North Tech Safe Co has debuted a novel bullet catcher at the Securex 2025 exhibition currently underway at Gallagher Estate in Midrand.
The patented bullet catcher took more than two years to develop but is now in production and attracting significant interest, according to Frik van Lill, Managing Member of North Tech Safe.
Bullet traps or catchers are a critical safety and environmental component in shooting ranges and firearm handling environments. They can prevent bullets from ricocheting off hard surfaces, which can cause serious injury to shooters and range personnel. By safely capturing and stopping projectiles, bullet traps eliminate the risk of stray shots and overpenetrations that could harm individuals or damage property. Specialised barrel-clearing bullet traps are also used to safely capture accidental discharges during firearm unloading, reinforcing safe firearm handling protocols in law enforcement, military, and civilian settings.
Van Lill explained to ProtectionWeb that old technology bullet catchers do not offer sound reduction, have a heavy backblast, create a blinding flash, and can result in the inhalation of smoke and particles.
North Tech’s new design addresses all these shortcomings. It uses multiple material layers rather than heavy sand to catch bullets. An innovative decompression chamber contains muzzle blast and redirects gasses out and away from the user. This means no blinding flash during weapon discharge, no smoke/particle inhalation, and sound reduction.
There are two models available depending on customer needs, with the Mk 2 designed for handguns up to .44 Magnum, and the Mk 3 for weapons like assault rifles up to R1 (7.62 mm) armour piercing. The Mk 3 is also suitable for shotguns. A Mk 1 is under development for less lethal weapons firing rubber bullets, bean bags etc.
The bullet catcher can be fixed or mounted to a vehicle, allowing it to be taken on deployments. Its angle can be adjusted so it is easier for muzzles to be positioned correctly, ensuring safe operation.
Each catcher is rated to accommodate ten accidental discharges, and comes with a certificate from SANAS (South African National Accreditation System). Once its service life has ended it can be recycled (95% of components are recyclable) or exchanged (including by courier).
Van Lill said cost is comparable to traditional bullet traps. Exhibiting for the first time at Securex, North Tech is seeing a lot of positive interest in its bullet traps, which “are selling nicely.”
A common problem with bullet traps is that people use them as bins and throw cigarette butts and other rubbish into them. Van Lill said that with North Tech’s traps, a vacuum cleaner can be used to quickly suck out rubbish and debris.
