How Do You Mark Cases to Recover at Range?

[hdwhit]

I have long used fingernail polish to "paint" a line around the perimeter of the primer. I do this largely for cosmetic purposes, but there's no reason it couldn't be used to identify brass. After all, I don't know of any manufacturer that is using Green, Purple or Pink sealant (if they bother to seal their primers in the first place.)

 

[tmd16556]

I tend to consider 9 mm Luger a take a penny, leave a penny prospect (usually I end up with about 110% of what I shot). I put conspicuous amounts of red marker on case heads if it is fire formed and the head stamp no longer reflects the actual case size (9mm Makarov mostly). Otherwise I mark primers for load development and use a brass catcher. Lately, I’ve just taken ti shooting center fire revolvers and a 22 auto loader because I don’t want to set up the brass catcher.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Don't shoot at indoor ranges, so I don't mark any brass for that purpose.

The only time I have ever marked brass was for "Ruger Only" .45 Colt loads. I'd mark across the case head with red Sharpie just so I wouldn't mistake them for regular loads.

 

[kalielkslayer]

At the range I shoot at. I’m usually the only one on the rifle range. And the label on the container tells me how many times the brass has been loaded. We have 12 lanes. Most I’ve ever seen at one time was 2 other groups. Unless it’s Friday and the “Sharps guys” are banging steel at 800 yards. And they don’t care about my brass.

Recently I started putting a black Sharpie line on my skeet loads. 1 line means it’s been reloaded 1Xs. Nobody messes with that either since most of them shoot O/Us.

Handgun is at the house.

So my marks are not to identify “MY” brass but to tell me how many times it was loaded.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Don't shoot at indoor ranges, so I don't mark any brass for that purpose.

The only time I have ever marked brass was for "Ruger Only" .45 Colt loads. I'd mark across the case head with red Sharpie just so I wouldn't mistake them for regular loads.

I took a different approach: I sold all of my non-Ruger .45 Colts.
Problem solved.

 

[ballman6711]

Think these will work?

They probably will, but you missed one. Fourth row down, left side of the styrofoam.

Need to work on that OCD!

chris

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

They probably will, but you missed one. Fourth row down, left side of the styrofoam.

Need to work on that OCD!

chris

Actually, he missed two: left tray, far right, second up.

There’s OCD and then there’s CDO.
I wasn’t going to tell him. Thought it’d be funnier if he thought he left two behind and spent a while looking.

 

[JDeere]

Not many shoot .45acp at the indoor range so if it's close to my lane it's mine. 9mm stays where it lays but I rarely shoot it anyways. At the rifle range I mainly shoot bolt rifles so no big deal. If I take an AR or M14 I am usually the only one there so it's all good...

 

[JFrank]

On my ladder loads I only shoot one powder gr weight at a time & have them marked per gr weight so I can recover them for inspection.
I use colored Sharpie's to mark them & I keep this picture on file in my computer.
This was 3 rounds each 6.5 Creedmoor with 91gr TNT HP ladder from min 41gr to 45gr max of Shooters World Long Rifle powder.
View attachment 1118286

I use sharpies as well for my ladder and seating and whatever else I’m doing at the time. Most of my load review or testing is at 500 yards and beyond so I color the ogive if each incremental load that transfers to white freezer wrap that’s easily identified when I drive down and connect the dots

 

[ballman6711]

There’s OCD and then there’s CDO.

Guess I need to work on my CDO!!!

chris

 

[Bartojc]

At one time I marked every round with a Sharpie, usually blue or black. Sometimes a different color to signify a different load. Then I started shooting more, and realized most people where I go could care less about their brass, or mine. I don't mark any pistol brass any more except when I am working up a load. When working up a load use different colors for the different loads. Most of my rifles are lever or bolt action so I catch the brass right aways. I have a brass catcher I use for the AR shooting.

-Jeff

 

[CoalTrain49]

When I used to go to public ranges......basically, the other lanes had to be faster than my kids. Or they had to work a deal with my kids to get their brass back. My daughter was well trained to start crying on demand if somebody yelled at her for picking up their brass. It was glorious. I miss those days.

What a great thing to teach your kids.

 

[bigpower491]

I don't bother if for some reason I've got to shoot a range other than my own. I load the stuff that has a few firings and just leave em. Some of those places won't let you pick up your brass, at least the 2 I've been to in the past. Not my problem what they do with it, either sell it as "once fired" or pitch it.

 

[CQB45ACP]

They probably will, but you missed one. Fourth row down, left side of the styrofoam.

Need to work on that OCD!

chris

Would you believe it was a test to see if anyone spotted it?

 

[CQB45ACP]

Actually, he missed two: left tray, far right, second up.
View attachment 1118366
There’s OCD and then there’s CDO.
I wasn’t going to tell him. Thought it’d be funnier if he thought he left two behind and spent a while looking.

