Catching Brass

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Wing Nut

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Nov 29, 2006
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Kalamazoo, MI
For those of you who shoot pistol in "backyard ranges", how do you keep brass under control? My 9mm and 45ACP brass has an uncanny ability to vaporize, or so it seems. I shoot out back and the grass(read: small weeds.....) just covers the casings too well, and I can never find em all. Have you guys invented any cool thingamajigs to herd the brass?
 
I second the tarp idea. Works pretty good. It needs to be pretty good sized though. The ejected shells tend to move around a lot.
 
This one looks interesting, expensive though. A fish net oughta do the same job.
http://www.ctkprecision.com/product_detail/productdetail_brasscatcher.htm

A homemade one here.
http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/brasscatcher.htm


Someone posted a link to a free standing one similar to the first link that looked like a great brass catcher, but I can't remember the name and could not find it on the net in a quick search. :)

Here are a couple Reloader Fred originally posted a link to. Look like good ones.
http://www.brasstrap.com/


Found another LHB1 posted.
http://www.cm-machine.bigstep.com/item.jhtml?UCIDs=6006|6007&PRID=97882
 
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Guess you haven't shot a 9mm Makarov, as they are champions of being well hung for the far flung!!!!!!!
I use this from MidwayUSA
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=112864
You need two people to see where the brass is hitting, then adjust it. Each weapon flings brass in a different place. Works great when adjusted.

I also have an old 3 piece pole lamp (lamp gone) with a shower curtain ring, about 3’ in diameter, hung from it. I use a plastic tarp over the ring and a stick to push the tarp back so cases can enter the ring easily for capture and retrieval.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, I have used a tarp before, and it does work to an extent, but any wind and its pretty much useless. I like the idea of those brasstrap things, doesn't look too hard to build one, I'll prolly try that. Yes I'm a poor college student who won't pay $60 for a widget that I could build in an afternoon.

I actually had thought about a fishing net, just figure out a way to stick the end in the ground, but they don't make em with fine enough mesh. I'll rig up something with some 1/2 PVC and cloth. hmmm..maybe I'll sell em for $20 each and make a killing underselling those guys.......or at least pay for those darn 230 fmj.....

time to go raid the plumbing department at lowes
 
I wish I still had a roll of polyester screening material. I could make a nice one with some PVC, a couple of shower curtain clips, the screen material, and a thrown away roll around IV pole from the hospital. :)
 
My 9mm and 45ACP brass has an uncanny ability to vaporize, or so it seems. I shoot out back and the grass(read: small weeds.....) just covers the casings too well, and I can never find em all.

Man that just sounds too familiar. It is true, brass has a freakish ability to disappear below short grass. I have used a large plastic tarp spread on the ground and stand in a position where most of my brass will land in the center of the tarp. However, when ever you go "backyard shootin'" a 100% recovery is very hard. I would say I usually get 70-80% back.
 
Metal Detector

After hearing me gripe about losing brass once too many times, my wife bought me an inexpensive metal detector. I'm not sure of the price, but it was well under $100.

It's light and runs on a 9v battery. When I'm done shooting, I take a few swipes around the area and I find just about all of them.
 
Thanks to all.

I'm new to forum posting and would not have known of this one if ReloaderFred had not generated interest in the "Fired Brass Trap" by his posting. Thank you Fred.
My traps are shields that also catch brass. They contain the empties all the time but the catch feature is shooter and gun dependent. As others mentioned, some shells fly out and others just plop.
Wingnut and others are on the right track and can make their own without patent problems but the "reject" pile isn't worth it and selling them is another story. I'll try to answer any questions and feel free to contact me.
www.brasstrap.com

A shell in the net's worth two in the bush, the grass, the mud, the .......
 
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Those Brass-traps look nice, but since many LEOs use Glocks, and many citizens use Glocks, and most of them fire the brass over the barrier into the next lane, how does that help? I have been in a lane and been pelted by .40 brass from the guy in the left lane with a Glock. It's annoying to say the least. This should have an angled structure at the top to deflect the brass back into the lane. Something like they do with razor-wire fences would be good, you know, where they angle the top in or out 30degrees, depending on which side you want to keep people from climbing.

I see now, upon close inspection, that the nets were hung from ceiling. My bad.
 
I have been in a lane and been pelted by .40 brass from the guy in the left lane wit

Fier0CDSP That was the problem that got me started. I too got tired of the "shell in the shirt" dance. The shields are hung from above when possible or can be raised and lowered when mounted on short partitions. I also make them on rollers so they can be retracted when not in use. They also keep your shells from bouncing back at you.
 
Well seeing as how it's finals week, haven't got around to fixing anything up yet. What I'm thinking of now is sorta like a grossly oversized fishing net that can be stuck in the ground/clamped to a stake or something, just built out of PVC and some sort of material for the "net".

For the record BRassTrapper, the selling them thing was just a joke, I dont have that kind of time....

speaking of...sorry JDGray, not even close, I'm an engineer. Which of course leads one to question why I ever had to ask about a device anyway....

/shrug

....I just now realized that the link Walkalong posted about the homemade one is exactly what I'm thinking of.....
Thanks walkalong
 
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Try a pillow case clothes-pinned to a clothes hanger stretched into circle, with the hook of the hanger straightened and duct-taped to a broom handle or PVC pipe. (In other words, the hanger holds the pillow case open). It looks GREAT with the kids' Jeff Gordon pillowcase :)

It also works great as a butterfly catcher when you have to help your kid with a science project :)

Also, use an old cloth bedsheet instead of a tarp. Softer = fewer bouncing or sliding shells.

Yeah...Bubba city...

FWIW...

Preacher Man
 
New Funnel Pocket, I'd love some feed back.

We just introduced a new pocket design at the Syracuse NY gun show. It got great comments but would like to hear from known shooters who might use it. I'm making some web site changes but the info is there. Any thoughts?
www.BrassTrap.com Thanks.
 
Guess you haven't shot a 9mm Makarov, as they are champions of being well hung for the far flung!!!!!!!

Yep, I have a makarov, and it does launch the brass!

But not NEARLY as far as my CZ-52 in 7.62x25!!!

I don't care about the Mak, I shoot wolf steel case ammo through it mostly anyway. But I do like to keep my 7.62x25 brass.

Andy
 
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