How do you retrieve pistol brass at the range?

[Eric F]

try this shoot 38 super when every one else shoots 9mm. Now your having fun finding brass!

 

[Jayb]

I take a king sized sheet and lay it on the ground. The brass lands on the sheet, and I just shake it to the middle, then pour it onto a plastic bucket.

 

[Luggernut]

Interesting discussion. Just yesterday I went to the range to do some shooting with my 1911. Since I reload I usually inspect the spent brass to see how it looks. I shoot a little, then pick up (hands and knees), shoot a little more, pick up, etc. Well there were a bunch of older guys with some teenage girls shooting .22s. When they were finishing up the girls started sweeping away my .45 cases! I was surprised the guys didn't say anything but since I was the only other person at the range.. I just grabbed them from the brass bucket after when they left.

Anyways- I go on my hands and knees and will pick up all the decent 9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP brass I can find... occasionally others as well. I have piles of 9mm and .40... but not so much .45... seems like EVERYONE saves .45 brass these days. I'll take as much as I can get too... makes it less painful when I lose brass at a match.

 

[jrou111]

I paid for the ammo - brass case and all, so I'm taking it with me! Any brass that it left by shooters that don't cleanup - I take it. As long as it's not in the barrel. I even take .22 and steel cases. Even berdan primed.

If it's metal - then it has value. I have hundreds of 38, 9mm, 40, and 45acp, and I don't even own a gun in that caliber - but I know one day I probably will. I keep them all separated in plastice bags. Anything not reloadable I put into a "brass," "aluminium," or "steel" bucket because scrap brass is $1.50/lb, aluminium is $ .80/lb, and steel is $.05/lb (steel is also the heaviest, and I have scrap bins from welding and plasma cutting)

 

[wworker]

and I don't even own a gun in that caliber

I can relate to that. I've been picking up .45 ACP brass too, but don't have a pistol for it yet.

I guess I need to buy one.



In my Lyman reloading manual, there is a caution that says this:

"Never use cartridge cases from an unknown source, i.e. cases picked up at the range or sold as once fired brass. Use only new brass or cases obtained as the result of firing factory ammo in your firearm."


Is this a liability issue for this statement in their manual?

If a case is picked up at the range and upon inspection seems suitable for reloading, why not use it?

 

[bl4ckd0g]

It's a legalese CYA statement. Most of my .45 ACP ammo is loaded into once fired range pickups. It shouldn't be a big deal if you're handloading moderately-powered loads into inspected brass.

Brass for low pressure loads seems to last through quite a few reloadings.

On the other hand, beat up .223 Rem casings with sizing marks go into the scrap bin.

 

[wworker]

Yeah, it seems a common sense inspection is a good idea.

I noticed many .223 cases are slightly dented (but not punctured) on the body during ejection from semi autos, probably AR-15s or M4s.

Are slightly dented bodies an issue or will these spring back (fire form) upon firing after a reload?

Also, another general question on any caliber, are slightly bent necks an issue or will the resizing die take care of those too?

 

[Darth Muffin]

My indoor range doesn't let you go ahead of the firing line (don't blame them, I wouldn't want to anyhow!), but they do have brooms. I sweep all the previous brass as far out of the way as I can (including the neighboring stalls if unused) before I shoot, then sweep up all of mine that I can reach with the broom. That usually gets 75% of it, some will bounce downrange out of reach.

 

[woodfiler]

range brass

at my club its required you sweep up your brass and keep it, or put it in
one of the clubs 5 gallon pails, once in the pail you can take it.


wood

 

[Rustynuts]

I'm surprised some ranges don't try and prohibit it due to the scrap value. They could always come up with some "safety" regulation to prevent it. Have to read my range rules next time. I've never noticed anyone picking brass there.

 

[herohog]

Been at that range... refused to go back. That brass that I dropped belongs to ME.

 

[ForneyRider]

Make sure you ask before you pick it up.

The ranges I have been to here in Texas allow me to pick up any of the brass that is left.

I try to grab all I can. I figure I will find someone needing it eventually.

Weatherby's are cool looking. Okay, I am a dork.

There are brass catchers. I've seen the AR-15 guys use them. And appreciate when they do. It is better than it flying down my shirt. And I was 2 lanes over.

If you don't have one, get a nice range bag. Then put some bags in it for brass. That way you can get out of the way more quickly.

