When should a steel strike face be retired?

Stop using a strike face as soon as it shows a depression deeper than 2 mm or any other visible damage, and replace it. A damaged face raises the risk of ricochet.

Is lumber included with the target systems?

No. The systems use standard lumber posts: 2x4s for steel-only setups (four-foot lengths are recommended) or 1x2s for combined steel and paper setups. Brackets and bolts are included with the systems.

Does Amidon publish pricing for steel targets?

No. Amidon quotes each requirement, including agency, multi-lane and range-package orders. Send the target types, quantities, delivery location and required-by date to info@amidoninc.com or call 866-426-4366.

Steel Targets for Agency & Training Ranges

Q: What ammunition can be used on these steel targets?

The manufacturer's published limits are quality duty or service ammunition only, handgun loads up to 1,500 fps, rifle loads up to 3,200 fps, and birdshot or buckshot only from shotguns. Armor-piercing, steel-core and hardened projectiles and shotgun slugs are not permitted.

Q: What is the minimum safe distance to steel targets?

The manufacturer's published minimums are 20 yards for pistols and 100 yards for rifles, with targets mounted vertically, a proper backstop (25 feet recommended) and a clear downrange safety area.

Q: Can Amidon supply replacement strike faces for targets already on the range?

Yes, for targets in this product line. Every silhouette and gong is available as a strike face alone or as a bundle with bracket or post top and hardware.

Why buy range steel through Amidon

One supplier for the facility and the targetry inside it.

Ranges are rarely bought one piece at a time. A qualification range, a shoot house or a training complex needs walls, backstops, targetry and the consumables that keep it running. Amidon designs and builds the facility; this line lets the same contract, the same point of contact and the same delivery cover the steel that goes downrange.

Modular by design. Strike faces, brackets, bases and post tops are interchangeable across the line, so a range can be reconfigured or repaired one component at a time.
Built for repeat training. Steel gives immediate audible feedback, resets without patching, and stays in service when it is used within the published limits below.
Agency-ready purchasing. Amidon is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, CAGE 8GQA2, quoting single targets through multi-lane range packages.
Made in America. Every target in the line is CNC laser-cut and fabricated by Defense Targets, a division of Weathers Manufacturing, in a 33,000 sq ft machining and fabrication facility in North Carolina backed by more than 30 years of metal-fabrication experience.

The steel

AR500 and SR500 are not the same steel.

Both are sold as “500” steel, and both are hard enough to ring and reset. They come from different starting points, and they are specified to different hardness ranges. Every strike face in this line is SR500.

AR500 vs SR500 at a glance
	AR500	SR500
Name	Abrasion-Resistant 500	Shooting Range 500 (ballistic steel)
Built for	Industrial and mining wear — bulldozer blades, buckets, chutes. Shooters adopted it later.	Ballistics: repeated point impacts from bullets, rather than general sliding wear
Brinell hardness (HBW)	About 470–534	500–590, typically 540–550
Floor of the range	Can fall below 500	Starts at 500

Why the difference matters on a range

A strike face is retired when a bullet leaves a depression deeper than 2 mm, because a cratered face changes how fragments leave it. Surface hardness is the property that resists that permanent deformation. SR500 is specified from a 500 HBW floor up to 590, and production steel typically sits at 540–550 — a range that begins where much of the AR500 range sits.

Hardness is not the only variable. Plate thickness, the angle the face is hung at, the mounting hardware and staying inside the velocity and distance limits all decide how long a face stays in service. That is why the line is sold as complete systems, with the hardware specified, and why the use limits below travel with every target.

Hardness figures are the commonly published specification ranges for each designation, not measurements of an individual plate.

01 · Silhouette & qualification systems

Silhouettes for qualification, competition and scenario drills.

Complete systems ship with the strike face, bracket and bolts. Most mount to standard lumber posts on a collapsible steel base; hostage-head paddles add no-shoot and precision-under-pressure drills to any silhouette.

Ready-Ship Target IPSC-pattern steel target on a collapsible stand

Most-ordered configuration

Ready-Ship Target (RST) — IPSC-Pattern System

A regulation IPSC-pattern strike face covering the A/B zone and part of the C zone, a collapsible steel stand that fits in most vehicles and assembles in seconds, and every bracket and bolt. Built for USPSA/IPSC-style training, law enforcement and military qualification, multi-gun practice and pistol, carbine and rifle sessions.

