Marking Brass

I've never bothered going beyond using sharpies.
Someone must make a UV/fluorescent only one if you are after a glowing effect to help find brass.

I mark all my brass with a Blue Sharpie permanent marker on the case head. But that is to ID it as mine so I do not pick up other peoples junk. There are lots of colors you can use. Some guys spray paint the case heads but that gets all over the breach face. The marker will also but comes of when you clean.

Maks really sling brass. If shooting on turf you might want to take an old sheet for them to land on( a big one--lol). Some use a magic marker to more easily keep 17s separate from 9s. If shooting under a shed why not hang that sheet behind you.

Ive only used sharpie, tell me which load is what when im testing loads out. But sharpie would work so you can find your brass at the range.

I use nickel plated brass for Mak, gives me something to do with the nickel plated 9mm brass.

Color on the casehead is all right for sorting out your brass after you have picked it up, but it does not show well while on the ground.
There used to be a little gadget that would put a colored stripe or stripes around the body of the case.
I don't know if you can still buy one, but it would be simple enough to make. It is just a V block you twirl the round in against one or two magic markers. It is all wood and the markers are held by clothespins.

If you catch it, you don't have to go hunting.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=283657

Red or other color magic Marker on the case heads for concrete floors on indoor ranges.

But it does less then nothing when the brass lands on the ground or grass outdoors.
It just camouflages them better where they land & hide.

Your best bet there is a $Big $Buck $Metal $Detector, and lots of spare time on your hands when others are not around shooting, or running you off.


Or just accept the fact most of us came to realize years ago.
You are going to lose a large percentage of your brass when shooting outdoors in the rocks and weeds of a typical outdoor range.

Unless you shoot revolvers & bolt-Actions, and not bottom feeders.

Or figure out how to catch them in the air.

rc

I to use a sharpie, after loading I draw a line across the head stamps.
Or load 2.7gr of Bullseye with a 93gr cast LRN the brass will land a few feet away.

When we first started shooting IPSC, in Ontario Canada. We all marked our brass, mine was marked with fat marker, a cross, in black.

After a training session, all brass was picked up, then sit at a table, sort it all out. Now I leave the 9mm brass.

Now, I shoot IDPA, the only markings, red cross on the base of my magazines, plus a little red dot to mark the aperture, where the tenth round goes, one magazine has the 11th aperture marked for the first magazine to start the stage.

My Wife missed her bright red nail polish! I use Glock 17 magazines in the match, much easier in magazine changes, sticks proud of the butt stock, 1 inch, the Glock 19 magazine's pinch the edge of my hand, during fast mag changes.

I have shot someone else's Makarov with Wolf ammo ~ 14 years ago.
The recoil was intense.
Then I read the wimpy published loads for Makarovs. There must be some disconnect.

Makarov with Wolf ammo, Wimpy? This round is known for it's penetration, what will it penetrate? Anything it wants.

I don't generally shoot at ranges very often, so I haven't had to deal with what you are dealing with. But I do use a sharpie to identify load work ups, so I don't see any reason why that wouldn't solve your situation.

GS

I went to upload a photo of a brass striper and was informed I already did, 6 years ago.

Check out post #15 in this thread http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=325380&highlight=Marking+the+base

I think that may be what your looking for.

Then I read the wimpy published loads for Makarovs. There must be some disconnect.

Click to expand...

I guess the load data reflects safe loads for pistols other than the PM that are chambered in 9x18 Makarov.
One of my favorite loads for my PM is 3.8gr of W-231 with a 93gr cast LRN 18bhn with CCI 500 with a COL of .968" for 1,050 fps. I am using a Wolff 19 lbs recoil spring.

Birchwood Casey makes a "brass black" liquid.

Years ago I experimented with immersing decapped brass in this solution, so that the last inch or so of the case came out black. Aside from being able to identify my brass, this approach gave the added benefit that nobody else seemed to want it. While shooting from the bench at a public range a scrounger came by, reached down, picked up one of mine, examined it, and tossed it back on the ground. LOL.!

I know that leaving brass in the dirt of the Texas black land prairies for one rain will stain them black as well.

When shooting in grass, I've taken large blankets/sheets from a thrift shop and place it on the ground. I then fire a few test shots to see where the majority of brass lands. I then move the "landing pad" accordingly. Makes life easier.