The German Schießstandrichtlinien (23 July 2012, BAnz AT 23.10.2012 B2) require indoor ranges to clad hard surfaces facing the shooter with at least 2.4 cm of softwood or an equivalent agreed with the range expert, to line walls and ceilings so rounds striking at 25°–90° do not come back, to face the wall behind the trap with steel of more than 2, 5 or 10 mm by energy class, and to hold lining test certificates. BulletTrap Baltic supplies rubber lining tested at the Royal Military Academy (reports ES-230403, ES-240131).
| What the Richtlinie covers | Requirement | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Version and legal basis | Version of 23.07.2012, BAnz AT 23.10.2012 B2; to be applied “in der jeweils aktuell geltenden Fassung” | WaffG § 27a(3) |
| Hard surfaces facing the shooter (concrete, masonry, steel) | Softwood ≥ 2.4 cm on battens ≥ 2.0 cm, without joints, for 15 m (30–200 J), 20 m (200–1,500 J) or 30 m (1,500–7,000 J) from the firing line | 2.5.3 |
| Wall and ceiling lining in an indoor range | From the firing line over more than 2 m (up to 200 J), 5 m (handguns up to 1,500 J), 10 m (long guns up to 7,000 J); smooth and ricochet-safe, rounds at 25°–90° are taken and do not return to the shooter | 5.1.4.2 |
| Evidence for the lining | “Prüfbescheinigungen bzw. Zertifikate” on rebound and ricochet protection of the materials used | 5.1.4.2 |
| Steel facing on the wall behind the trap | More than 2 mm (≥ 300 N/mm², up to 200 J); more than 5 mm (≥ 300 N/mm², handguns up to 1,500 J); more than 10 mm (≥ 1,200 N/mm², long guns up to 7,000 J) | 5.1.8 |
| Fire behaviour | Acoustic linings at least B 1 (DIN 4102-1) or C-s1,d0 (EN 13501-1); floors Cfl-s1 | 5.1.9 |
| Acceptance and re-inspection | Before first use with a recognised Schießstandsachverständiger; then every 4 years (ranges for permit-requiring firearms) or at most every 6 years (permit-free weapons only) | WaffG § 27a(1) |
What do the Schießstandrichtlinien require from a bullet trap?
A serial bullet trap system is admitted only after a prototype test with at least 10,000 shots per trajectory and an assessment by two independent range experts, which ends in a classification report (clauses 2.8.4 and 2.8.6). The Richtlinie defines the trap system as closed assemblies that dissipate the energy of the incoming rounds without danger (2.8.2) and sorts traps by energy class (2.8.3).
| Trap type or rule | Number in the Richtlinie | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Energy classes of traps | Up to 7.5 J (air), 30 J, 200 J (.22 l.r.), 1,500 J (handgun), 7,000 J (long gun), 4,000 J (shot and slug) | 2.8.3 |
| Steel deflection trap, handguns up to 1,500 J | Plates at least 10 mm, tensile strength at least 500 N/mm², inclined 30°–45°, rounds led down and back; in indoor ranges on vibration dampers, with a front cover against fragments and lead dust | 2.8.5.4.1 |
| Steel trap, long guns up to 7,000 J | Plates at least 15 mm, at least 1,000 N/mm²; front covered with conveyor belt, rubber mats or similar | 2.8.5.5.1 |
| Sand or granulate trap | At least 1.50 m in the impact zone for handguns, at least 2.50 m for long guns | 2.8.5.4.2; 2.8.5.5.2 |
| Penetrable materials (blocks, panels) | Layer or panel thickness chosen so that as few rounds as possible stay stuck in the material; no figure in mm | 2.8.5.4.3 |
| Fire class of the trap filling | At least B 2 (DIN 4102-1), preferably B 1 | 2.8.5.4.1 |
| Not admissible in indoor ranges | Cleaning-wool traps and wooden-log traps | 5.1.8 |
The text mentions rubber granulate as a filling for mobile handgun traps up to 1,500 J (2.8.5.8); rubber blocks are not named. A trap built from ballistic rubber blocks with a steel plate behind it would be a matter for the Schießstandsachverständiger in the planning opinion (1.3); any deviation from the Richtlinie needs the expert’s proof that the protection goals are met (1.6).