Strike face: 3/8 in SR500 steel
Face size: 9.5 × 20 in, 5.75 in wide at top
Stand: Collapsible steel, included
Mounting: 2x4 for steel only; 1x2 for steel + paper
Hostage options: None, standard head, T-box, credit card or triangle
Finish: Ships unpainted, ready for any coating

Full-size IPSC-pattern steel silhouette on a 2x4 post

Full-Size IPSC-Pattern System

Full IPSC-pattern silhouette for qualification lanes and competition practice. Offered upright and in an angled configuration that directs fragments downward.

Variants: Upright; angled

Long A-Zone System

Elongated A-zone face that rewards accuracy at speed across pistol and carbine drills.

Use: Accuracy-under-time drills

B/C-Zone Systems

Reduced-profile B/C-zone silhouette, as a complete upright system or on an angled base.

Variants: Complete system; angled base

IDPA-pattern steel defensive silhouette on a post

IDPA-Pattern Defensive Silhouette

Regulation-size IDPA-pattern defensive silhouette for defensive-pistol training and match practice.

Face: Regulation IDPA pattern

Body Shot steel silhouette on a 2x4 post

The Body Shot System

Torso-focused silhouette for center-mass engagement drills at distance.

Use: Center-mass drills

Dual-zone reactive steel target with separate head and body plates

Dual-Zone Reactive System

Separate body and head zones for failure-to-stop (Mozambique) drills, with distinct feedback from each zone.

Use: Failure-to-stop drills

TMAC trapezoid steel target on a 2x4 post

TMAC System (Pat McNamara)

The trapezoid strike face developed with TMACS Inc. founder Pat McNamara for the way instructors run high-volume classes.

Use: Training courses, classes

Noner compact steel silhouette on a 2x4 post

The Noner System

A compact silhouette sized for the widest range of shooting types, chosen by working instructors as an all-round lane target.

Use: General-purpose lanes

02 · Gongs & precision plates

Gongs and precision steel from pistol bays to rifle lines.

Round, square and flag plates for competition stages, transition drills and precision rifle work. Each is offered as a complete system, as a bundle, or as a strike face alone.

8, 10 and 12-Inch Gong Systems

Hanging and post-mounted gongs in three diameters for speed, transitions and steel challenge-style stages.

Diameters: 8 in, 10 in, 12 in

18 by 24 inch rectangular steel competition plate on a post

18 × 24-Inch Competition Plate

Large rectangular competition plate for stage design, long-range pistol and close-range rifle.

Face: 18 × 24 in

The Dong Gong

Oversized gong for confirmation hits at distance and for new-shooter instruction.

Use: Distance confirmation

Small square steel precision plate on a post

Precision Squares, 4 and 6 Inch

Small square plates for precision pistol and rifle accuracy standards.

Sizes: 4 in, 6 in

Full-Size Flag Target

Flag-profile plate for stage variety and positional shooting.

Profile: Flag

Steel flasher gong hanging from a tripod stand

Flasher Gong and Stand

Gong on a dedicated stand for flash-sight-picture and speed drills.

Includes: Gong and stand

Shadow 6 know-your-limits steel plate ladder

Shadow 6 Know-Your-Limits (KYL) System

A descending-size plate ladder that shows a precision rifle shooter exactly where accuracy runs out, in one string of fire. Suited to sniper and designated-marksman sustainment, precision rifle courses and long-range zero confirmation.

Use: Precision rifle, DMR and sniper sustainment

03 · Reactive targets & plate racks

Steel that moves, falls and resets.

Reactive targets add decision-making, movement and competition to a training block. The commercial plate rack is built for range operators who run classes every day.

Range-grade

Commercial-Grade Plate Rack

A turnkey six-plate rack for ranges, clubs and training facilities. One pull of the chain raises all six paddles through an integrated reset bar; an SR500 deflector plate shields the linkage from direct hits and spall. Ships fully assembled by LTL freight and breaks down for relocation or off-season storage.

