We have been specialists

in deleading small arms Ranges since 1979

We carry out deleading of ranges from one lane up to one hundred
and eight lanes and complexes with many large ranges.

experience 30 plus

What we can do

Lead poisoning kills. Act now.

Sheerspire Deleading have specialized in deleading small ranges since incorporation in 1979. We are the oldest and most experienced deleading company in UK.

  • Professional and Safe

  • Leading edge specialized equipment

  • Over 30 Years Deleading Small Arms ranges

  • Across the UK

  • Sand or Granulated Rubber

Services

Sheerspire Deleading provide an array of small arms maintenance services to protect you and your users and keep your small arms range compliant with current legislations. Services include, but are not limited to; sand bullet catchers, granulated rubber bullet catchers and indoor firing ranges. For a thorough deleading service from the most experienced professionals in the country, call the team today. 

  • Sand bullet Catchers
  • Granulated Rubber bullet catchers
  • Indoor Ranges

Equipment

Small walking excavator

There are only two small walking excavators of this size in the county. We use this equipment if access to the range being serviced is difficult.  It can safely work up to 45-degree slope and can move each leg independently. This means it can stand astride target mechanisms and other objects without causing any damage.

Most barrack ranges were unfortunately not designed with maintenance in mind, but this specialist machine can work around that disadvantage effectively. Whether climbing inside a new style 6 lane 25m or standing stride the mechanism on a 1908 design, it can work with any range layout or design.  This can carry a purpose-built rotary sieve amongst many other available attachments.

Large walking excavator

Large walking excavators are for a bigger range, especially if access is a little more awkward. As this equipment has tyres, it can move around sites freely, with minimal disturbance. This is much more effective compared to commonly-used track machines, as they tend to tear the ground as they turn and mark hard surfaces.

A variety of sieves are available to fit to machines from the small walking excavator up to 20 tonnes or more, so the optimum sieve for the range can be used.

Deep cleaning indoor ranges

Safety-approved vacuums are used to make you and Sheerspire operatives safe from explosion whilst working. Our floor washer and scrubber driers give a deep clean. The wipes used by Sheerspire are specially formulated to remove heavy metals from surfaces that ordinary wipes leave behind.

Granulated rubber

Air density separators and specialist sieve/conveying systems are available for use to delead ranges to the highest standards. Depending on the number and type of bullets fired in the range, the team can work using this equipment. We will help you identify the most appropriate and cost-effective method to carry out your deleading service and make the bullet catcher safe.

Myths

There are many myths and misconceptions about firearms ranges and deleading that people, unfortunately, continue to believe and practice.
A lack of understanding of legislation and maintenance can result in ranges being non-compliant and dangerous.
The Sheerspire team are here to debunk these myths and ensure arms ranges remain safe, secure, and compliant with legislation.

Break up smaller than a grain of sand on impact

Sand granules should be no bigger than 4 mm and most are a lot smaller. On 25m ranges, 5.56 shatters on impact and creates an extremely hard area just under the surface of the main points of impact. Most pieces are bigger than 4mm so can easily be sieved out. Above 100 m 5.56 tends to stay whole if the bullet catcher is well maintained and soft. 

Granulated rubber bullet catchers need no maintenance

Granulated rubber needs deleading just like sand. See JSP 403 Vol 2, chap 2, 02120c – it needs deleading before 20,000 per lane to stop it being broken down. Much sooner for very accurate fire. 

Need more sand after delead

If the range us up to profile, which it should be, taking the bullets out will not reduce the volume of sand in the range and necessitate a top up. 

We can delead your range tomorrow

We tend to book six to ten weeks in advance thoughtout the year but in particularly popular periods such as late July, August and September a lot of slots are booked over the year in advance. Sometimes we can slot in small jobs at short notice.

A homemade garden sieve with do the job

Certainly, if you are using the right size mesh, bullets can be removed from sand and rubber this way but to sieve the volumes required will take many times longer than our sieve and to do it properly is exceptionally hard work.

You need a sand change every time you delead

As per JSO403, a sand change is only needed if the sand has broken down so much it will no longer hold the profile. 

Kitchen range cleaning is the same as shooting range cleaning

If your kitchen cleaners are good, they clean to British Standards for kitchens and extractors. But these standards do not apply to indoor range cleaning, the only acceptable standard is set out in JSP403 vol 2. If they are not familiar with this, they can be a danger to themselves and the end users. Children are particularly vulnerable to lead contamination. 

It is okay to let club members scavenge lead from the bullet catcher

The club and its officers can be held liable for members being harmed by contamination. This also extends to family members being harmed at home by members bring the contamination home with them. 

Nothing need to be done to the bullet catcher between deleads

The bullet catcher needs to be maintained at 34 degrees which involves filling in the impact areas and regrading any slippage. Also, the impact areas need to be probed at least monthly to make sure they are not getting hard and balling is occurring. 

Services You Can Trust!

As part of Sheerspire’s range maintenance services, the team can provide sand bullet catchers, granulated rubber bullet catchers, and an array of maintenance provisions for indoor ranges. The team are always happy to assist with various maintenance queries. For support, get in touch with Sheerspire today.

Get in touch

The Sheerspire Deleading team are available to answer any questions, concerns or queries. To get in touch with a staff member or to book a deleading service for your range, please use the provided form and/or contact details.

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