Good Range Day & Treasure Trove

[BC38]

My boy and I went to the gravel pit range just a few miles from our little place at the lake. Had a good couple of hours shooting a variety of handguns rifles and shotguns.

As always I stared picking up my brass and any that other people have left behind. Before we got ready to leave we both spent about a half hour picking up stray brass.

Here's our haul. A 12" Harbor Freight tool bag completely full. The second photo shows it all dumped out on a 30-gallon garbage bag on the deck. Just to give you a perspective on the size of the pile, those 8 rounds standing up in the foreground are 45-70 rounds.

There is a LOT of 5.56, .223, and 9mm, but there are also a couple of boxes each of 45, 40, 357, and other rifle calibers. Pretty good haul for a half hour's effort to pick them up. The value of the brass we picked up is at least two or three times the cost of the ammo we shot.

A good trip all around!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The non-reloading shooters, were only half as generous to me today. I ignored the 9mm and 40 brass as much as I could. I did score 2 reloadable 7.62 x 39's and 2 10mm Norma brass.

Ivan

 

[BC38]

FWIW, a big part of my being so happy about this haul is that I just bought my first black rifle in 5.56, so a few hundred 5.56 & .223. are a welcome addition to my reloading stash. I've already got about 10k worth of 9mm, but after cleaning it makes good trade fodder, or it can be sold for 2 or 3 cents each.

 

[MyDads38]

FWIW, a big part of my being so happy about this haul is that I just bought my first black rifle in 5.56, so a few hundred 5.56 & .223. are a welcome addition to my reloading stash. I've already got about 10k worth of 9mm, but after cleaning it makes good trade fodder, or it can be sold for 2 or 3 cents each.

Since moving, I no longer have access to the "free" brass from the Conservation Club I belonged to. Guess I can't complain, since I have more brass than I'll be able to use up in my lifetime! LOL

I own a few "black rifles" and several thousand 223/5.56 cases that I'm trying to process now. Haven't loaded any 223/5.56 in about 5 years. Brass prep (for me) is a PITA-Removing primer crimp and case trimming are my 2 LEAST favorite things to do! When I find 223/5.56 ammo for less than $.30/round, I buy instead of reloading. I'm not lazy, but all the prep just takes away from the fun of reloading it, for me anyway.

I always enjoyed a good "haul" when found, and sometimes brass collection took precedent over shooting Enjoy the sorting; you can never have enough brass (or guns, or reloading gear)!!

 

[jwk]

Years ago a buddy who was in the National Guard gave me 5 or 6 paper grocery sacks full of 5.56 brass. Since i only handload for my bolt guns, I'm still set for life on 5.56 brass.

Took an afternoon off work one day to shoot. Ended up shooting w a bunch of Feds who weren't paying for their own ammo who were about to have to shoot a qualifier. I'm set for life on 38 Special nickle brass.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm sad, I never see any brass at the public ranges where I shoot. The PA game commission requires everyone to clean up after themselves before leaving including brass and you are required to dispose of it off site.

I used to get some brass before that happened, not a haul like above but enough not to have to buy anything. Hate that! lol

 

[BC38]

Well, I did an initial sort this morning.
I separated the 223/556 from the 9mm from the "other".
Ended up with almost 1/2 a 5 gallon pail of the 223/556, about a gallon ziplock bag of 9mm, and about another gallon ziplock bag of "other". About 1/3 of the "other" is 40s&w, and the rest is a handful of 380, some 38, some 357, some 44mag, some 45acp, some 45/70, some FN 5.7, and a few miscellaneous rifle brass.
I should have a lifetime supply of the 223/556 now.
BTW, if its once-fired, how critical is it to have to trim the 223/556 before reloading? I'm new to reloading bottle-necked rifle cartridges.

 

[Marshal Kane]

ALWAYS a good idea to measure rifle brass after resizing. Due to the charges in rifle ammunition, brass tends to grow. Not so much with handgun ammunition but it also grows albeit a bit slower.

 

[Marshal Kane]

I used to shoot at a range in NorCal where the target frames for handgun are shortest on the right side. The range was closed for maintenance on Tues. and Wed. so right after the weekend, Id show up Monday on the handgun range and salvage all the brass left on the ground with the best pickings at the shortest end of the range where most of the new shooters would shoot. New shooters being the ones least likely to reload. Over time, I've salvaged a lifetime supply of the most popular handgun cases including .44 magnum and .45 Colt. The Lord bless the non reloaders, may they multiply in great numbers, and may their children also become non reloaders. Amen!