What this means for the trap you specify: BulletTrap Baltic supplies a trap built from 200 mm BRB-200 blocks with an armoured 500 HB plate behind them. In report ES-240131 the block alone was perforated; with the plate every projectile was stopped and the plate stayed intact. The full system description is on the bullet traps page.
How thick must the wall lining be under the Schießstandrichtlinien?
The thickness the Richtlinie gives for lining hard surfaces is 2.4 cm of softwood on battens of at least 2.0 cm (clause 2.5.3); for other lining materials clause 5.1.4.2 sets performance, not thickness.
- Where: concrete, masonry and steel surfaces facing the shooter, for example Hochblenden, columns and light housings, over 15 m (30–200 J), 20 m (200–1,500 J) or 30 m (1,500–7,000 J) from the firing line (2.5.3).
- Replacing softwood: “In Abstimmung mit einem Schießstandsachverständigen” ballistically equivalent materials may be used instead, for example for structural fire protection (2.5.3). Clause 2.5.3 is the route by which a rubber lining can be proposed to the expert.
- Walls and ceiling of an indoor range: lined over more than 2 m, 5 m or 10 m from the firing line by energy class, smooth and ricochet-safe for impacts at 25°–90° (5.1.4.2).
- Lead-free bullets: the Richtlinie notes that there is not enough confirmed knowledge about their rebound behaviour (2.5.3, Hinweis).
- Fire: acoustic linings at least B 1 or C-s1,d0, floors Cfl-s1 (5.1.9).
- Acoustics: reverberation time T60 below 0.5 s (125–4,000 Hz) and absorption coefficient αs above 0.5 at 500 Hz; seamless rubber sheets on a concrete floor are admissible if fire rules are met (5.1.10).
BulletTrap Baltic’s anti-ricochet tiles are 40 mm (BRT-40, about 34.4 kg/m²) and 45 mm (BRT-45, about 38.9 kg/m²), 900 kg/m³, in 500 × 500, 500 × 1000 and 1000 × 1000 mm. Whether they are accepted in place of softwood is the range expert’s decision under 2.5.3. How lining stops ricochet in general: how to stop ricochet in an indoor range.
Which steel plates does the wall behind the bullet trap need?
Clause 5.1.8 asks for steel facing on the shooter side of the wall behind the trap of more than 2 mm up to 200 J, more than 5 mm for handguns up to 1,500 J and more than 10 mm for long guns up to 7,000 J, unless the wall is reinforced concrete.
| Energy class | Steel facing behind the trap (5.1.8) | Bullet-resistant steel in Tabelle 2.7.2 | Solid softwood in Tabelle 2.7.2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 200 J (.22 l.r.) | > 2 mm, ≥ 300 N/mm², full width, at least 1.50 m high | ≥ 2.0 mm, ≥ 300 N/mm² | ≥ 150 mm (C14–C30) |
| Handguns up to 1,500 J | > 5 mm, ≥ 300 N/mm² | ≥ 5.0 mm, ≥ 500 N/mm² | — |
| Long guns up to 7,000 J | > 10 mm, ≥ 1,200 N/mm² | ≥ 12.0 mm special steel, ≥ 1,200 N/mm² | — |
Softwood for classes above 200 J: see Tabelle 2.7.2 in the Richtlinie.
With a sand trap, the plates reach at least 1.00 m below the fill level (5.1.8). For the wall itself, Tabelle 2.7.3 lists reinforced concrete of at least C 20/25 from 100 to 250 mm and brick from 115 to 240 mm, depending on the filling, and 24 mm softwood plus 1 mm steel up to 200 J. The two clauses give two figures for the long-gun class, so specify against the clause your range expert cites.
Not the same as the VPAM ARG plate. VPAM ARG tests samples on a 500 HBW steel plate: at least 6 mm up to 1,500 J and at least 10 mm from 1,500 J (clause 3.5); the plate is the reference background of the test, not an installation requirement. More on plate thickness: steel backing plate thickness for a bullet trap.
Which certificate shows ricochet protection in Germany?
Clause 5.1.4.2 asks for test certificates on rebound and ricochet protection without naming a test guideline; VPAM ARG (Fassung 3, Stand 01.10.2024) tests floor, wall and ceiling materials at 90°, 60°, 45° and 25°, the same 25°–90° range, and the range expert decides what is accepted.