Paddles: Six, 8 in round, 3/8 in SR500 steel
Reset: Manual pull chain, integrated reset bar
Protection: SR500 front deflector plate
Frame: All-steel, commercial grade
Footprint: Approx. 84 L × 44 W × 56 H in
Finish: Unpainted

Poppers, 28 and 42 Inch

Knock-down poppers in two heights for stage design and decision drills.

Heights: 28 in, 42 in

Dueling Tree

Freestanding dueling tree for head-to-head and timed paddle drills.

Height: 58 in

Modular dueling tree paddles mounted on a target post

Modular Dueling Tree Add-On

Converts a modular target base into a dueling tree, reusing hardware already on the range.

Fits: Modular line bases

Mobile Dueling Tree

A portable four-foot tree with six paddles for training that moves between ranges.

Paddles: Six; 4 ft tree

TST and Mini TST Reactive Stars

Rotating multi-plate star in full and mini sizes for target-acquisition and speed drills.

Sizes: Full; mini

04 · Defense Targets MBT

MBT: a rolling bullet trap for shoot houses and indoor lanes.

Defense Targets MBT portable bullet trap on casters with paper target holder

A portable, modular trap for close-range training where ricochet and splatter control matter most: shoot houses, indoor ranges and tactical lanes. A solid ballistic-rubber face absorbs impact and fragmentation; the replaceable steel plate behind it is what stops the round. An integrated tray captures lead dust, splatter and jackets.

The unit rolls into position on casters, locks down, and moves when the scenario changes. Assembly and disassembly need only a basic multi-tool, and the face and back plate are each replaceable when worn.

Confirm ammunition compatibility with Amidon before ordering. The rubber face does not stop the round on its own; the steel back plate does.

Bullet trap specifications
Face	24 in W × 36 in H
Face construction	2 in solid vulcanized ballistic rubber, not granule-filled; no exposed hardware
Back plate	Replaceable SR500 steel
Lead management	Integrated capture tray for dust, splatter and jackets
Frame and stand	Heavy-duty steel, modular
Mobility	5 in casters; custom caster sizes available
Options	Paper holder; adjustable cardboard target holder; custom target heights; custom colors on orders of 10 or more

05 · Strike faces, bundles & hostage heads

Replace the face, keep the range.

Every silhouette and gong in the line is sold three ways, so a range can buy only what it needs: a strike face alone, a bundle, or a complete system.

Strike Faces

Replacement steel faces for the full line: full-size IPSC-pattern, Ready-Ship, long A-zone, B/C-zone, IDPA-pattern, body-shot, TMAC and Noner silhouettes, and 10 in, 12 in and 18 × 24 in competition plates.

Sold as: Face only

Steel strike face bundle with bracket and hardware

Bundles

A strike face with its bracket or competition post top and the hardware to mount it on a standard 2x4 range post.

Includes: Face, bracket or post top, hardware

Hostage Heads

Bolt-on steel paddles that turn any silhouette into a no-shoot or precision-under-pressure target.

Styles: 6 in paddle, T-box, credit card, triangle

06 · Bases, brackets & mounting

Standard lumber, standard hardware.

The line mounts to ordinary lumber so a range can replace a shot-out post from any building-supply store. Lumber is not included.

Collapsible Steel Base

Multi-purpose base that takes both 1x2 and 2x4 boards.

Qualification-Range Base

Stand built for law enforcement qualification lanes.

Strike-Face Brackets

Steel brackets with bolts, including a silhouette-specific bracket.

Post Top and Ground Stake

Steel 2x4 post top and a stake-in-the-ground base for portable setups.

Mounting reference
Steel-only posts	2x4 lumber, treated or untreated; 4 ft lengths recommended
Steel + paper posts	1x2 lumber
Strike-face bracket	1/2″-13 carriage bolt, 1-1/2″ long, with 1/2″-13 hex nut
Modular base	5/16″-18 bolt, 1″ long, with 5/16″-18 hex nut
Finish	Steel ships unpainted, ready for range paint or coating

07 · Paper targets

Paper for qualification, scoring and record.

Paper pairs with steel on the 1x2 mounting option, giving a scored record of the same string that rang the steel.

Qualification-Style Targets

LTR-III PPSO QUAL and RAD patterns for federal-style qualification courses.

Pack: 100 count

Anatomical Skeleton Target

Humanoid target with anatomical zones for shot-placement instruction.