 

[JohnMcD348]

The range I frequent has a few brooms and dust pans available. I try to go in the early morning before to many shooters arrive. I'll just carry a few ziplocks with me and when I go to the range, I sweep it up and dump it in the baggies.

 

[jmorris]

http://www.baganut.com/ works pretty good if you have to cover a large area.

 

[ARTJR338WM]

Has anyone thought of giving as portable battery powerd vac a try? I am seeing these more and more now at places like Home Depot for job site use. I guess i will try one. With a long skinny solid tube attachment I doubt you would even have to bend over to do the work.

 

[brickeyee]

Carrying a vac would only decease the amount of ammo I can carry.

Of course I have carried CO2 cylinders to cool off barrels a tthe outdoor range.
luckily parking is very close.
About 20 feet.

 

[longtooth]

If you will ask about the brass policy at the range you shoot at most but not all will let you pick up your own brass.

I have had several tell me I can clean up all I want for it as long as I do not bother any shooter or get in front of the firing line.

 

[jeepmor]

Are slightly dented bodies an issue or will these spring back (fire form) upon firing after a reload?

Also, another general question on any caliber, are slightly bent necks an issue or will the resizing die take care of those too?

1. slightly dented will fireform fine, just make sure it's not a crease that could cause a split.

2. If the neck resizes fine, then use it, if not, then don't. I have had some necks stepped on where they would not fit into the resizer die. I used a small tool to work out the case mouth dent, then ran it through the FL resizing process and it looked fine, so I used it.

I bend over and pick it up. I have been really fortunate to find .223 shooters of late who don't mind leaving piles of Lake City brass laying around. Good stuff. I think I got 200 or 300 on one range trip alone. I always ask others if scrounging their brass is okay. And my neighbor doesn't reload so he saves oodles of .223 for me also. If they're not picking it up after a magazine or two, then I move in and ask if I can scrounge it.

 

[hawkeye1]

I hang up an old blanket on my right side from the rafter when I am at the range. Most of my brass hits the blanket and falls to the floor in a pile. That way it does not bounce and roll all over the line. Easy retrieval.

for my AR I picked up a brass catcher that fits under the carrying handle. It catches all brass and is completeely out of the way. It is the hard plastic type not the net. It is absolutely the best thing I have ever bought for that gun.

http://www.brasscatchers.com/store/brasscatcher.html

Check out this website. It is definitely worth look.

 

[bertus]

I made a brasscatcher out of a speer bullet box and attached it to my gun with velcro strips

 

[offroaddiver]

I have done alot of picking up by hand. I'm planning to buy some new knee pads... especially since i made a nice little circle bruise on my knee when kneeling straight down on a case. My range bag is more along the lines of a shotgunners bag. Has a mesh side that has a zipper so you can dump into a bucket. I'm also planning on getting a couple of small bags or using the spring up buckets.

 

[jcwit]

I made a simple brass catcher from a fish net with a 5 ft. handle. Cut about 16" from the handle and I put it length wise into the net, [holds it open] used a short of 2 X 4 with a hole in it to hold net with balance of handle attached. Saw cut with cross bolt & wing nut grips handle. C clamp holds whole assbly to bench, no chance of blowing over. Total cost $12. Wish I knew how to post pics, but this is pretty simple.

 

[CoRoMo]

...king sized sheet and lay it on the ground.

Good idea. that will have to be my new method.
I shoot at a range that is on public land and is nothing close to organized.
Everyone just picks a hill and shoots into it and leaves their brass, shot shells, broken beer bottles, shot-up targets, and unwanted furniture right out there on the prairie. Pathetic.

I was thinking about taking a rake out there, but it would have to have tight spaces between the tines to catch ever shell. I bet I could spend a day out there picking up brass and take it in to recycling and make enough money to buy my next gun.

Is there not a type of rake that would do that??

 

[jarhead]

I ordered a "nut-wizard" on Ebay, it's made for picking up acorns and such... rolling cage on the end of a broom handle and you just roll it over the ground and it picks up all the empty shell casings... it'll hold a couple of handfuls before I have to empty it in a bucket and then roll it over the ground again. Works well for me in short grass, on concrete or dirt lanes... my poor back couldn't handle the constant bending over...

 

[evan price]

Unfortunately the outdoor range at our club is gravelled so it won't work.

I have a large bar magnet screwed to a push broom and it works great for the Wolf steel case junk to keep it under control. Goes right into my scrap steel bin.