What Are AR500 Steel Plates?

Some law enforcement personnel, competitive marksmen and other experienced shooters build their own steel targets to use for testing and improving their shooting skills. Welding and assembling high quality reactive steel targets, however, can be challenging to even the most skilled DIY craftsmen. The incorporation of multiple moving parts into these homemade targets make them susceptible to failure and potentially hazardous to the shooter and those standing nearby. That’s what prompted Spartan Armor Systems™ to create a line of reactive steel targets that are available both fully assembled and in kit form for DIY shooters.

Differences between Good and Inferior Reactive Targets

A good quality reactive target will be made with smooth, flat steel that only a handful of manufacturers worldwide are capable of producing. Reactive targets that aren’t perfectly flat or lack the necessary smoothness can cause unpredictable splatter or ricochet issues, which creates an unsafe environment for both the shooter and any observers standing nearby. As with all Spartan Armor Systems products, our reactive targets are made from only the finest materials available anywhere. The steel in our AR500 and AR550 targets won’t crater, pock or otherwise deform and pose a threat to your safety.

The Target Man™ AR500 and AR550 Interactive Target Examples

Over the years, we’ve developed a reputation for being a leading provider of quality steel core body armor systems. The same AR500 and AR550 steel is used in reactive steel targets from The Target Man, which is an affiliate of Spartan Armor Systems. The Heads Up model is representative of our preassembled AR500 reactive targets. Another example is the Dueling Tree, which is also available from The Target Man in an AR550 version. All three can be purchased as DIY kits.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of reactive steel targets around that are poorly designed and constructed from inferior grade steel. Most of these targets are homemade, although there are also some commercially available targets that have been constructed with substandard materials. Reactive targets made from lower grade steel are susceptible to cratering, pocking, general deformation and shortened useful lives. Reactive steel targets made from steel with a Brinell hardness number (BHN) of less than 400 come under this category. Shooters should avoid them and only purchase targets made with high quality hardened steel.

Spartan Armor Systems – Top Quality Steel for Top Quality Reactive Targets

Spartan Armor Systems maintains the highest quality control standards in the industry. We became experts in the body armor and tactical gear industry by consistently offering products made from only the very best materials. We spent years sourcing manufacturers who could provide the quality of metal needed for the plates used in our steel core body armor. There are only ten steel mills worldwide capable of producing the AR500 and AR550 steel used in Spartan’s body armor and reactive steel targets. The steel from these mills is certified for quality, which means that when you order from Spartan, you can be assured you’re getting a great product.

Our reactive shooting targets come in two versions, which are preassembled targets and DIY target kits. Our pre-assembled AR500 and AR550 Reactive Targets, which will be shipped to you free of charge, will arrive at your doorstep with just about everything you need to hit the range and start honing your marksmanship skills. All you’ll need to do is visit a local hardware store to buy a piece of angle iron and either build or purchase a target base. We recommend our easy to assemble Multi-Purpose Base (MPB), which is compatible with most of our AR500 and AR550 interactive targets. The MPB provides excellent stability and significantly reduces the time needed to set up and take down the target.

For those shooters who have the ability to weld the individual components, our DIY AR500 and AR550 Reactive Targets offer the same quality materials and workmanship as our preassembled target systems. They’re available at reduced prices because we avoid the costs of assembling the targets and the additional shipping charges that result from the size and shape of the finished product, which lets us pass the savings along to our DIY customers. As with our fully assembled reactive targets, you’ll need to source a length of angle iron and fabricate or purchase a base.

Want to know more about The Target Man reactive steel targets? You can call us at 520-396-3335 or contact us online to find out more about our steel reactive targets, body armor or any other Spartan quality products. Members of the military, law enforcement officers and first responders receive a 10% discount on all products, and when you order from Spartan Armor Systems, shipping is always free for orders $199 or more.