Pick up range brass? - What do you say?

[dscoduc]

That's great info guys, thanks! I plan on grabbing whatever I see laying on the ground in case I decide someday to start reloading rounds I collect... I'll be sure to ask before grabbing others...

But when I find NATO headstamp brass that needs the primer pocket swaged, I use in confidence.

Not sure if that means NAT headstamp stuff is GTG or not...

[phdo]

Most of the brass you buy will be range brass. The exception is brand new brass. I feel more comfortable picking up brass at the range because I know it's my own doing versus buying brass from someone else.

[Bigtls1]

I pick it all up. Most of my loads are light so I don't worry much.

[dscoduc]

It occurred to me that many ranges sell reloaded rounds for those not bringing their ammo... so picking up random brass does carry the risk the brass has been reloaded several times... Of course if the guy next to me has a clean/new box of ammo and is not picking them up then that would be a bonus...

[Mike402]

I started a thread about this a while ago. You really never know what you're getting out in the public. One time I was shooting next to a gentleman at an indoor range that was shooting .45 acp and had a bunch of Federal factory boxes. He wasn't picking up his brass, and I asked him politely if he wouldn't mind if I grabbed it. He said I was welcome to it, but it was his 25th loading on that set of brass, and he was done with them. Now I know thats a pretty rare situation, but it was a real eye opener for me.

[dscoduc]

...but it was his 25th loading on that set of brass...

Holy crap, not sure I would even want to stand next to him while he was shooting.... Detonation in 5...4...3...2...1...

[11287]

I was out shooting 45 acp with 5 friends and coworkers We accumulated a lot of 45 brass on the ground at the end of the day. None of the others reload and they were all firing brand new factory ammo. I took the brass home, cleaned it and put in 5 gallon bucket with my other 45 cases.

That is when I discovered they make a small primer 45 acp. I loaded the cases in my Dillon 1050 case feeder and began to load. After a few minutes I encountered slight resistance on the press handle and then a loud bang as the primer went off. Seems the large pistol primer going into the small primer pocket does not do very well and it went bang. I had to sit down an visually inspect every case in the 5 gallon bucket. Joy!!!

[Bainter1212]

I was out shooting 45 acp with 5 friends and coworkers We accumulated a lot of 45 brass on the ground at the end of the day. None of the others reload and they were all firing brand new factory ammo. I took the brass home, cleaned it and put in 5 gallon bucket with my other 45 cases.

That is when I discovered they make a small primer 45 acp. I loaded the cases in my Dillon 1050 case feeder and began to load. After a few minutes I encountered slight resistance on the press handle and then a loud bang as the primer went off. Seems the large pistol primer going into the small primer pocket does not do very well and it went bang. I had to sit down an visually inspect every case in the 5 gallon bucket. Joy!!!

Yep......45 acp has to be sorted. Migjt as well save up the small primer stuff even if you don't want to load it. Somebody will want it.

[rcslotcar]

I have access to free federal Nt brass that is crimped. It's an extra pita to remove the crimp, but free makes it worth it. I also have a bucket of brass that is not up to my reloading standards. I will say that I have spent 4 mins trying to round out a stepped on piece of brass even though I have maybe 10k in buckets??? Free range brass is always worth sorting out, it's part of the hobby (read sickness).

[opos]

I might throw in one little "trick"...if I have rifle brass that I don't know the history on (recently bought a rifle with a bunch of brass from an heir of a man that loaded) I do a complete inspection and one more step...I take a paper clip...straighten it out..make a little bent tip on it and use it to "scrape" the inside of the cases...if there is a head separation about to happen the little "tool" will feel the eroded part of the case above the case head along the side wall..it's really apparent...those cases get squashed and into the bucket.

I think almost all "once fired" brass that is offered for sale is unknown and lots is range pickups...cleaned and just sold. Back when I bought range brass (don't any more) I'd find .380's in with the 9mm's, stuff that would not hold a primer, etc...far from once fired as advertised.

[Citadelgrad87]

That's great info guys, thanks! I plan on grabbing whatever I see laying on the ground in case I decide someday to start reloading rounds I collect... I'll be sure to ask before grabbing others...



Not sure if that means NAT headstamp stuff is GTG or not...

NATO stuff comes with military crimped primer pockets. If the primer pocket has not been swaged, the brass is by definition1x.

[sl0re10]

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?

yes; but be mindful people like me leave their 8 times fired brass at the range.

If the primer slips in; I'd super glue it and mark the case for disposal after that use.... also look for the shinny line around the middle of rifle cases that show multiple reloads and that the case is getting ready to separate during extraction.

[Meety Peety]

NATO stuff comes with military crimped primer pockets. If the primer pocket has not been swaged, the brass is by definition1x.

Except for those that ream and those that shove a primer into the ones that fit. Which is to say about 7/10 will go in with rotation. A good indication sure, but certainly not "by definition".

Myself personally, I don't have a problem with using range pickup for general plinking rounds and I will usually pick up all brass that I come across and keep the good ones, toss the bad ones. I shoot on BLM where not a lot of shooters go and the ones that due generally pick up their brass. Every once in a while I find a pile and I figure if I'm going to clean it up, I might as well inspect it and reuse the good ones.

[MontClaire]

Try to only pick up yours and you should be able to closely inspect it at home before cleaning.

[09cs]

I pick up what I can, and inspect it after an initial cleaning. I always take a paper clip or something similar and check the inside of each case to check for signs of separation