Am I Sentenced Forevermore To Brass Scrounging?

[otisrush]

For those of you that load range brass, do you EVER stop scrounging for brass? Do you ever have some amount in your inventory where you're able to leave others' brass unclaimed?

The other day I came upon a good amount of .223 in the brass buckets. As I was picking out the oddities in there and getting ready to run it through the tumbler I thought "My gosh. I think I might have enough. Managing what I have is becoming a bigger issue than not having enough." (I don't have that much - but I'm approaching potentially all that I want.)

My grandmother used to say "Never walk by a penny you see on the ground. If you do you'll be poor the rest of your life." I'm beginning to think I'll never be able to leave stuff in the buckets. It just seems like a waste. One never knows when one might want more brass.

OR

 

[fredj338]

I think it comes with reloading. Seeing once fired brass on the ground, being stepped on, tarnished,eventually claimed for scrap, just seems wrong. I have more brass than I can probably ever shoot in some calibers. I shoot idpa twice a month at a public range, often littered with brass, mostly service calibers. I often pick up more than I shoot, lets me have brass to leave at lost brass matches. Do I have enough, probably, do I still scrounge it on occasion, you bet. You have enough until you don't.

 

[Chuck24]

No matter how much I have, I can't seem to stop. It's an addiction. I tell myself it's good exercise, but we all know that's a lie. Even pick up stuff I don't load to keep the range neat. And that's a lie, I swap it with friends.

 

[Joni_Lynn]

I usually pass on range brass. Since I don't know for sure how many times it's been loaded I prefer to not mix it in with my stuff.

 

[Thomas15]

I'm in total agreement with the above two posts 2&3. I think that applies to all components, not just range brass. How many primers are too many? When do you have enough powder? Is there enough bullets in your bunker to keep you from looking at bullets?

The answer is no to all of the above. Sorry, it's the way things are.

 

[rwsmith]

A few years ago..

A few years ago, I couldn't find .357 brass anywhere and even more common brass was hard to find. I scrounged as much as I could, then supplemented my stock with a few 'once fired' types of brass. If brass is there, I pick it up. If I shoot semis of any kind I try to recover the brass.

I have a few 7.7 Japanese cases for a friend that has two Arisakas and they AIN'T gettin' away from me.

So like someone who lived through the Depression, I like to keep a little extra on hand, just in case.

 

[wantmoresmiths]

After surviving one or two component and ammo shortages, most of us never take for granted, having brass readily available, so we pick it up whenever we find it.We also buy powder, primers, and .22 ammo whenever it's available at a reasonable price, weather we need it or not. It's always good to be prepared for the next shortage.

 

[ageingstudent]

For those of you that load range brass, do you EVER stop scrounging for brass? Do you ever have some amount in your inventory where you're able to leave others' brass unclaimed?

The other day I came upon a good amount of .223 in the brass buckets. As I was picking out the oddities in there and getting ready to run it through the tumbler I thought "My gosh. I think I might have enough. Managing what I have is becoming a bigger issue than not having enough." (I don't have that much - but I'm approaching potentially all that I want.)

My grandmother used to say "Never walk by a penny you see on the ground. If you do you'll be poor the rest of your life." I'm beginning to think I'll never be able to leave stuff in the buckets. It just seems like a waste. One never knows when one might want more brass.

OR

I used to keep it in coffee cans and buckets. I can no longer keep service calibers that way it's a mess. Last weekend I built a big pine box with 5 sections Inside for .223, .9mm, .45, .40, and .380. It's got ramps inside that push the brass into trays like a candy machine. When I get home from the range I just open the top and pour the brass in. Each section holds at least 10000 pieces. When I want brass it's there. I sure wish wheelgun shooters would be more sloppy. I can't leave brass either. I sure do hate running out.

 

[Neely52]

Hi,
My name is Neely52 and I scrounge brass.

 

[nolesfan]

I used to keep it in coffee cans and buckets. I can no longer keep service calibers that way it's a mess. Last weekend I built a big pine box with 5 sections Inside for .223, .9mm, .45, .40, and .380. It's got ramps inside that push the brass into trays like a candy machine. When I get home from the range I just open the top and pour the brass in. Each section holds at least 10000 pieces. When I want brass it's there. I sure wish wheelgun shooters would be more sloppy. I can't leave brass either. I sure do hate running out.[/QUO

I would like to see a picture of this.

 

[Frank46]

Had a buddy that taught concealed carry courses. I'd see him with a broom and shovel dumping the brass in the range buckets. Since most of it was 38 special I now have a 40mm ammo can full. Another friend loved shooting 45 auto but didn't reload. Sufficed to say I am comfortably stocked with 45 auto brass. Frank

 

[MyDads38]

I don't (can't) leave brass when I find it. Calibers that I don't shoot, I either give to friends that do, or trade it at gun shows. I have more than I could possibly use, but that doesn't keep me from scrounging every time at the range!

 

[MichiganScott]

I used to pick up and reload range brass until I noticed an inordinate number of early case failures. I figure my firearms cost me too much to take a chance on damaging them to save a few pennies.

I still pick up range brass because I can't help myself. However, it now goes in a five gallon bucket for recycling. I currently have four full buckets and am working on my fifth.

 

[Snoopz]

Can't have enough.. only problem is change storage options..when Mil pull down LC68 30/06 was available bought all I could, Friend gave me "crates" of 5.56, Cans of 7.62, became a friend of a Colonel that ran a range..so got all the range brass..can you have enough...that's your decision, all that I have is in "fat" 50 cans stacked high and deep..

Only problem I run across is...is it really once fired and yes I know how to check by looking at the crimp, different color primers..etc.

even was recycling .22lr cases that I shot..makes decent .22cal bullets (swaging)

so ..get it while you can, you never know in this day and time.

-Snoopz

 

[DWalt]

Where I shoot, the Border Patrol guys also shoot. I could probably fill my car trunk full of .40 S&W brass. Problem is that I own nothing chambered in .40 S&W and probably never will. It just never appealed to me. So I don't pick them up.

"I have a few 7.7 Japanese cases for a friend that has two Arisakas and they AIN'T gettin' away from me."

Very simple to make 7.7 brass from .30-'06. Just one pass through a 7.7 FL die followed by trimming. I made lots of them back when I had a nice 7.7 Type 99 with mum. 7.7 dies also work for loading .303 British. Case dimensions are nearly identical, except one is rimmed, the other is not.

 

[ageingstudent]

I would like to see a picture of this.

Sorry if it flips sideways. My pics started doing that in posts about 6 months ago and I haven't been able to figure out what the deal is. Only happens here.

Scrap lumber of course.

 

[SLT223]

Doesn't really make sense to stop scrounging. You can pay for it, or pick itup for free. I execute option #2 as much as possible. That being said, I only pick up .44 RM and .45 COLT when I see them...I actually have more .357 brass than I'll ever reload. I'd like to get there with the other two caliber I mentioned as well.

 

[Magload]

Never enough brass. I am going to have my son have mine melted down and a plaque and maybe a urn if I collect enough. On the ship they used to make plaques and bells out of brass.

 

[feelinlucky]

I'm a hopeless perpetual brass scrounger. I pick it all up, 22, shotgun, steel, aluminum, cigarette butts, whatever. I sort it all and keep the calibers I reload, trade off or sell the calibers I don't reload, and sell the rest for scrap.

I often spend more time picking up brass at the range than I do shooting. I will NEVER have too much brass.

 

[Murphy's Law]

I have to admit, I do the "Chicken Dance" all the time picking up brass. Truth be told, I'm just as bad on a golf course (i.e have to poke around the ponds/bushes). Sad habit I know!