Posted: 1/19/2008 7:18:26 PM EDT
| I am looking to build a few barricades to use in firearms training. If anyone has access to one of the stair stepped ones, I would appreciate the dimensions on it and any other ideas you would care to share. THanks. |
Both sections are approx. 3’x4’ & obviously oriented opposite each other. The slots are 8” long & 2” wide. Circles are 6” diameter. Bottom ports are 5 ½” tall, sides are 8” wide, center is another 6” diameter circle. I’ll try to get some more pics in the next few days, but it’s late. I started off wanting to make something like the VTAC barricade, but I wanted to use up some plywood scrap I’ve had in the garage for a while so the project morphed into what you see. The illustration in Green Eyes & Black Rifles is what provided most of the inspiration for the barricade so I have to give Kyle credit. Ports: I just cut some 8” strips of 2” wide masking tape & grabbed a lid off a big tub of yogurt (Cool Whip lid would be about the same) & started positioning them around both pieces of the barricade. I tried to get them decently spaced out & provide a variety of heights & port orientations. Overall Shape: I was less concerned about a bunch of steps because you can pretty easily brace up against any part of the sides. There is an intentional step where the two pieces meet, but other than that I think it’s harder to brace the gun well against a vertical section of barrier than a step & harder in training = better. Hinge: The hinge serves to help transport the barrier & I made a couple supports to simulate shooting around something approx. the height of a vehicle hood. Obviously planting yourself right on a vehicle ala TJ Hooker is not a good idea, but being able to maneuver & shoot around one is. I would much rather have someone skip a round off my pretty barricade than off the hood of my manly truck. Less splainin’ for me to do with the wife & insurance company that way. Legs & Supports: The legs on the backside are 3’ long, the vertical pieces that support the lower section are 32 1/2” tall & set on top of the leg. There is a 45 degree support running from the top of the vertical piece to about 4” from the end of the leg. The legs will have holes drilled in them so we can stake them down if it gets windy. The pieces were screwed together with 3” deck screws. On the back/top of the top section I have a couple pieces of 2x4 with a 2”x2” hole cut in the center. Into those holes a couple pieces of 2x2 fit to support the top when it is folded at 90 degrees for auto hood duty. There are a couple 5’ 2x4’s running on either side of the barricade to keep it together when in the upright position. I’m going to test out the 2x2’s in that role as well- it would be nice to have fewer pieces to haul around. Nuts & Bolts: The things are put together using ¼” diameter carriage bolts, nuts & 1 ½” washers to prevent damage to the plywood. 2 bolts attach the lower section to the legs, 4 on each of the 3 hinges & I can use up to 6 on each of the supports running along the back side of the barricade in the vertical position. I used wing nuts to attach the legs & the vertical supports & lockwashers & regular nuts for the hinges. Overall it took me one full weekend day & a few hours every night of the following week to complete two of these. Another ½ day was spent fiddling with the paint & stenciling for the website. You could probably knock one out in a day if you have your plan, all your parts & tools & don’t paint it. |
