[degnerd]

Hello,all. I've been into handgunning for a number of years now,and would like to start reloading_______(fill in blank,eg-to save $,just for fun,etc). Looking for ideas to catch my brass at indoor ranges. I saw a thread w/ a nice pvc set up,but that was too big for indoors. Thanks,Dan

[sgte5]

Dan, I just ordered a couple brass catchers from the following web site gracomodels.com They shoud be here in a few days. I bought one for hand gun and my semi auto rifles. They look like they may do the trick. I'll let you know when I check them out.

[45ACPUSER]

Getting to the far right hand side stall on the range helps contain brass, Your position when shooting could help direct the brass backwards rather then forward of the firing line. I suggest getting a few pcs of stiff cardboard to help with errant cases.......

[Marlin 45 carbine]

if the owner of the range will allow it bring a large cardboard box in and prop it up in the general direction of travel the ejected brass takes with the opening faceing the pistol.
easier to do if you are fireing off a rest of some sort.

[JimKirk]

I use a large dip net made for dipping minnows, maybe 16"-18" in diameter. I fashioned a stiff wire into a U shape so that it holds open to catch the brass. I have a 2"x10"x12" piece of wood with a hole drilled big enough for a PVC pipe that has a slit in it(slit it with a hack saw). The PVC is just large enough for the Handle of the dip net to slide down in it. I put a hose clamp over the slits and tighten it enough to hold the net at the height you want. The net has 1/4" holes in it so it catches the brass. I set it close to where my gun is so the brass is flung into the net. Cost: whatever the net is + the cost of pvc, so it is real cheap.

Jimmy

[JimKirk]

Watch that gracomodels web site it has trojans in it.

Jimmy K

[degnerd]

Thanks for the ideas. SGTE5,please let me know how the handgun one works for you. It looked a little awkward on the website,but things tend to be different when you get them. JimKirk,do you perhaps have any photos to post of your catcher? Thanks,again,Dan

[Maj Dad]

Beware of Gracos bearing Trojans... :D

There used to be a catcher for auto pistols that you held in your firing hand with a slender handle part next to the grip - reminiscent of and probably inspired by the minnow dip net. I never tried it, but have never had an issue other than grass, dirt and the Invisible Brass Monster which eats brass even from a smooth paved surface...

Midway sells several ( http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#Brass%20catcher____-_1-2-4_8-16-32 ) and Brownell's has some ( http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=0/k=Brass+catcher/t=P/ksubmit=y/Products/All/search=Brass_catcher ).

[JimKirk]

No photo, but the first day above freezing I'll try to get one.

Jimmy K

[helg]

Below is the brasscatcher that I use. Brass pipe (hobby store, for model airplanes), mosquito mesh, laundry mesh and steel wire at the bottom to connect to the grip.

I have casted right grip using epoxy with charcoal powder, which I reinforced with metal plates and tubes. The catcher is and inserted to the holes in the custom grip. Original and casted grips are pictured. Before making the grip, I used the catcher with U-shaped brass tube, which was hold between my hand and the factory grip.

This catches ALL brass. No more bending at the range.

[Seedtick]

helg, that is too cool. I like it.

I have kept this (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=ROPE5BG0Q4I2ZLAQBBJCCNVMCAEFGIWE?id=0029797017472a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=bait+net&Ntk=Products&sort=all&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_requestid=233144) behind the back seat of my truck for a few years now. I use it to catch gizzard shad, when they are easy to get, for catfish bait.
I tried it the last time we went shooting and it worked great. I'm gonna make a stand out of pvc for it but it worked pretty good just wedged in the tailgate of the truck.
No more scratching for brass for me.:D

ST

:)

[cidirkona]

I simply mark my brass all the way around. It allows me to pick up all my brass afterwards and knows it was mine. I lose some over the firing line every time, but this method also works in separating my brass from others at IDPA, Steel Challenge, etc

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/cidirkona/SU1HMDAzNTMtMjAxMDAxMDctMjIzOS5qcGc.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a110/cidirkona/SU1HMDAyODAtMjAwOTEyMjAtMjA1MS5qcGc.jpg

To do this, I hold a sharpie on the the table with one hand, and with the other hand grab the case by the bullet end, place it on the table up against the rim and then spin it between my fingers and thumb. Keeping the mark in the crack of the rim keeps it there even if I run a dirty load that darkens up the case, and lets me see the brass that's mine while it's laying on it's side. Other people mark the back of the case and then have to pick up every single round off the ground/floor/dirt/whatever and look at the back...

[JimKirk]

Seedtick .... That is what I use, I just made a stand for it so I could adjust the height and made the wire u's to keep it open.
I see that one has an adjustable handle so you would only need something to hold it.
Jimmy K

[degnerd]

helg,a quick question. Do you have trouble sighting down that gun? Looks like your rig is really tight to it. Thanks

[helg]

I'm gonna make a stand out of pvc for it but it worked pretty good just wedged in the tailgate of the truck.
No more scratching for brass for me.:D

Actually, the one, which I have pictured above, is version #4.

The first was a square 2'x2' made of PVC pipe with laundry mesh, on a tripod from a music stand. It may be my guns, but it catched about half of the brass, and never been even close to the direction where the last round flied. When disassembled, the whole set fits into a thin duffel bag for the stand (below at the picture). It takes some time to assemble it at the range. The first picture shows the catcher.

The second was made using a frame from the car sunshade ("magicshade" I believe, it bends trifold and has a bag to pack the bent frame), laundry mesh and some U-shaped wire, to hang the frame. The catcher was faster to mount, catched more brass, but was still sensitive to handgun position. It was silly to adjust a stance when switching targets in the way that was the best for the brasscatcher. The second version is also pictured below. The mounting wire hangs at the back of the chair. The cat stands here for a size reference.

The third one was close to the final version. The steel wired frame (not a brass-tube, like in the final version) was spring-snapped to the rails under the barrel. The iron wire, which has to be thick enough to hold by the spring mount, in my feeling, changed balance of the handgun because of spring mounts at its front Also, I do not have the rails on all of my handguns, so this was of a limited use. I gifted this to a friend, and he modified it to use with standard rail mount with screws, not the spring-snapped one. The standard screw mount does not scratch the rails every time when the catcher is being mounted. I do not have the picture of the third.

The forth version is posted above. As I mentioned, it catches all brass, and I do not have to adjust my standing position in regard to the catcher.

Do you have trouble sighting down that gun?

Sight picture from one of the handguns is attached. I do not have problems seeing the target with the catcher. The part on top of the gun is used to reflect only the last round from my handguns. For some reason, it flies almost to the top. Shape of the top part of the catcher is designed in a way that the flying brass is reflected to the catcher basket.

[helg]

And a few more on the project.

First picture shows screw lock mount on the catcher. The catcher did not hold tight by friction in a light handgun with heavy recoil. The screw completely solves this problem.

The second picture is the above mentioned U-shaped brass tube that I used to hold between my palm and a grip before making a custom grip. I used to wrap it by a duct tape to increase tension and prevent scratching the grip.