Free Range Brass - is that so rare?

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Even before the plandemic silliness I left my auto brass for the indoor range as my contribution to keeping the range profitable. For a long while the boys were losing money on the facility, what with all the upgrades and new construction they did on it, it was a close thing if they were going to close it except to rental customers, limit it to just annual members, or just close it entirely. Revolver brass I always take with me. The outdoor range where I'm a member has multiple ranges and shooting parks in each range. When you check in, you get assigned a spot. They send RO's around after the range clears to clean up brass. If they miss something, by all means grab it - no one will gripe - but they're pretty thorough so, good luck. At the public ranges I've been to - Lake City and Ocala - fist fights have broken out between brass chickens over whose brass was who's and who seen it first. No brass-related shootings I know about but it wouldn't surprise me. I haven't been back to either in decades. Shooting in the pastures and on friend's property, I collect my brass if they don't reload but leave it lay if they do out of respect.
 
champ0608 said:
I live in Arizona, where most gun owners are sloths. They haul their junk into the desert, shoot at it from close range, pack up quickly leaving their garbage behind for someone else to deal with. Absolutely no discipline or respect.

The upside is they leave behind mountains of brass. A few years ago I watched two guys shoot two spam cans of M2 ball from their M1s over the course of about an hour. I waited in the distance, and when they sped off I pounced. I found all 384 pieces of HXP brass. That's really good stuff. I'm still working with them today in my 03a4s.

Most everything else I pick up, sort, process and sell to pay myself back for all the toilets and TVs I pick up and haul off to the dump on behalf of my disgusting fellow shooters.
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Now that's a real shame. No respect. Hard to believe there are gun owners like that in this world but, I guess it takes all kinds.
 
We belong to a local range which allows brass pickup. The owner is a good friend of my wife's and lets us pickup brass anytime. Once it is in the recycle buckets they prefer you leave it alone, but I always make it a point to glance at the recycle buckets to see what is in them. When I see something I can use, I let the owner know and make arrangements to get there about an hour before they open. I am able to grab what I want that way, which has been up to 3 or 4 full 5 gallon buckets a few times. I sort / wet tumble what I don't need and bag them into 5 lb bags, so she can sell them. Works out for both of us.
 
The outdoor range I go to wants you to clean up your own brass so they don't have to. They provide brooms and pans to sweep it up and bucket to recycle it. You are free to take your own home, no problem. Anything else left laying on the ground is also fair game.
Before the pandemic, they let you dig through the bucket. But now that is frowned upon.
 
Dale Alan said:
I belong to four local ranges , all have buckets to throw your brass in if you want to donate it . That stuff is off-limits to pick . Anything left on the ground is fair game if a person wants to grab it . It is an honor system , most people honor it .
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The local outdoor range I frequent is like that. They don’t mind me asking others for their brass, and I can help others sweep up their brass, but once it hits the buckets it belongs to the range.
 
I read this thread and it reminded me of the last time I went shooting (9mm and 45 ACP). The "range" was hot, no wind, no shade and with the clean Oregon air it was brutal. Being old I tired quickly and walking around head down didn't help, so I didn't do a good job of policing my brass. Reading this thread reminded me that I have 6 revolvers that I haven't shot in a while so I've been reloading some 38 Specials, checked my 45 Colt stash and found some 22 rimfire ammo. No need to walk around in the hot sun, getting tired pickin' brass!
 
When I visit my son we go to an indoor range. Even they let you retrieve your brass. They have brooms to sweep it up before and after you shoot.
At My gun clubs outdoor range they provide 55 gal drums for brass but I’ve noticed there’s hardly ever in there now days. I pick up all mine to reload and tossing the 22 in the barrel for scrap.
I consider myself fortunate to have a very nice range to shot where (most) of my fellow shooters are responsible and mature. I can’t imagine shooting at a public range.
 
twarr1 said:
When I visit my son we go to an indoor range. Even they let you retrieve your brass. They have brooms to sweep it up before and after you shoot.
At My gun clubs outdoor range they provide 55 gal drums for brass but I’ve noticed there’s hardly ever in there now days. I pick up all mine to reload and tossing the 22 in the barrel for scrap.
I consider myself fortunate to have a very nice range to shot where (most) of my fellow shooters are responsible and mature. I can’t imagine shooting at a public range.
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Way off topic, but the three ranges I shoot at are public including the NRA HQ range. (In fact I’ve never been to a private range.). But anyway, I haven’t seen any irresponsible or immature acting shooters but am confident the RSOs would quickly identify and correct any that were. I have seen inexperienced shooters. What do you think happens at public ranges?
 
anothernewb said:
The commercial indoor ranges in my area will let you collect your brass, one even has an attendant that's back there sweeping constantly. he'll broom your brass in your direction if you ask him. but only the stuff that falls behind the shooting line. The rest is theirs..since the firing line never stops until the range is closed.