Would you believe Chris was testing you to see if you caught it?

But thanks to both. Could’ve been a scroungers rumble at the range.

 

[kidneyboy]

and realized most people where I go could care less about their brass, or mine

Same here.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I have long used fingernail polish to "paint" a line around the perimeter of the primer. I do this largely for cosmetic purposes, but there's no reason it couldn't be used to identify brass. After all, I don't know of any manufacturer that is using Green, Purple or Pink sealant (if they bother to seal their primers in the first place.)

What other cosmetic uses do you have for your fingernail polish?

 

[CQB45ACP]

For my PRS rounds. A thin black ring around the middle of the case, a blue line or a blue X on the case head. Yes, it paints the bolt face blue and leaves a black ring in the chamber, doesn't seem to hurt anything, but I clean between matches.

Interesting. Last week I put a simple red sharpie X on one magazine load and the inside of my slide was tinged red. When I cleaned my pistol there was no trace of red at all. Thought I was imagining things.

 

[CQB45ACP]

At one time I marked every round with a Sharpie, usually blue or black. Sometimes a different color to signify a different load. Then I started shooting more, and realized most people where I go could care less about their brass, or mine. I don't mark any pistol brass any more except when I am working up a load. When working up a load use different colors for the different loads. Most of my rifles are lever or bolt action so I catch the brass right aways. I have a brass catcher I use for the AR shooting.

-Jeff

Operative term for me is “most people” I’m not saying either guy I encountered was rude (or me for that matter), but to preempt conflict & distractions I’m going to some reasonable level of effort and just looking for what works best.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I remember someone asking a Friend of mine at a match how he tells what brass is his to recover? Without missing a beat, TW said, “Oh, that’s easy. All of mine says “45 ACP” on the bottom.” That’s my take all all brass, it’s all worth something and if everyone’s left enough to peak my interest I’ll get it all.

Years ago, after I built my first wet tumbler, I ran a batch a lot longer than my usual 30-45 min run and found out that 24 hours, permanently turns brass a dull green color everywhere the pins can touch. It was real easy to see in shooting bays, would be awful in grass though.

View attachment 1118268

Folks running 38 super/other expensive brass stuff would run a stripe or two around the OD. Generally with a hunk of wood that had a hole in it, ledge to put the stripe in the same location. Like this.
View attachment 1118274

DAA even makes a machine to do it. Drop a round into the shoot and it pops out marked on the other side.

View attachment 1118275

Not surprised this came from you but am disappointed it’s not fully automated with an accompanying YouTube video

I actually like the striping idea very much but the LOE is a little high since they wouldn’t survive the wet tumbling process and would have to be repeated.

 

[ballman6711]

I don't always mark my brass, but when I do I use a sharpie. It stays on during the firing process, and cleans off in the tumbler.

I use dots, lines, x's, or sometimes a combination.

chris

 

[Nature Boy]

Not a PRS shooter (yet) so I’m not marking brass with a sharpie.

In F Class matches I control the ejection distance of my brass by the speed I work the bolt. I can usually drop every round into an up turned hat next to the rifle.

When shooting AR Tactical matches I’m using Lake City brass so I’m not too worried if I loose a couple. I don’t see the service rifle guys marking their brass either.

 

[jmorris]

Not surprised this came from you but am disappointed it’s not fully automated with an accompanying YouTube video

Well I didn’t make those devices. I am the guy that shows up at the range the day after the sanctioned match after everyone has picked up the easy cases with tools like the bag a nut and nut wizard but neither can get all the cases that fall into cracks in the ground.



The nut wizard does a little better on uneven ground but still leaves a lot behind.



So I made a manifold that would seal to two 5 gallon buckets and connected a leaf blower/mulcher connected to the rear bucket. On the end I machined a hunk of aluminum to use the quick connect shop vac hose I had with a PVC extension to keep my back straight.





Set the throttle high enough light debris like grass and dirt, stay in the air stream and exits through the mulcher back to the range. Low enough it won’t pick up heavy debris like clods of dirt or rocks and then the brass gets sucked up and drops out in the buckets. You get it all at that point, like you were on your hands and knees picking them out with needle nose pliers.



On the drive home you think more about cleaning the 17 gallons of brass you just sucked up than marking them for next time you leave them on the range.

 

[Blue68f100]

When I was shooting at a indoor range I would bring several boxes with different head stamps. I would ask if the shooter next to me is pickup his brass. If so what head stamp and are are yours marked. If he had his sorted by head stamp or used a different primer (different color), we could tell who's shot it. I use this all the time at my own private range. If my chance we are using the same I will mark the base with a marker and go on. All hand gun brass is captured by my brass collector since I don't like hunting for it on the ground. Besides it' a lot harder to find than just emptying my catcher.

 

[EricBu]

What a great thing to teach your kids.

I also taught them a sense of humor. Apparently your parents missed that one.