Pick up range brass? - What do you say?

[dscoduc]

I was looking through the Lyman reloading handbook and noticed a section where they recommend to never pick up range brass or any other brass that you don't know the history. This seems odd to me since I read so much about people getting tons of brass from ranges and whatnot...

I understand the risk with unknown brass but I'm curious what the consensus is - should I grab the stuff on the floor or just not go there?

[pacrat]

I was looking through the Lyman reloading handbook and noticed a section where they recommend to never pick up range brass or any other brass that you don't know the history. This seems odd to me since I read so much about people getting tons of brass from ranges and whatnot...

I understand the risk with unknown brass but I'm curious what the consensus is - should I grab the stuff on the floor or just not go there?

For me circumstances are everything on range pickups. Straight walled pistol cases that look ok. I pick up and will use after a close exam after tumbling at home or not depending on condition.

Bottleneck rifle cases left laying, no way. Unless they are being dropped by a shooter using new factory ammo in my presense. And I, of course ask his permission after ascertaining he's not a reloader.

I will never again use range pickups for bottleneck rifle without knowing their pedigree. In almost 50 yrs of reloading. The only mishap I've had was from a blown primer pocket in a .243. Yep, range pickup case. Even though it was a very low starting load I used just for offhand, sitting, kneeling practice.

Cost a nickle more to fix the bolt on my rifle than I paid for it back in 1973. Purchase price, $84.95. Cost of repair, $85.

Don't laugh, that was a butt load of money back then.

JM2c

[ElDub1950]

Then, again, that's the kind of statement companies have to make to keep numbnutz from suing them because they picked up damaged brass, double charged it and blew their fingers off. Then Lyman would be paying $2 million because they recommended picking up range brass.

[kdsd731]

I pick it up all day long.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

To pick up brass, or not to pick up brass..... Is not even a question.

I pick it all up, even the steel, aluminum and shot shells. What I don't reload goes in my scrap buckets. why?

I was taught and firmly believe that it is my responsibility to leave the place cleaner than I found it. It also sets an example that others see and some will follow.

That said, I only reload the brass that passes inspection.

[roc_my_tims]

I pick it up. Mostly because its to hard to find my brass only. Also because most times im shooting with friends who dont reload and there shooting factory near me. Thats indoor range pistol. Rifle brass its not needed a 1 got enough to last a very long time.

[Citadelgrad87]

I pick up everything that I cleared with shooters around me. Tidally someone will be ripping through boxes of factory .223 and 7.62 NATO, and I will ask if they reload. This stuff is perfect for reloading.

I see it this way, either the people shooting are reloaders, in which case they understandably want their brass, or they aren't, which means it's factory 1x brass.

I inspect anything that's not mine. But when I find NATO headstamp brass that needs the primer pocket swaged, I use in confidence.

[Metal Fiend]

I pick up everything that I cleared with shooters around me. Tidally someone will be ripping through boxes of factory .223 and 7.62 NATO, and I will ask if they reload. This stuff is perfect for reloading.

I see it this way, either the people shooting are reloaders, in which case they understandably want their brass, or they aren't, which means it's factory 1x brass.

I inspect anything that's not mine. But when I find NATO headstamp brass that needs the primer pocket swaged, I use in confidence.

Same here, especially if they are shooting factory .45acp, I've also been next to a guy that was blasting factory ammo thru his 300blk- score

Funny thing is, once they know you're keeping brass, they'll start handing you handfuls of it , making it eaiser

[stilly]

I was looking through the Lyman reloading handbook and noticed a section where they recommend to never pick up range brass or any other brass that you don't know the history. This seems odd to me since I read so much about people getting tons of brass from ranges and whatnot...

I understand the risk with unknown brass but I'm curious what the consensus is - should I grab the stuff on the floor or just not go there?

As a reloader you are told to buy the books, READ it and LEARN it and then when you get into the field and start reloading you are told it is all wrong and now you need to learn reloading the field way...

OMG! We are all LEO!

You should not grab because that means there is less for me to grab. You should not grab unless you ask first. If people on your left and right are okay, then it is okay. There are many reloaders out there, but thankfully that translates to 1-5 visiting a range in a day it seems. Well, at least out here. I might see another brass rat once in 7 visits.

You do what you want, but I believe the manuals are also telling you to inspect each shell so while reloading you should be inspecting, me I hear the noises they make so unless they jangle when they should be jingle I let them all pass my inspection. Cracked shells are caught all the time (1 in 500+ it seems) but I like to see cracked shells. It can be cool to load them too and test them out. I have a .45 shell that has a 1mm crack at the case mouth. I have loaded it twice now. I keep waiting to see if it will grow. It is my pet.

As for brass. I have OCD. When I walk in and see brass all over the place. I imagine myself slipping and falling and shooting everybody so I make sure to pick up all the brass I can find in my immediate area. Plus, all the shinies also distract me. I see nickels and dimes all over the floor and when I shoot .44 mag and the shell gets ejected forward and past the 10' line, you do not wanna be around...

[nothing4u]

If the primers are still crimp, it's good to go.

[2shotjoe]

If it's bad then it would fail in reloading. I even had a never fired case fail after I pulled the bullet out. Neck just cracked open.

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[Capybara]

Pretty simple. I pick up all range brass. Then I take it home and inspect it. Then I tumble it. When it is clean as new, it is pretty easy to spot failure areas, cracked necks, creases that are beyond saving. Heck, a week ago, I was up at the Glass Factory shooting, I spent twenty minutes when I was done shooting just picking up brass. Scored some killer, expensive stuff like some brand new Prvi .303 British, some Winchester brand new looking .30-30 brass, lots of .308, it was Aquila, not the best but totally reloadable. I picked up about 9-10 pounds of assorted brass in 20 minutes, worth about $70.00 to $90.00. Why wouldn't I pick it up and reload with it?

It's not that difficult to inspect and throw out stuff that looks as if it will fail. You just look for the signs of stress, wear and overpressure. Other than that, it is pretty much good to go. Especially straight wall pistol cases, those can be reloaded almost indefinitely if you load powder puff loads.

[Cowboy T]

If it weren't for range pickup brass, I would have virtually no .44M, .45LC, .357M, .45 ACP, .30-06, or .308 Win. Seriously. Fortunately, at my range, relatively few people reload, and virtually all the ammo brought in are new factory rounds, so all my range pickup is once-fired. If it's fired more than once, it's from a reloader who would've normally picked it up anyway and just missed that one (reloaders typically only leave faulty cases, i. e. splits/cracks).

So, go right ahead and pick up range brass. As others have said, just inspect it before reloading with it, like you ought to be doing anyway with ANY brass. Yep, even new brass.

[roc_my_tims]

to Piggy Back on Cowboy T's comment (no pun intended)

As a reloader i due typically only leave damaged cases but its rare as i dont usually look that close when picking them up and if i did notice it i throw it down range so you dont have to worry about that much either

['ol shooter]

I shoot at a private range, so if it's left behind, it's mine. I just picked up a couple hundred LC shiny 5.56 that was left behind along with lots of .357, .40, and .45acp, all once fired. They had a good time, judging from all that brass. "Rollin' rollin' rollin', keep that tumbler rollin'".