- Pass criterion: rounds striking at 90° to 25° are taken safely; neither the bullet, its fragments nor parts of the sample perforate the indicator (ARG 4.2, 7.2).
- Shots: 3 per cartridge type and angle (ARG 6.4).
- Classes do not carry over: a sample that meets one class does not automatically meet another, including a lower-energy one (ARG 4.1).
- Certificate or report: a certificate is issued only for cartridges listed in Table 1 or VPAM AND-SoM; otherwise the result is a test report (ARG 6.3).
- Not an acceptance: installation and acceptance of tested constructions in a range are the Schießstandsachverständiger’s responsibility (ARG Einleitung, 3.5).
BulletTrap Baltic’s evidence comes from the Department of Weapon Systems and Ballistics, Royal Military Academy (Brussels), an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory (BELAC 273-TEST) and VPAM member. Report ES-240131 (02.02.2024) tested the 200 mm block to VPAM ARG Fassung 3 (Stand 15.03.2021), 28 shots, with no ricochet in any shot. Report ES-230403 (03.04.2023) measured the ricochet threshold of the 40 and 45 mm tiles with 39 shots. How the standards fit together: EN 1522, EN 1063, VPAM and NIJ compared.
What does the Schießstandsachverständiger check?
The authority inspects the range before first use and after significant changes together with a recognised Schießstandsachverständiger (SSV), and repeats the inspection every 4 years for ranges used with permit-requiring firearms (WaffG § 27a(1)).
Planning
Applications to build or significantly change a range go to the SSV, who checks the documents and proposes conditions in a Planungsgutachten (1.3). The file includes drawings of protective structures, a description of the trap and building services, a description of materials, weapons, ammunition and types of shooting (1.4.2).
Acceptance
“Bei dieser Überprüfung (Abnahme) ist ein anerkannter SSV zu beteiligen (Abnahmegutachten).” Shooting starts only after acceptance and the permit (1.5).
Periodic checks
Every 4 years, or at most 6 years where only permit-free weapons are used. The operator pays the expert. The authority can prohibit use until dangerous defects are fixed (WaffG § 27a(1), (2)).
SSV are persons with special expertise in the safety of non-military ranges (1.7); the federal states set the qualification and recognition procedure, which includes an examination on the Richtlinien (WaffG § 27a(4)). The Richtlinien themselves apply through WaffG § 27a(3).
Which documents to ask a wall lining supplier for in Germany
Ask for documents that answer four clauses: 5.1.4.2, 2.5.3, 5.1.9 and 1.4.2.
| Document | Clause it answers | What BulletTrap Baltic has |
|---|---|---|
| VPAM ARG test report or certificate, with energy class and angles | 5.1.4.2 | ES-240131 (02.02.2024): 200 mm block, VPAM ARG Fassung 3 (Stand 15.03.2021), 28 shots, 0 ricochets with 9×19 DM41, 7.62×39 M43, 5.56×45 SS109 and 7.62×51 DM111 |
| Ricochet angle data for the lining tiles | 5.1.4.2; 2.5.3 | ES-230403 (03.04.2023): 39 shots; rounds stay in the tile from 10.7°–13.3° (40 mm) and 13.8°–15.1° (45 mm) depending on calibre |
| Laboratory accreditation | — | Royal Military Academy (Brussels), ISO/IEC 17025, BELAC 273-TEST, VPAM member |
| Fire class for walls and ceilings (B 1 or C-s1,d0) and floors (Cfl-s1) | 5.1.9 | EN 13501-1 Efl as standard, Cfl with a special binder on request. Both are flooring classes and do not answer the B 1 / C-s1,d0 requirement for linings. |
| Material description | 1.4.2 | BRB-200: 500 × 500 × 200 mm, about 42.5 kg, 850 kg/m³ SBR. BRT-40/45: 40/45 mm, 900 kg/m³. CE marking to EN 14041; AgBB VOC pass |
The reports are referenced in BulletTrap Baltic’s documentation; ask which documents are available for your tender. The shot-by-shot data is on the ballistic rubber blocks and anti-ricochet tiles page. How to judge any supplier’s paperwork: how to verify a ballistic equipment supplier. The wider equipment list for a range: indoor shooting range equipment in Europe.
Questions about the Schießstandrichtlinien
Are the Schießstandrichtlinien binding in Germany?
