BB traps and backstops

When you are out shooting your airsoft replicas, often you won't want a huge field of little white bbs out in your yard near your target. This post will help you build your own bb trap and help to collect some of the mess!

First, let us warn you of this: If your bbs hit anything hard in your backstop, do NOT reuse them in a tightbore barrel! The bb can deform on impact and will then jam in the barrel the next time it is shot. It could also break up into pieces, clogging your barrel. Really, you shouldn't reuse any bbs in any AEG, but its up to you on using them in cheap springers or claymores and the like.

Second, be very aware of what is downrange, behind your backstop. Some shots might miss, and if they are flying toward your neighbors yard, find a different location! Also, be aware of what people driving by think; you don't want to have to explain to the police why there are "guys with machine guns" out in your front yard in the middle of town.

Always treat your airsoft replicas as if they were real firearms! Be safe, wear goggles!

Many people will make a backstop out of layers of cardboard, taped together. This is a very satisfying backstop to shoot, as the bbs tend to penetrate and you can see the hits easily, but in time the bbs will tear the backstop up leaving a gaping hole in the center area. BB's also tend to ricochet off this backstop somewhat. If you have cardboard, try it and see if it will do what you need. Simply take about 20 or so layers of heavy corrugated cardboard (from boxes for example), lay the layers on top of each other and tape around the outer edge to make a flat panel. Prop it up, so slide it down onto a pair of thin steel rods driven into the ground and have at it!

A sheet of plywood across the back of the above backstop will ensure that there are no pass through bbs to worry about.

Another useful stop can be made from a large cardboard box and some old towels (try goodwill or the dollar store if you don't have any). Canvas also works just fine. Stand the box on end with the open side facing you, drape the towels over the opening and pull the bottom end back to the back of the box, so the bbs hit the towel and drop into the box. A second box with the first wedged into it can help to catch even more bbs so they don't roll away. Make sure you have enough layers of towels so that the bbs are not hitting the cardboard on the back of the box; the hanging weight of the cloth will gently stop the bbs travel without damaging the box.

A third simple stop is to hang old blankets or towels over a line, like a cloths line and put a large box below that to catch the falling bbs.

Lastly, you could build a solid trap. These are boxes of metal or wood with an angled backplate so the bbs hit and deflect down into the catch below. A paper target hangs in front of the opening from a spring clip. These traps do the most damage to bbs, and if caught in a rigid trap like this one, you may find that some bbs have broken on impact. These should not be used for anything, though bbs that are still solid can be used in mines after they have been inspected for cracks. You don't want a cracked bb, as they may split and scratch skin or possibly get through a mask to be inhaled. That would suck.

So we will post more on this subject with some drawings soon, til then, shoot safe!