Size: 20 × 32 in

Numbers Target

Numbered zones for call-out, decision and bullseye drills.

Size: 20 × 32 in

Double-Sided IPSC / B8 Target

IPSC-pattern on one side and a B8 bullseye on the other.

Pack: 25 count

Noner and TMACS Paper

Paper sized to the Noner silhouette, and double-sided TMACS IPSC / B8 targets.

Pack: 25 count

Shadow 6 Grey Precision Target

Low-contrast grey target for precision and positional work.

Size / pack: 20 × 32 in; 25 count

Use limits

Steel stays safe when it is used inside its limits.

These are Defense Targets' published limits for this line. They travel with every target Amidon supplies and belong in the range SOP. Shooters and spectators wear ANSI-approved eye protection, firearm hearing protection and protective clothing, and the range follows standard firearm safety rules.

Using a target outside these limits, or in a configuration other than the one specified, is outside its intended use.

Published use limits
Ammunition	Quality duty or service ammunition only
Handgun	Maximum 1,500 fps; minimum 20 yd from target
Rifle	Maximum 3,200 fps; minimum 100 yd from target
Shotgun	Birdshot and buckshot only
Prohibited	Armor-piercing, steel-core and hardened projectiles; shotgun slugs
Mounting	Vertical, with a proper backstop (25 ft recommended) and a clear downrange safety area
Retire the face	At any depression deeper than 2 mm or any other visible damage

From the instructors who run it

“I expect my steel to resonate effectively, it needs to be broken down, and transportable with ease, it has to deflect projectiles safely, and it needs to be durable. For these reasons, I own and use only Defense Targets steel systems.”
Pat McNamara, TMACS Inc.

“Defense Targets has a whole line of shooter designed and shooter friendly reactive targets. Defense Targets is my one stop shop for all my steel target needs.”
Mike Pannone, CTT Solutions

Procurement

Tell us the range. We'll quote the steel.

Amidon quotes every requirement, from a single replacement face to a multi-lane qualification range or a complete outdoor range package, and can fold targetry into a shoot house, ISAR or training-facility contract.

1

DefineTarget types, quantities, calibers and the drills or qualification course they support.

2

ConfirmDelivery location, required-by date and any solicitation or technical documents.

3

ReceiveA quote and delivery plan from one SDVOSB point of contact.

Build the whole range

Steel is one layer. Amidon builds the rest.

Frequent questions

What range managers and buyers ask.

What ammunition can be used on these steel targets?

Quality duty or service ammunition only: handgun loads up to 1,500 fps, rifle loads up to 3,200 fps, and birdshot or buckshot only from shotguns. Armor-piercing, steel-core and hardened projectiles and shotgun slugs are not permitted.

What is the minimum safe distance to steel?

20 yards for pistols and 100 yards for rifles, with targets mounted vertically, a proper backstop (25 feet recommended) and a clear downrange safety area.

What is the difference between AR500 and SR500 steel?

AR500 (Abrasion-Resistant 500) was developed for industrial and mining wear and is specified at about 470–534 HBW. SR500 (Shooting Range 500) is ballistic steel built for repeated bullet impacts and is specified at 500–590 HBW, typically 540–550. Every strike face in this line is SR500.

When should a strike face be retired?

As soon as it shows a depression deeper than 2 mm or any other visible damage. A damaged face raises the risk of ricochet, so replace it rather than keep shooting it.

Is lumber included?

No. Systems use 2x4s for steel-only setups (four-foot lengths recommended) or 1x2s for steel and paper together. Brackets and bolts are included with the systems.

Can Amidon supply replacement faces for targets already on our range?

Yes, for targets in this line. Every silhouette and gong is available as a strike face alone or as a bundle with bracket or post top and hardware.

Does Amidon publish pricing?

No. Each requirement is quoted, including agency, multi-lane and range-package orders. Send target types, quantities, delivery location and required-by date to info@amidoninc.com or call 866-426-4366.

IPSC, IDPA and USPSA are marks of their respective owners; target patterns are named by reference only and imply no endorsement. Defense Targets and its product names are marks of their owner, used with permission. Specifications and use limits are the manufacturer's published figures for this product line.

Steel targets for agency and training ranges, supplied by the team that builds the range.