There was a discussion on another forum I frequent about home made brass catchers. I posted this there, then I thought some of you might enjoy seeing these.

Here are pictures of the four I've made. I'm frugal in nature, and I can't see buying something if I can make it cheaply and effectively myself. Why a brass catcher? Well part of it is just that the older I get, I get sick up bending over and picking up brass! But there are specific gun related issues I'll detail below.

This first one I made primarily for when I shoot the Garands and the carbine. The Garands in particular eject violently, and often the brass goes forward. Since I shoot on ranges that usually have others shooting, I feel bad asking for a cease fire any more than is necessary to change targets, etc. This is just a $4 Walmart bait net, cut off and mounted on a simple wooden base



I bought another of the same net, and through trial and error rigged up a simple wooden mount to hold it that clamps on the gun. The side that touches the gun has Flex Tape rubber facing, and I chopped a cheap Harbor Freight C clamp to minimize the projections , etc. That is also wrapped in Flex Tape and/or electrical tape wherever it touches the gun.







For both of these, I forgot to put in for the picture that I used a simple piece of wire coat hanger to keep them open. The weight of a few 06 cases will pull the net down. Also, being made of nylon, a hot 06 case will sometimes melt itself to the net, but no permanent damage.

This one I made for my two .22s. Just a simple coated wire clothes hanger, bent to shape, a shot bag cover, cardboard to hold the mouth open, and I cut the bag and put a velcro tab to make it easy to empty. Just hook it over the scope. Why catch .22 casings? Two reasons. One, I hate finding the range at our club littered with spent .22 brass. Even though we provide brass buckets and brooms, there are a few slobs that seem to think it's beneath their station in life to pick up after themselves. Second, I scrap brass. It's amazing how much brass I accumulate in 6 months or a year. Buys lunch, of maybe a thousand primers.





Finally, I made this one for pistol shooting. Specifically, when I did my .38-45 Clerke project, I decided that a wildcat round that takes 5 pulls of the press handle to form is something I do NOT want to lose. It's a Harbor Freight mechanics glove, a Walmart aquarium net, and a bit of sewing to fabricate a slot to hold the wire handle of the net, then some trial and error bending. Like I said, I learned the hard way not to use this in an actual competition. Mr. Murphy has shown up more than once, and a round has hit the frame and bounced right back int the ejection port, jamming the gun. That can cost a lot in a timed or rapid fire string!







I don't know, maybe I have too much time on my hands!

Oh this never mattered to me before I reloaded.... now that I do I constantly look for brass (backyard range).

I like your fish net glove idea alot! Thanks for sharing!

__________________
This is the way....

Ingenious, inventive, and resourceful!!

Well done!!

John

Wow! You are Creative! I really like those Brass Catchers.

Thank you so much for sharing those Ideas, and taking the
time to take Pictures.

The Best to you and your Endeavors.

Attached Images

USFAFlatTop44Spl.jpg (3.5 KB, 415 views)

__________________
SD social distanc'n since 1889

Ok, now I'm thinking of a butterfly net that you just stick the gun in and shoot thru... replace it when the hole in the end is too big!

Great ideas. Ya know, range stalls should have netting around them, to keep it all close by.

My homemade brass catcher is a completely different design as I shoot at an outdoor range and I'm usually the only one there so I can spread a tarp. My problem was that I'd need an enormous tarp to catch it all especially shooting a variety of guns that throw different distances and directions.

I started off by screwing the tarp to lengths of PVC pipe at each end which both helps hold it down if it's windy and makes it easy to roll up at the end of the day. I then added a net backstop to catch some of the higher flying brass. This is on a PVC frame that is just pushed together not glued for easy disassembly.





This works quite well and if I do miss a couple pieces of my brass I usually find a couple pieces of somebody else's in the grass so I don't lose much at all.

A cardboard box stood up on its side with the open end facing my pistol.
I like the glove with the bait net.

Re: Op. Just now found your post. Applause you for your thoughtful and creative efforts to solve a real issue for those who want/need to easily recover their brass after firing. Sincerely. bruce.

__________________
<><

I shoot steel cases out of my SKS because it throws brass like a slingshot and straight up. Of course I have to buy the steel ammo. I did reload some 7.62 X 39 and I only recovered about 25% of my cases. It make take some work to adapt it, but I think I can work it out. Then I can be TOTALLY unreliant on bought ammo except for .22.

And I'm NOT going to do that 'survivalist' method of reloading for .22 and that's that.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I tried making a brass chatcher that attached to my hand, it caught a few pieces, but not all and it was awkward. If you have the space, a tarp on the ground is good.

__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA

When I go to the range to fire semi-automatics I take my Grandson for my "Brass Picker Upper".
When Grandson is not available I shoot revolvers and manual operated shoulder arms.

Good Morning,
If I had thought about it, I would have taken photos this morning during the range session. The extreme humidity prevented thinking, except thoughts of home and the AC.

An old photo of the ugly brass catcher I made and have used for about 5 years or so. Depending on which pistol, it will catch about 50 to 95% of the hulls. We were shooting 9 mm this morning and it caught probably 80% of the hulls. My daughter wasn't paying attention to catching brass, she just wanted to out shoot me. :-) She didn't.

The catcher needs tweaking, but I'm not in the mood. The weather is too hot.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Tarps generally do the job for me but for 10mm I could really use a backstop from Major League Baseball. I don't catch the brass - just knock it down to the tarp. Wind is often problematic with a sizeable blocker so material type is key to let the wind pass through. I opened a fish-net type laundry bag and clothespinned it to a couple horizontal rods, overhanging and drape-like above/right of me. I have to keep the brass from hitting the rods and c'pins as it will ricochet into the next zip code. Rube Goldberg would be proud.

Yep, ole Rube has me on the contraption list, when the need arises.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

I like the way you think, Jimmy

Robert

__________________
Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I recently saw a guy using a baseball cap with the straps slung over his AR-15 optic with the bill pointing downward. The bill was guiding the cases directly into an empty box. I thought that was clever.

At the indoor range I loved shooting my 45 acp AMT Hardballer but a bad back made finding and picking up the brass a real PAIN ...
Wally Mart Fish Landing net fixed that problem ...
The Net is just great for catching brass and fish !

Good Idea's are simply wonderful ...keep on doing it !
Gary

__________________
Certified Cajun
NRA Member

I put a white sheet on the ground, hold it down with a few rocks. Your setup is a lot better then mine.