Haole Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Our club is looking at plate racks. The least expensive option uses A36 3/8th inch steel for its targets. The Steel Challenge targets we recently purchased are 1/4th inch AR500 and 3/8th inch AR550. We use the four 18" by 24" Steel Challenge targets (made from 1/4th inch AR500 steel) for both Steel Challenge and CAS matches. Can anyone shed some light on A36 steel, vs. AR500 steel vs. AR550 steel? Wikipedia gives a bunch of engineering data for A36 steel without any mention of impact capabilities. They act like AR500 or AR550 steel doesn't exist. Thanks, Haole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 The AR500 series, for the most part, for CF rifle with jacketed bullets. NO AP...... Never worked with A36. You should call the target maker for their imput. LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocoee Red #31751 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 There is a pretty good explanation here from Arntzen Targets, http://www.arntzentargets.com/SteelTypes.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Daniels Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 A36: The A means annealed. This is soft/mild steel The 36 is "miscellaneous steel" Low carbon stuff A36 is mild steel. Inexpensive but will dent, cup, and bend over time. Untimately an unsafe target. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A36_steel AR500: The AR means abrasion resistant. The 500 is the Brinell hardness AR500 is great stuff and expensive Cutting: Ox-Act torch will impact hardness by anealing the metal Plasma is better/faster Water jet the best Lots are articles on the web: http://www.nationalpolicesupply.com/pdf/The_Truth_About_Steel_Targets.pdf http://www.chapelsteel.com/ar500-ar500f.html http://www.aasteel.com/abrasion.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinell_scale <-- Defines Brinell hardness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_grades Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mink Shoals Bandit, #49388 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 There is a pretty good explanation here from Arntzen Targets, http://www.arntzentargets.com/SteelTypes.htm #1..........Good info, good targets......You get what you pay for.................Mink.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Could be killer shipping costs to where the OP lives. LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustang Gregg Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 :FlagAm: :FlagAm: That's all great info, Pards. I build most of our match and practice targets. These are the findings in a nut shell. I have used A36 for SASS revolver and rifle targets in the past few years to save money. They are pretty dimpled after about a year of shooting. And occasionally there will be a splatter coming back at you from them. Now I try to use the AR500-series steels. A local steel outfit calls it T1. They take a real beating and have not dimpled under 1400 FPS cast bullets. And they are pretty resistant to jacketed handgun bullets when some dumbass uses the targets without permission. BTW--The old A36 targets were damaged worse from those handgun jacketed bullets. Really pocked up badly! Mustang Gregg Target guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack, SASS #20451 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 T1 is NOT AR500. T1 us usually treated to 250-300 Brinnel. AR500 is around 480-520. T1 won't hold up to long term jacket pistol ammo. AR500 is expensive but worth it. I have about 200 AR500 targets on my range and they look like new. Some have thousands of 9mm and 45ACP jacket hits. Both Action Target and MGM only use AR500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Plus you don't want to weld those alloys either.. LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustang Gregg Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 :FlagAm: :FlagAm: Happy Jack: I know it ain't, Pard. I said "the local steel outfit calls it T1". Just sayin, Mustang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Bob #61228 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Spend the extra money on quality AR500 targets. You'll only cry once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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