I own an outdoor range. While it is not open to the public,,, it is open one day a month for a USPSA Level I match. I have 7 pistol bays,,, with one of those doubling for my 100 yd rifle bay when I wish & can close the rest of the bays.
Hard steel,, 1/2" or even thicker can be used as a deflector plate,, but NOT a good bullet "stopper." When bullets hit steel,, they fragment,,, and often, a portion will make a neat disc of lead. BUT,,,,,, they do not liquefy, or turn to dust unless you use frangible ammo. Bits & pieces do go in all kinds of directions.
I'd say that a much better type of backstop material is easily available & more cost efficient. Shredded rubber tires allows a bullet trap, that also allows the "mining" of the lead.
Steel cases can be allowed,, but as noted,, in special bays to allow easy clean-up with a magnet.
Rapid fire is fine to me. BUT,,,,, safety first. Go watch a USPSA match & you will see a lot of rapid fire,, along with a form of "Quick-draw." But in USPSA,,, there are restrictions on the types of holsters,, as well as trigger finger rules. (example; "Draw the gun, then engage the targets" is a common stage written briefing.) But, as noted,,, rapid fire can be done safely,, once a person is given training, and shown proficiency to be allowable.
Strictly enforcing safety rules. In USPSA,,, we have safety rules that will Disqualify a shooter from that match. Not forever. We have a saying; "It's not a matter of if you will DQ,, but WHEN you will DQ." Just a few weeks ago,, we had a shooter I had to DQ during a match. He broke the 180 degree rule. He was in "high gear" & when he did it,, it was a safety violation,, but the stage was set-up in such a manner to still be safe for bystanders. He knew he broke the "line,, and was stopping himself as I was also stopping him. Upon discussion,, he allowed it was his first DQ,, after 28 years,,, yes,, 28 years of shooting USPSA.
So, banning for life,, not always the best answer,,, ESPECIALLY if you have training & new shooters. BUT it can be used as a training event to show someone what & why we have rules.
Suppressors,, no issues,, and a non issue.
Full auto,,, fine,,, in an approved bay where all bullets can be controlled even if the gun gets away from the shooter. Range design is critical here.
Now,, for indoor ranges,, lead dust, and other potential airborne stuff that can hurt someones health, proper ventilation is a MUST HAVE!!!!!!! But,, if you build a good exhaust type filtration system, that pulls smoke etc away from the shooters,, in cold months,, you also pull away heat,, and A/C in the warm months. And BP shooters NEED a good air circulation system for them as well.
Individual lanes MUST have safety barriers between shooters to prevent the potential injury to an innocent person if a shooter has a mis-directed round.
Noise suppression material to help absorb noise between shooters is a big plus. Imagine a new, female shooter,, using a 22,,, standing next to a guy with a loudkickenboomer. The less noise & concussion the hear & feel is a huge plus.
Build a range with more than 25 yds as the max distance,, even for handguns. 100 yds is ideal.
These things are observations of mine after owning a range AND having shot in several of them.
