For range owners, every shot that goes down range puts money in the bank—but the profits stop the moment it comes time to extract the bullet metals that have accumulated over time. Range owners with crumb rubber berms will tell you the process is a complete nightmare.

This process begins with a multi-day shutdown that requires large amounts of intense manual labour, all performed under full HAZMAT conditions. Bullets are comprised of valuable lead and copper, yet tens of thousands of dollars in recoverable metals—which should otherwise become revenue for the range owner—are partially or entirely lost due to the high costs of extraction.

Conventional separation and extraction processes used across the industry are painfully inefficient. They deliver low extract yields, low purity rates, and generate high volumes of expensive HAZMAT waste. This is because the industry relies on slow, dirty, and inefficient, dry separation methods that employ antiquated equipment and systems.

Yet the cleanings must be done. The risk of ricochet to shooters becomes a critical safety concern if not performed routinely. Shooting range equipment manufacturers require regular cleaning to maintain warranty. Commercial insurers require regular cleanings to limit their legal liability. Law enforcement and government ranges require regular cleanings as per organizational safety policies. Many state, county, and municipal regulations also mandate routine range cleanings by law.

There is no way for range owners to avoid the cost and headache of cleaning the backstop. No matter who the contractor is or what method they use, they all rely on some form of inefficient dry separation process.

This is all about to change with a revolutionary new patented “differential buoyancy” (sink-and-float) liquid separation system from National Alchemy.

Using our proprietary, ecologically friendly, buoyancy fluid as the primary separation process delivers maximum separation speed: the valuable metals are separated from the rubber. Lead and copper metals instantly sink, while crumb rubber and contaminant material instantly float. This results in the maximum possible yields, as every grain of lead and copper dust is trapped and harvested, while also dramatically reducing HAZMAT exposure. The bottom line includes a dramatic reduction in labour, as the system performs the highest-efficiency cleans possible in a fraction of the time.

The improvements across every measurable category mean nightmares are replaced by serious revenue. For the first time in the industry, it becomes profitable for crumb rubber range owners to clean their backstop.