Dan wrote:
What is an "Elevator style" trap?


Dan,
Sorry for the delay in my reply. To answer your question:
On the most common style trap, I'm sure you know, the backstop plates
are at a 45 degree angle to the ground, with the "floor end" of the
plates furthest from the firing point. That way the bullets are
deflected towards the floor, and are generally stopped in a sand bed or
something similar.


An Elevator style trap is one in which the plates that form the backstop
are angled the opposite way, the end that rests on the floor is closest
to firing line. The plates are not quite at a 45 degree angle and are
not quite flat. The plate has a slight but definite bow to it. The way
it works is that when a bullet hits the plate, the bullet deforms and
essentially skids up the face of the plate. at the top end of the plate
is a funnel-like opening that guides the bullet into a round chamber (it
is a pipe, actually), where it zips around over 270 degrees, and hits a
fixed stopping plate. The round chamber helps to expend some of the
bullets energy, and also contains the now-splattered lead. Subsequent
shots will knock the lead fragments out of the pipe, where they slide
down the face of the plate and are caught by a small trough at the
floor. Works great, and there is no sifting through nasty dirty sand to
recover the lead.

The trap in question is a copy of one marketed by Caswell about 25
years ago. I'm not sure if they still sell one like it.

-AL