The Weapons Act says the Schießstandrichtlinien “sind in der jeweils aktuell geltenden Fassung anzuwenden” (WaffG § 27a(3)). Deviations are possible only in a justified case and only with the range expert’s proof that the protection goals are still met (clause 1.6).
Which version of the Schießstandrichtlinien is current?
The latest version found is the one of 23 July 2012, published as BAnz AT 23.10.2012 B2. The 2022 print by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schießstandsachverständige states the 2012 text with the first amendment of 13 March 2013 and calls its own changes editorial. The 2012 introduction still cites § 12(3) AWaffV, which has since been repealed; the basis is now WaffG § 27a(3). Check the Bundesanzeiger for a newer version before a tender.
Can rubber tiles replace the 2.4 cm softwood lining?
Clause 2.5.3 allows ballistically equivalent materials instead of softwood, for example for fire protection, in agreement with a Schießstandsachverständiger. BulletTrap Baltic’s reports ES-230403 and ES-240131 are ricochet tests of the tiles and the block; whether they are enough for equivalence is for the expert to decide.
Is the 6 mm or 10 mm plate in VPAM ARG an installation rule?
No. VPAM ARG tests samples on a 500 HBW steel plate: at least 6 mm up to 1,500 J and at least 10 mm from 1,500 J (clause 3.5); the plate is the reference background of the test. In a German range the steel behind the trap follows clause 5.1.8 (more than 2, 5 or 10 mm) and the range expert’s opinion.
Do BulletTrap Baltic rubber blocks stop bullets on their own?
In report ES-240131 the 200 mm block alone was perforated; with a 500 HB steel plate behind it every projectile was stopped and the plate stayed intact. BulletTrap Baltic therefore specifies the blocks as the front layer of a trap. Details: ballistic rubber vs steel bullet trap.
Do angles below 25° matter for German acceptance?
VPAM ARG requires safe acceptance from 25° to 90°; angles below 15° can be tested on request, without a certificate (ARG 4.2). BulletTrap Baltic’s tile thresholds of 10.7°–15.1° from report ES-230403 lie beyond that minimum. Whether shallower angles matter in your hall is a question for the range expert’s geometry.
Who pays for the range expert, and how often is the range checked?
The operator pays the expert (WaffG § 27a(1)). The range is inspected before first use and after significant changes, then every 4 years where permit-requiring firearms are used, or at most every 6 years where only permit-free weapons are used.
Does the Richtlinie cover lead-free ammunition?
Clause 2.5.3 notes that there is not enough confirmed knowledge about the rebound behaviour of lead-free alternative bullets. If your range plans lead-free ammunition, raise it with the range expert at the planning stage. Air quality and lead: lead dust in an indoor shooting range.
Can BulletTrap Baltic deliver to a range in Germany?
BulletTrap Baltic (MB Murakana) ships from Lithuania across the EU, with no customs or import duty inside the EU. Send the range plan and calibres, and BulletTrap Baltic returns the tile and block quantities and the delivery weight. The reports are referenced in BulletTrap Baltic’s documentation; ask which documents are available for your tender.
Sources
- Waffengesetz (WaffG), § 27 — checked 26.10.2026
- Waffengesetz (WaffG), § 27a Abs. 1–4 — checked 26.10.2026
- AWaffV § 12 (weggefallen) — checked 26.10.2026
- Schießstandrichtlinien of 23.07.2012, BAnz AT 23.10.2012 B2, clauses 1.3–1.7, 2.5.3, 2.7.2, 2.7.3, 2.8.2–2.8.6, 5.1.4.2, 5.1.8–5.1.10 (full-text reprint on umwelt-online.de, three pages) — checked 26.10.2026
- Schießstandrichtlinien, 9th print, January 2022, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Schießstandsachverständige — checked 26.10.2026
- VPAM ARG, Fassung 3, Stand 01.10.2024, clauses 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 6.3, 6.4 — checked 26.10.2026
- VPAM ARG, Fassung 3, Stand 15.03.2021 — checked 26.10.2026
- Royal Military Academy reports ES-230403 and ES-240131, summary data — checked 26.10.2026
Send your range plan
Send the hall dimensions, the calibres and whether the range is for handguns, long guns or both. BulletTrap Baltic returns the tile and block quantities and the delivery weight. The reports are referenced in BulletTrap Baltic’s documentation; ask which documents are available for your tender.
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