you can do it at home. This was designed to shoot at indoor targets with minimal noise and would be ideal for your purposes. You won't even have to run the lawn mower and risk carbon dioxide poisoning.

3rd item on the page http://www.speer-bullets.com/default.asp?s1=3&s2=8
 
Just leaving a lawn mower running outside without you or anyone near it sounds like a perfect way to make the neighbors suspicious.

Also, that whole thing about shooting in city limits typically being illegal. If they called the cops, they'd actually be reporting a crime, not just being nosy and fearmongering.
 
I know it won't be the same, but why not a good revolver type air or CO2 pistol? You can then shoot in the garage or in the basement with a light backstop or bullet trap.

There would still be a minor lead problem, but not as much as with a firearm.

Jim
 
Not a good idea. Actually a real bad idea. Go with airsoft, air pellets, lasers, Snapcaps, something else. You could really find yourself in alot of trouble.
 
My former neighbor, a Probation Officer, decided to shoot a possum that wandered into his garage with his .38 Special duty gun.

One hole in the kitchen wall and cabinet under the sink.
One hole in the garage door and his car radiator.
One hole in the side wall of his garage and his neighbors house next door to the south.

He lost his job shortly after the investigation!
And his wife divorced him shortly after that!

The possum escaped unharmed! :D

rcmodel
 
The problem is I live in the suburbs and have uptight neighbors...the door has to be shut and I'll have the lawnmower running on the outside of the door. Otherwise the police would be here faster than if I called and reported a murderer in my house..
Click to expand...
I'd be the 1st to call 911..."You are the neighbor from Hell!!" :D
 
Last edited:
To answer your question. NO. 6-12 rounds is not a issue. Hell 20 years ago I had a roomate who used to shoot .22 shorts in the house. He set up a range and would go through 50-75 rounds at a sitting.
 
I've tried the Speer plastic .38's indoors with a Smith Model 60. A box of them were in my grandfather's things when he passed.

Ear protection is a must, they are still very loud. And a cardboard box stuffed with rags is a marginal stopper.

I suggest looking for a quality gas-operated Airsoft pistol. Many are very good 1:1 scale replicas and have identical form and function.

They even make Airsoft revolvers.
 
I just want to point out that FMJ is not a totally-encapsulated bullet, the bottom is still exposed lead. You would need to get either TMJ (total metal jacket) or some other sort of non-lead bullet.

I agree with all the other posters. It is reckless and irresponsible.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Olympus
  • Locked
.38 Special Fun?
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
Morgo
Morgo
J
  • Locked
Shooting setup for in-garage shooting practice?
Replies
23
Views
6K
makorunner013
M
D
  • Locked
Shooting your Handgun in the Garage
Replies
15
Views
2K
JohnKSa
JohnKSa
M
  • Locked
Good Source for .38 Special Wadcutter
Replies
11
Views
726
Boba Fett
B
B
  • Locked
Real world issues with lead bullets in pistol calibers
Replies
23
Views
1K
jaysouth
J
Back
Top