Most ranges still rely on plywood and improvised setups for barricade training.
Too often, law enforcement teams rely on setups that fall apart, creating more risk than realism. You need equipment that supports real skill-building, not just something to stand behind.
In this blog, we’ll break down some of the best shooting barricade designs for law enforcement training.
Why Shooting Barricade Design Matters in Modern Training
Tactical training environments need to reflect the types of situations officers may face in the field, such as active shooter incidents, room clearing, or close-quarters battle (CQB) scenarios. Standard wooden barricades often fall short. They splinter, break down quickly, and don’t offer realistic conditions.
Modern barricade designs do more than just provide cover. They are modular, easy to move, and safer to use during training. These improvements help instructors build more realistic and challenging courses while keeping trainees safe.
Common Barricade Materials Used in Training (and Their Drawbacks)
Many law enforcement agencies still use the same barricade materials they’ve used for decades. Whether it’s a permanent fixture on a range or a quick setup in a field, traditional materials are everywhere. But just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s the most effective.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s typically used and why it may be time to make a change.
Plywood Panels & DIY Barricades
Plywood is one of the most common materials for building barricades. It’s cheap, easy to cut, and simple to set up. Most ranges use plywood panels with cutouts to mimic doors or windows.
However, plywood breaks apart after repeated use, especially with live fire. It also warps in bad weather and doesn’t offer the flexibility needed to create different layouts. Even though it’s affordable, it often needs to be replaced, which adds up over time.
Improvised Barricades
To keep training flexible, officers often use whatever they have available. This includes:
- Drums or Barrels – These are common in outdoor setups and help simulate low cover or corners. They can be useful, but they aren’t stable and don’t offer protection.
- Vehicles – Full-size vehicles are sometimes used to simulate real-world urban environments. In some cases, officers use the window of a vehicle door as cover while shooting. This method is realistic, but vehicles are heavy, hard to move, and not always available.
- Stacked Tires – Tires are versatile and easy to configure into various barricade types, making them a common fixture on both rural and urban training ranges and ideal for simulating vehicle-related cover or debris-filled environments.
Other common improvised barricades include sandbags, concrete blocks, and office furniture. While they add variety to training scenarios, they often lack safety, consistency, and flexibility.
Innovative Shooting Barricade Designs
Kontek Industries offers purpose-built barricades designed to improve tactical training for law enforcement and military users. Each barricade is built to be strong, safe, and adaptable for different scenarios.
1. 9-Hole Range Barricade
The 9-Hole Range Barricade offers multiple shooting positions and angles to simulate real-world cover. Made from expanded PVC and aluminum, it’s lightweight and tough. It also allows quick changes to fit different training needs.
Key Features:
- Varied shooting ports for different scenarios
- Ballistic impact resistance for safety
- Lightweight and easy to move
- Works well indoors and outdoors
2. Murder Hole Range Barricade
This barricade includes narrow openings to simulate firing from tight, protected spaces. It challenges shooters to stay accurate and aware under pressure.
Key Features:
- Narrow openings for realistic angles
- Durable materials for long use
- Modular design for different setups
- Great for close-quarters combat training
3. Warfighter Range Barricade
This versatile barricade is made for a wide range of drills. Its strong construction stands up to repeated use, and the design allows it to fit many combat scenarios.
Key Features:
- Heavy-duty design for long-lasting use
- Modular pieces for different setups
- Fits many types of drills
- Easy to assemble and break down
4. 4' x 7' Range Barricade
This large barricade provides solid cover for movement and concealment drills. Its size helps simulate urban and battlefield environments.
*Picture shows a set of 3 linked together to create a 12' wide barrier wall*
Key Features:
- Large size for better cover
- Strong materials for durability
- Useful for many training scenarios
- Simple to include in existing drills
Each of these barricades improves training by offering more realistic, durable, and adaptable tools. Law enforcement and military teams can use them to prepare for complex situations with confidence.
Conclusion
Training tools should match the challenges that officers may face in real life. Yet many setups still rely on basic materials like plywood or barrels. Modern barricades give trainers the ability to build better, safer, and more realistic drills.
Purpose-built designs provide structure and consistency where improvised tools fall short. They help officers learn how to move, shoot, and think under pressure, behind cover that resembles what they’ll encounter in the field.
Whether you're running basic shooting drills or advanced CQB scenarios, having the right barricade can raise the quality of every rep. It’s not just about adding realism. It’s about preparing for what matters most.
Contact Kontek Industries
If you are looking to add a professionally designed shooting barricade to your tactical training, contact Kontek Industries to discuss what you need. Kontek’s Training Range Barricade is designed to be a cost-effective solution to provide strategic, safe, and realistic training for operators to replicate fire and movement from defensive positions in a light, rapid deployment package. You can either select from an existing catalog of designs or create your own custom barricade design with our team.
Our barricades are constructed from resilient polymers for rigid structure, designed to be safe for range training, and helps prevent ricochets. This is a cost-effective training tool that requires minimal preventative maintenance, and it advances the instruction of proper firing techniques from static and/or mobile defensive positions. Tactical training instructors will have more flexibility on the range and an increased variety of training scenarios in a shortened time and with a smaller footprint.
Contact the office at Kontek Industries today to discuss your tactical training needs.
