Another reason to sort brass

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mikerjf

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I sort 9mm brass by headstamp - what I'd read was that since it is a low-volume case, sticking with one brand of brass was safer for developing heavier loads.

Apparently my local range is getting more serious about not allowing reloads - they've had it in the rules, but today the "range officers" wanted to inspect the ammo I would be shooting.

I let them inspect, they looked at 5-6 rounds, and deduced that they were not demon reloads because "they were all the same headstamp, and reloaders always mix them up".

Being all in plastic Berry's boxes wasn't a clue. Neither was the general used look of my brass. Or the piece of paper inside with the type and amount of powder and COAL used in each of 5 groups. Some of them even have Roman numerals in sharpie so I can measure expansion by load.

Well, I didn't feel it was my place to disagree with their expertise, so I had my shooting as planned.
 
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Before I "escaped" So. CA, indoor ranges were getting "too safe, too eco-friendly"(?). It started with "no lead", "no steel cases" and some got as bad as the "no handload" ranges. It started at one range with a clerk inspecting my guns, then inspecting my ammo, then three were inspecting ammo and I was down to one range. When I left only one range near me was OK with lead. One I went to in downtown LA would only allow ammo that they sold (I was only there for 15 minutes and never fired a shot).

Perhaps the RO at the OP's range didn't agree with the "no handload rule" and missed his handloads on purpose...
 
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Man, the range I go to is awesome, and its owned and run by a family who are all current or former MSP officers and ex-military. They would never do some BS like asking to inspect your ammo. What? Are you serio?

I do do the samenthing though, but for different reasons. I sort all of my brass for every caliber by headstamp and ifnit has a date code like LC 5.56 brass I sort by that as well. I also have most of the boxes and trays because Ill go through the trash barrels and get the boxes. Mine all look like factory ammo.��

Sure I have ammo cans full of range ammo but theyre full of all of the same brass, loaded the same.

I told yall, I do have OCD and reloading is a great pastime to satisfy my strange obsessive traits.
 
The real reason for the ban on reloads is to make you buy their ammo. During the shortage they didn't have alot of ammo to sell, but now, it's back to high mark-up ammo!

There is nothing any true handgun cartridge can do to hurt any proper backstop. The first Indoor range in this area, the first proof round was M2 50 ball ammo with no ill effect! The second proof round was M-2 AP, that left a small dimple on the sloped backstop!

Ivan
 
Normally, my range only has restrictions of range ammo for the guns they rent.
One time I saw them stop a shooter whose ammo was particularly smokey.

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk
 
My closest indoor range requires you to buy their ammo for gun rentals. They don't allow steel 223/556 projectiles. And only slugs allowed for shotguns.
 
Most of us that reload know how to spot them in a heart beat......

but I am glad to hear that you got their ok to shoot your ammo that you had.

One would think in these times, most places would try not to scare off business !!
 
My range says that they are concerned about a steel projectile striking another steel projectile sitting in the rubber backstop, causing a spark. Seems unlikely.

They also prohibit steel cased ammo, but I think that's because having all brass allows them to sell it for more.

Reloads are fine this far.
 
DR505 said:
It is CDO...you MUST have it in alphabetical order...;)
Click to expand...

And you have heard of the agnostic dyslectic insomniac...

Sat up all night wondering if there really was a dog?:p

Cheers!

P.S. We were at the range today and had the indoor & the upper rifle ranges completely to ourselves.

No range officers or clerks: nothing to buy or pay for except NRA targets @ 10/$. A drink from the fridge is $0.50 on the honor system.

Annual dues are $100/year until your 62nd year, then $50.

FREE with a Purple Heart.
 
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Jimbo41 said:
My range says that they are concerned about a steel projectile striking another steel projectile sitting in the rubber backstop, causing a spark. Seems unlikely.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Additionally, I think you are more likely to find steel projectiles in surplus ammo than reloads.

I did have an interesting backstop and projectile issue last time I used an indoor range (years ago):

This was a 25 yard indoor range with a layer of shredded rubber on the backstop. There were only two of us using the range at the time. Myself, shooting a Browning Buckmark, and a gentlemen at the other end firing an AR-15 off a bipod.

Immediately after one of his rounds I hear a whirring sound, and something impacts my shin. My shin was badly bruised but not penetrated.

The round that struck me appeared to be deformed FMJ .40 S&W. We could only deduce that the .223 round from the AR-15 struck a .40 S&W bullet in the berm and it came spinning back my way.
 
I detest commercial indoor ranges for all the reasons cited, and more.
Yeah, gotta buy their (jacked up) ammo and targets.
No reloads and/or no lead bullets.
Lousy lighting.
Short distances to targets.
The "range officers" are usually disgruntled idiots.
Their "safety concerns" give them extended license to hassle you like the "ammo inspection" in the OP. Yet, any Bozo can walk in and shoot.

I'll take an organized private members-only club any day. You get to meet friends. You get to shoot real matches. And, if the place is any way serious, you don't have to worry about being shot by the numbskull down the line from you.
Unfortunately, insurance and liability concerns & expenses, combined with the cost of real estate, not to mention the sheer number of dangerously incompetent people, is pushing range and shooting access more towards higher expense and a greatly diminished quality of experience, especially in urban areas.
Sad.
 
If I happen to pick brass that didn't come from my reloads I do keep them seperated from mine. NATO 9MM goes into the trash. Anythi g else gets inspected and joins the rest of my brass. That's as far as I go.
 
I don't use indoor ranges because I'm cheap, I refuse to pay $20 and up for an hour of range time. My club range is 30 miles away, around a gallon and a half of gas. I can start to shoot 1/2 hour before dawn to 1/2 hour after dusk. Plus the fact I've been a member for over 25 years I pay no yearly dues. Only restriction is no full automatics or 50 cals.
 
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