Pistol Pit Retaining Wall
Well the day has finally come. It’s time to “start” the fix on the pistol pit. The one mistake I made during construction was I didn’t specify any type of retaining wall in front of the pit.
Why was this a mistake. Why? Erosion. The wall doesn’t keep the berm from collapsing. What it does is catch eroded dirt from seeping onto the gravel pad during heavy storms.
I have been on many ranges. And just about all of them with a short-range setup, have such a wall. It’s usually around a 1 foot tall. Maybe two feet depending on the age of the range. And their target stands usually rest in this area. Until we actually constructed our own, I never appreciated that configuration for what it was: necessary. I always thought it was something to be “fancy”.
So….a local farm supply company dropped a bundle of 16 rail road ties and Freeze and I got to work. Setting the ties down as a base. Directing the rain towards the sides. Building a small “french like drain” behind the ties. And spreading gravel around to reclaim the muddy areas.
Trust me, it’s easier to type this than it was to do it. Everything was carried by hand or shovel or pick-axe. Oh! One more thing: It was in the mid 80’s, and the day started with a heavy pop-up shower. Dropped a crazy amount of rain on us.
We never stopped. “If it ain’t rain’n, you ain’t building a place for train’n”. Isn’t that what some gun forum commando says? I’m sure it’s close, whatever that is.
Regards,
Marky
www.John1911.com
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