How do you create a "safe direction" in your house?

[ocbruin]

Just a question if anyone takes the time to actually set up a safe direction to use while cleaning, dry firing, whatever.

I'm just starting out with guns, and plan to do most of my maintenance on my workbench in the garage. I just got a XD 45, which requires a dry fire in part of the takedown procedure. I would prefer to have a very safe and practical direction to point the weapon while doing this.

Down seems safe, but ricochet, not to mention that the slab is a "post-tension slab" which is not supposed to be cut or cored makes that less than perfect.

High doesn't really work, as there is a second story with rooms above the garage, not to mention the pain of fixing whatever a bullet might hit.

Side doesn't really work, as the garage has the door (and neighbor's house across the street), one side adjacent to family room, one side adjacent to living room, and one side to outside, but neighbor's house is only about ten feet (granted, his garage is the closest room there, but I wouldn't know who might be there).

I'm sure this isn't a unique situation, so what would make a decent, emergency bullet stop?

A stack of old newspapers or other papers? If so, how thick?
A couple sheets of plywood? Again, how thick?
Any other suggestions? The cheaper, more practical, the better.

Also, if I got a 9mm or other caliber weapon with better penetration, I assume things would need to be thicker, not to mention rifles.

[jksupplyco]

http://www.firearms-safety.com/indexa.php

[rrr70]

Just make sure chamber is empty before dry fire.

[Mike's Custom]

I point my guns at a file cabinet. It is thin enough metal to not cause a ricochet and full of papers to stop a bullet.

[mooster]

A couple of companies make bags/pads for this purpose. The one that came to mind was Safe Direction LLC.

[jksupplyco]

http://www.firearms-safety.com/indexa.php

Or you can make your own relatively cheap if you have access to a welder.
Use a schedule 40 steel pipe set at 60 degree angle on 3/8" steel plate base, fill with sand. Viola! Easy and pretty cheap. I would'nt use it to test fire, but definitely to dry fire, or to clear a jam.

[IllTemperedCur]

For handgun, Home Depot 5 gal bucket full of sand should be fine, I'd think.

[ocbruin]

Just make sure chamber is empty before dry fire.

Well, yes, that is a given. But I have seen enough AD/ND stories in different places to drive home the point that regardless of your "confidence" that a weapon is cleared, that you should continue to treat it as loaded and continue to obey basic firearm safety procedures.

[Paul]

I always empty my chambers and check and double check them. It's freaking second nature but not at all automatic or casual. I have a sign inside and outside my safe that reminds me that all firearms are always load - or at lease concidered way until twice proven not.

I don't keep rounds chambered in semi-autos by default so I'm not dropping the hammer on 1911's. I do have a mini-revolver that requires the hammer to drop on a half-notch between chambers. I simply point the .22 magnum down into the concrete when doing that.

If you're really worried an 8" diameter schedule 40 PVC pipe with a few feet worth of sand in it ought to work.

[rrr70]

Well, yes, that is a given. But I have seen enough AD/ND stories in different places to drive home the point that regardless of your "confidence" that a weapon is cleared, that you should continue to treat it as loaded and continue to obey basic firearm safety procedures.

Absolutely. Whe I cleaning my guns, after removing magazineI'm checking chamber a few times before dry fire. Usualy pointing it into the corner of wall and floor. That's all I can do in my appartment.

[ocbruin]

For handgun, Home Depot 5 gal bucket full of sand should be fine, I'd think.

Would this work? I had also thought of a couple of sand bags after posting the original message. In going that route, what depth of sand would work best without being impractical? If memory serves, a 5 gallon is about 10-12 inches deep.

What about a couple 5 gallon drums of water? I've been meaning to get a couple for our earthquake supplies anyways.

[sorensen440]

biggest part is making sure its unloaded
after that the corner where two walls meets is a pretty good spot
full of 2x4's

[rayra]

to the OP, way to make a mountain out of a molehill. Just properly clear the action of any weapon whenever you are handling it. Ensure it is unloaded.

And if you feel compelled to aim it at something, just fill a 5gal bucket with sand / dirt / water and be done with it.

[IllTemperedCur]

Would this work?

Probably, but it's certainly easy to find out. HD plastic buckets are cheap.

[ocbruin]

to the OP, way to make a mountain out of a molehill. Just properly clear the action of any weapon whenever you are handling it. Ensure it is unloaded.

And if you feel compelled to aim it at something, just fill a 5gal bucket with sand / dirt / water and be done with it.

With respect. As I stated, I am new to gun ownership and want to be as safe/prudent as possible. I do not believe I am making so much of this, but I am fine that you do. My question was based on curiosity and trying to establish an idea of a "community standard" with regards to this topic.

Thank you for confirming that a 5 gallon bucket a sand will do the trick. Water works just as well? Good to know, in case I go for the combination earthquake supply/safe direction route.

I'm sorry, but "...if you feel compelled to aim at something..."?

From everything that I have been taught as a new shooter, one should always be aware of what their weapon is aimed at. I was taught that one should never aim the weapon at anything that one don't want to destroy. To me, even the joint of my wall and ceiling is something I'd rather keep intact. The practice of this is not just to avoid shooting the house, but also to maintain a proper mindset at all times when handling a weapon and bringing my finger to the trigger.

I'm sure that as I get more accustomed to handling firearms in the home (with wife and children in proximity), I may feel that these questions are perhaps a little excessive as you do. I hope that I never get to the point where the answer "just clear it" is good enough. Maybe they're just (true) horror stories, but the AD/ND stories always seem to start with "I've been a safe handler without incident for 20 years, thought I cleared the weapon like a usually do but..."