Once-fired brass?

[Spyguy]

I've been curious about this: How do reloaders and remanufacturers know whether brass for semi-automatic weapons has been once-fired (unless it is collected at a private range with strict control procedures or collected with a brass catcher)?

At every range I've shot at, indoor and outdoor, there is brass all over the floor/ground. After I shoot (factory new ammo), I pick up my brass to the best of my ability, but it's impossible to always know exactly which are mine and which are someone else's leftovers. This is particularly a problem with weapons that eject brass forcefully to great distances (Mini-14, I'm looking at you). So even I can't be sure that all the brass I've collected has only been once-fired, because it's possible I may have picked up someone else's reloaded cases.

What do ranges do with all the brass they sweep up at the end of the day? If they sell it for reloading, how do they know how many times each casing has been fired?

[Munny$hot]

Usually ranges either sell it for scrap to be recycled or sell it to a company that reloads it. You can always mark the brass across the face with a marker to ID your brass. Usually bras can be reloaded many times so picking up rang brass is not a problem as long as you process it according to what your using it for. .223 will generally not hold primers well when they are at the end of their service life. If you case gauge everything, trim accordingly, clean your primer pockets, do a good visual inspection, be consistent in your loads, use good components, and do a tap test to ensure the primers are well seated you'll have a very dependable loads you can stake your life on.

[Spyguy]

Ok. But how do companies that advertise remanufactured ammo with "once-fired" brass actually know that the brass is only once-fired?

Thanks for the tip on marking the brass for pick-up.

[swift]

I've been told that some of the PD ranges would sell their used brass to a company that reloads them. Perhaps the military ranges do it as well?

[tiller]

Ok. But how do companies that advertise remanufactured ammo with "once-fired" brass actually know that the brass is only once-fired?

Thanks for the tip on marking the brass for pick-up.

They really dont know.. Probably 90% on a good scale will be once fired... If not then its other peoples "once fired reloads" so your getting "twice fired reloads" nit that big of a deal...


A company wont buy garbage brass if they like making money...

[Colt562]

I dont think they would know just a guess cause most reloaders pick up their own brass, while the others just leave their factory once new brass.

[CalTeacher]

If its left on the ground, then the shooter doesn't reload. Thus the very high probability that the brass is once-fired. I have brass that has been loaded and shot many, many times over...I seriously doubt anyone could tell the difference between mine and actual once fired brass.

[MIAMIbaseballer]

Here in Miami, all the ranges I know scrap it. Some ranges do not let you use reloaded ammo, nor do they let you pick up brass. Also, brass from police is always once fired.... Facilitates where the police train is only once fired because only LEO is allowed there.

There's not much to worry about though. Just inspect the brass and you're good to go...

[Chief-7700]

Real easy to tell if you have looked at enough fired brass:
How many marks on the rim from an extractor?
How dirty is the inside of the case?
Look at the headstamp.

[Kappy]

I don't really worry about it. A lot of the brass I'm using right now is on its... maybe... 8th reload?

A lot of guys at my range who don't reload just give me theirs. That's how I know.

[tiller]

Real easy to tell if you have looked at enough fired brass:
How many marks on the rim from an extractor?
How dirty is the inside of the case?
Look at the headstamp.

The last 2 things will get you no where??

[ireload]

Some things I go by:

1. If get I get to the range (indoor) right after they open and the floor is clear of brass, I can observe the shooter both right and left of me before they shoot whether the have new factory or reload.
2. I mark my own brass.
3. The majority of reloads that's sold from the range (rifle .223 cal and pistol), has the primer pocket reamed. It's obvious on the cut.
4. The inside of the brass on pistol caliber are some what clean majority of the time from once fired.

[MIAMIbaseballer]

Also common sense would tell ya that reloaders pick up most of their brass. So lets say almost 100% of whats there is once fired (at least here in Mia). Just ask the people shooting around you if they want their brass. I've never had anyone tell me no.

[Chief-7700]

The last 2 things will get you no where??

Looking at the headstamp on military brass you can see if the crimp ring has been removed. Once fired brass is cleaner inside the case than brass that has been reloaded many times (unless it has been cleaned in stainless steel media).