Anybody Here Throw Ammo To the Gods? Sacrilege at the Range

[Hartkopf]

Somebody or maybe several people at my local range appear to throw perfectly functional loaded ammo on the ground and leave it for the range gods.

Every single time I pick up brass I find anywhere from one to five perfectly good rounds of 9mm, 40 S&W, 45ACP, 5.56 or 7.62.

Is this done to appease the gods? The "God of Don't Shoot Yourself In the Leg" demands a fair maiden in the form of factory or reloaded 9mm before each range session?


Ok seriously, I wonder if people notice how many rounds of ammo they drop on the ground? I don't even like to leave my brass on the ground so seeing loaded rounds left in the dirt to go bad, really make me shake my head.

Or is it possible for a semi auto firearm to spit loaded rounds out of the ejection port and the shooter not even know it?

BTW, all of my reloads are marked and I've never found one of my own. So I'm not the one dropping rounds on the ground, picking them up in disbelief and then starting a thread about it!

 

[Dirtybob]

maybe they're dropping them clearing malfunctions...
I see it at my local range too

 

[pbearperry]

Maybe in your area ammo is more plentiful and less expensive?

 

[Craig_AR]

When I clear my firearm by ejecting the last live round, there are times I have trouble finding it among the spent brass. This is common challenge. The fact you find so few (1 to 5) leads me to believe you are finding my lost rounds.

 

[Hartkopf]

maybe they're dropping them clearing malfunctions...
I see it at my local range too

That's possible. I make dummy rounds with no powder or primers for that because my particular gun almost won't malfunction. I might have left one or two of those dummies that I couldn't find.

 

[Hartkopf]

Maybe in your area ammo is more plentiful and less expensive?

It's plentiful but not any cheaper. Still double the price of pre plandemic. Maybe I shoot amongst the rich!

 

[AlexanderA]

When I was doing WW1 reenacting, quite a few unfired blank rounds ended up on the ground. The problem was, it was hard to tell them from the fired blank rounds. I would just scoop up everything, to sort them out later.

 

[Hartkopf]

When I clear my firearm by ejecting the last live round, there are times I have trouble finding it among the spent brass. This is common challenge. The fact you find so few (1 to 5) leads me to believe you are finding my lost rounds.

It seems to be way harder to find a loaded round that you know is in the area than just happening on to it.

 

[DeepSouth]

Doesn’t happen at my house, aka the range.

I recently crawled my sons butt for tossing 22lr “duds” on the ground. Okay, it’s not a dud until it has 2 strikes on the rim and has not fired and then it doesn’t go on the ground, I do cut the grass.

 

[gyp_c2]

I can tell you it's a fact that arthritis will dampen the enthusiasm of chasing dropped ammo.

 

[reddog81]

People next to me a couple weeks back left a couple 9mm and a perfectly fine 44 Mag round on the ground. I’m guessing they just fell off the bench while loading guns and they didn’t notice it. I’m not sure how you drop a 44 Mag round and not notice it…

if I have a .22 round that doesn’t go off after 2 strikes it gets tossed down range as a sacrifice.

 

[Hartkopf]

I can tell you it's a fact that arthritis will dampen the enthusiasm of chasing dropped ammo.

That is true. I'm not real old yet but I can feel what's coming the way my knees act.

Any old timer or disabled person gets a free pass when it comes to leaving something on the ground.

 

[FL-NC]

I find lots of live mil rounds where I train. Mil guys train there too- I imagine that they are either making their weapons safe or clearing malfunctions. They don't pay for their ammo. We do.

 

[jmorris]

If I have a stage “get” me, that last round I ejected to show clear, gets thrown into the berm. That’s my way of ending thought on the poor performance.

I have seen guys/gals that carry a singe bad stage with them for the rest of the match and it’s not pretty or conductive to great finishes.

 

[lightman]

Most of the loaded rounds that I find have very light firing pin strikes. I'm guessing probably fired in a dirty AR!. I take them home and break them down. I reuse the brass and bullet and the powder goes in the "Deer Camp Light Show" jar. 22 rounds also get broke down. The bullet goes into the scrap lead bucket, the powder goes in the Deer Camp Jar and the brass in the trash can. (I don't put live primers in my scrap bucket) My personal rule is I don't shoot unknown ammo. I don't shoot the 22's because of any grit thats stuck to the bullet lube.

 

[Pat Riot]

At my old range I would see complete cartridges on the floor beyond the firing line. Probably from people dropping or ejecting them. Any complete rounds that I found within the safe areas I turned into the range staff.
I would never fire “found” ammo even if it looks like factory ammo.
Years ago I had 2 acquaintances (not friends) that would actually load hot ammo and leave a couple of rounds at the range because they thought it was funny. I didn’t We had words. I wouldn’t shoot with them after learning this.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I often find ammo with a light primer strike. One time i found partial box of 38 specials. And found some .380 wrapped up in a paper towel.

 

[Hartkopf]

At my old range I would see complete cartridges on the floor beyond the firing line. Probably from people dropping or ejecting them. Any complete rounds that I found within the safe areas I turned into the range staff.
I would never fire “found” ammo even if it looks like factory ammo.
Years ago I had 2 acquaintances (not friends) that would actually load hot ammo and leave a couple of rounds at the range because they thought it was funny. I didn’t We had words. I wouldn’t shoot with them after learning this.

I don't trust a single round I find on the ground either. I've got a container full of them ready to be broken down when I get time.

 

[doubleh]

Once in awhile I find an unfired 9mm or 223. sometimes a 22RF.

Here is a little tip. Harbor Freight has a cheap plastic grabber tool that I and other age challenged old farts use to pick up dropped rounds and fired brass. I think I gave $1.99 for mine.

 

[SKILCZ]

If it's safe to do so and I know the dropped rounds are my own and intact (and I can find them), I will pick them up.

 

[kennedy]

my gun club has a locked metal box with a slot in it for duds, any I find go there

 

[SDGlock23]

Yeah for me it's mostly 9mm or .45 ACP, but still, not that often. Most of the time it looks like it's a round with a light primer strike or severe bullet setback.

 

[theotherwaldo]

The local Police, Border Patrol, Sheriff's Department and some National Guard units often use my local firing range.
Lots of live rounds among the brass... .

 

[Hokkmike]

I wouldn't shoot found ammo any more than I would a sandwich somebody left on a park bench.

 

[Riomouse911]

At my old range I would see complete cartridges on the floor beyond the firing line. Probably from people dropping or ejecting them. Any complete rounds that I found within the safe areas I turned into the range staff.
I would never fire “found” ammo even if it looks like factory ammo.
Years ago I had 2 acquaintances (not friends) that would actually load hot ammo and leave a couple of rounds at the range because they thought it was funny. I didn’t We had words. I wouldn’t shoot with them after learning this.

Wow. Great way to kill or maim someone. I too wouldn’t shoot with clowns like that.

I hate to say it, maybe someday some of their boobytrap ammo finds its way into one of their chambers as a lesson in karma.

As for dropped ammo, the usual range we use here has grass and concrete lanes. Every session I found 4-5 live rounds dropped in the grass. Sometimes it was tough to spot where they fell, especially with a fast stoppage-clearance drill on the move.

I do know the inmate workers dreaded lawnmowing days at first. The POP!! when a round gets sucked into the mower is disconcerting to say the least. After a few they sort of got used to it.

Stay safe.