Any ideas on how to fix an AR500 target?

[Flyin Brian]

I bought a couple of those tumbler targets over a year ago and had great results with them so I went kind of crazy and ordered another $400 worth of targets, including a long range flopper that cost almost $200. I've taken it out to the range a total of 4 times and would be guessing the high round count as 100 rounds. Here's a pic of the target set up at the MP range at USI:



Last weekend at the Nor Cal C&R shoot in Oroville, we had just set the target up at around 100 yds and my Son shot it with his 30-06 using HP Match bullets and blew the arm off it, which really sucks because it makes it pretty much worthless now. I've never tried to drill this stuff and I imagine it's not any fun. I'm thinking if I can get another piece of 1" wide stock I could bolt it across and make a new pivot for this thing.

What do the metal gods say?

Here's the broken piece:

[Ziggy91]

Teach your son to shoot!

Just kidding.

On a serious note, have a welder fix that for you. Bolting something together sounds like a PITA.

[RandyD]

Take the money out of his allowance and buy a replacement target.

[baih777]

get another piece to weld on and go by a muffler shop and see if he will weld it on for you. take cash. something small like that, muffler shops are usually cheaper than welding shops.

[mikenewgun87]

Duct tape, gum and a paper clip...

[TheExiled]

any kind of warranty/guarantee from seller?

[klewan]

get another piece to weld on and go by a muffler shop and see if he will weld it on for you. take cash. something small like that, muffler shops are usually cheaper than welding shops.

+1, Welding shops have some kind of attitude thing going on....

[javithewrench]

If you were in SoCal id weld it up for free


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[Untamed1972]

I would consider having a piece of flatbar welded across the back at those arm locations too to give it some more thickness. Even though it's AR500, that little tab area is gonna be weaker when it takes a hard hit because their is less area to spread and dissipate the energy over. Plus it would strengthen the repaired area which would also be weaker anyway.

[tackdriver]

THAT is a dumb design for a target... Do you have welding stuff etc? With this high carbon, welding can be tricky. You might try brazing a new piece on. If you are having to have a shop do it, they'll know of course. But don't give up, it can be fixed!

[hermosabeach]

i would contact the manufacturer.

I would think that you could make a new piece of metal that is the same width as the target from outer arm to outer arm and then plasma cut two holes in the shoulder.

Cut off both original arms/ rotational axis

Then bolt the new plate behind the good arm all the way across to the bad arm.

[Flyin Brian]

any kind of warranty/guarantee from seller?

No. I contacted the company (they advertise here on CG) and they replied that since they have no control over where it gets shot and by what type of round, etc, there is no warranty. I could understand if I was complaining about blowing a hole through it or something, but I just figured they'll replace it since it broke like it did and it wasn't used much. I certainly don't feel like I got anywhere near $200 worth of use out of it, which really sucks.

They did offer to sell me another one though :/

[Flyin Brian]

i would contact the manufacturer.

I would think that you could make a new piece of metal that is the same width as the target from outer arm to outer arm and then plasma cut two holes in the shoulder.

Cut off both original arms/ rotational axis

Then bolt the new plate behind the good arm all the way across to the bad arm.

Yeah that's kind of what I am thinking too. If I can get a piece of 1/2" AR500, I could make a new pivot and hopefully it will hold up.

This thing was a blast when it was working. I shot it with my SVT40 and it actually swung all the way around once! It barely had any pock marks at all because of the fact that it swings to cushion the blow a little.

I got a PM from someone who is a welder, so I will try to get it fixed.

[big103]

PM sent

[fourtraxmc]

A friend of mine is a member here Price Design and makes his own AR500 targets. He may be able to cut out a new part for you at a reasonable cost. Here is a video and all the targets in the video are made by him. At the 30:00 mark he shoots a modular swinger he built. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHF66IXVhQY