They do sell range pickup brass for a reasonable amount though. less than a few online places I've seen.
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I wish I could also buy the lead collected for a good price. There has to be a ton of it, and to some of use, its valuable.
 
mjsdwash said:
Many ranges are dominated by reloads, so not much free brass.
Some calibers are just hard to find. I buy .380 sometimes because no one shoots it around here.
Most people who shoot 300AAC in quantity use .223 brass, and that, with 9mm are the easiest to find.
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I had to buy once used .380 brass, unlike 9mm it seems to disappear in the same place socks do.
 
twarr1 said:
@CQB45ACP, I had in mind county and state run public shooting areas that usually have no RO.
Sorry if I offended, that wasn’t my intention.
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I been to Public Ranges, State maintained and out in the middle of dirt road nowhere, but free for all. Some shooters are so dangerous, I leave! Heck NO!
 
CQB45ACP said:
Got it...I live in the suburbs of DC. Can’t imagine a place as you and @Mark_Mark describe so my apologies to you.
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Imagine you’re driving down a dirt road in West Virginia, for like 10 miles, then you see a clearing with a carport cover with wood benches. In the clearing, you see old washing machines, couches, Big screen TV’s from the 90’s. And a ton of (derogatory) County Boys cracking a few Cold ones as they sight in there Deer Gun…. Yes, these places are real.

God Bless American!
 
Mark_Mark said:
Imagine you’re driving down a dirt road in West Virginia, for like 10 miles, then you see a clearing with a carport cover with wood benches. In the clearing, you see old washing machines, couches, Big screen TV’s from the 90’s. And a ton of (derogatory) County Boys cracking a few Cold ones as they sight in there Deer Gun…. Yes, these places are real.

God Bless American!
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I was honest and dumb enough to mention a range like this where I live in CA. This was decades ago when there was a request to open a new range and I thought this would be better for the Public. Instead, the range was a private trap range and the area I mentioned was fenced off.
 
BJung said:
I was honest and dumb enough to mention a range like this where I live in CA. This was decades ago when there was a request to open a new range and I thought this would be better for the Public. Instead, the range was a private trap range and the area I mentioned was fenced off.
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I shot at one of the last public ranges near Palo Alto CA… what a shame CA did to themselves
 
Back to the range. My range allows me to pickup whatever brass I want plus as much lead I want too. When I leave at the end of the day at the range I feel like the brass and lead I left with pretty much paid for the range fee and some. Decades ago I collected so much 40s&w brass that I found someone in Europe to trade it for 6.5x55 brass. If I still had my Swiss rifles ( burned up in a fire ), I would have looked for a source to trade with too..
 
BJung said:
Back to the range. My range allows me to pickup whatever brass I want plus as much lead I want too. When I leave at the end of the day at the range I feel like the brass and lead I left with pretty much paid for the range fee and some. Decades ago I collected so much 40s&w brass that I found someone in Europe to trade it for 6.5x55 brass. If I still had my Swiss rifles ( burned up in a fire ), I would have looked for a source to trade with too..
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my old Fish & Rod Club had too many brass trolls. When 2 troll get together it’s like a cats fighting. So they change the rules to brass around your area only.
 
Mark_Mark said:
Imagine you’re driving down a dirt road in West Virginia, for like 10 miles, then you see a clearing with a carport cover with wood benches. In the clearing, you see old washing machines, couches, Big screen TV’s from the 90’s. And a ton of (derogatory) County Boys cracking a few Cold ones as they sight in there Deer Gun…. Yes, these places are real.

God Bless American!
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This is where I live now, WV, and currently a public range is my only option. Haven't seen any beer yet, but when it gets crowded I leave. Don't know what people are going to do.

I used to live in Northern VA and shoot at the NRA hq, as well as a few other places. Some very nice ranges there!

chris
 
WV here as well. There is a local gun club here that has been established since the 1960's. Has a club house, nice enclosed shooting area, various matches, etc. Only costs $35/year. Can't beat it. Not crowded at all, and when there you're usually alone. Can pick up whatever brass you want, as well as set up your own steel targets, etc. It's fun to pick up unbroken Clays and shoot them at long range with 22's or pistols. Can't beat it. It's in Spencer... Roane county. With a membership, you get a key to the place that gets you in the gate and club house.
 
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n2omike said:
WV here as well. There is an local gun club here that has been established since the 1960's. Has a club house, nice enclosed shooting area, various matches, etc. Only costs $35/year. Can't beat it. Not crowded at all, and when there you're usually alone. Can pick up whatever brass you want, as well as set up your own steel targets, etc. It's fun to pick up unbroken Clays and shoot them at long range with 22's or pistols. Can't beat it. It's in Spencer... Roane county. With a membership, you get sankey to the place that gets you in the gate and club house.
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that’s a range club I would pay $135 a year. My last club that I didn’t renew, alway had something to say, and everyone was a boss somehow! Federal land here is free to shoot.
 
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