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I have never bought any new brass except for 100 pcs of .41 Magnum way back in the day. I pick up lots of 9 mm, but have just about stopped because I have so many. Thinking of just sweeping it all up and throwing it into a scrap barrel.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[Qc Pistolero]

Picking up free brass is only bettered by guys who come up to me and say:''sorry to interrupt your shooting Sir but I've been told that you reload....would you like to have my empty brass?''.
That's music to my ears!

 

[tlawler]

Went to the range with my boy today too. There was another father-son duo there also and they were shooting .357sig. I asked if he was saving brass and when he said no, I asked if he would mind if I cleaned up after him. No problem...and I scored about 300 Winchester casings! More than make up for the 100 I lost at a range in Pompano Beach last week. Nice range, but they don't let you pick up your brass. No problem...Vets shoot free on Mondays and it's gonna be revolvers only there from now on

 

[Jellybean]

My local range stopped "dumpster diving" for brass out of their buckets, although you can still pick up the stuff laying on the ground from the slobs that are too lazy to pick their own up. All I see, on the ground or in the buckets, are semi-auto pistol cases, which I have plenty of from the PD, .556/223 and steel cased 7.62X39. Some .308s, 30/06s and brass, reloadable 7.62x39 would be nice, as well as any revolver cases, but I doubt I'll have much luck. Other than .38/.357 I don't even see anyone shooting revolvers anymore and those are getting fewer and fewer. It's funny how few holes I see in the targets compared to how many rounds are fired too.

It is good your taking your son out to shoot, it's a good life skill to learn and a great way to bond. I take my granddaughter out with me and she loves it, other than when people think she's a boy.

 

[BC38]

Here's one for you guys. I'm sure someone has seen this before - though I never have.

Who can tell me what kind of gun leaves marks like this on a 9mm casing?

I only found this one like this and I've never seen anything quite like it.

At first I thought it was splits from a round that went KABOOM, but it isn't - it's just soot marks.

 

[Marshal Kane]

likely HK P7, it has a fluted chamber.

 

[BC38]

likely HK P7, it has a fluted chamber.

Interesting. Do they have 16 flutes? That is how many marks appear to be on this piece of brass.

HK P7 would fit - because I've never seen one of those (in person) either....

P.S. I just did a search on "HK P7 fluted chamber" and this is one of the photos that came up

In that photo I count 17 flutes and a gap on the left side where it looks like there should be an 18th flute.
I double and triple checked the piece of brass I posted. It definitely has 16 flutes and no gaps for another one.

So it must be something very similar to the HK P7, but probably not an HK P7 - unless they made different variants with different numbers of flutes and different fluting patterns.

 

[hoc9sw]

Picking up free brass is only bettered by guys who come up to me and say:''sorry to interrupt your shooting Sir but I've been told that you reload....would you like to have my empty brass?''.
That's music to my ears!

If you were around DFW that might be me. I took a wine box full to one of the guys at my range..

I bag the brass with the lot tag off the box until I've cleaned the guns, and am all clear for any potential damage. Then it goes in a box. What no one wants goes to a recycling company.

I learned that in dealing with a damage issue. Having the lot# and brass identified the cause, and got me a solution.

 

[max503]

The old range rats at my club don't shoot much. They just scrounge brass. You've got to avoid getting into a conversation with them. They will talk your ear off.

 

[kbm6893]

I'm sad, I never see any brass at the public ranges where I shoot. The PA game commission requires everyone to clean up after themselves before leaving including brass and you are required to dispose of it off site.

I used to get some brass before that happened, not a haul like above but enough not to have to buy anything. Hate that! lol

It's still there. Not like the OP's haul but I usually score 200-300 pieces at the PA SGL. I have gotten at least 1500 9MM cases, 300 .380, and at least a 1000 .223 in my last 5 or 6 trips. Probably 300 .45 ACP too.

 

[brucev]

Just a suggestion. If you are wanting to pick up brass without breaking your back or messing up your knees ... take a look at some of the little gizmos that are sold for picking up pecans. I have one that works perfectly w/ shell casings. It is so old I can't read the name on the handle. But it's a little round wire basked thing that you roll back and forth. It picks up pecans ... or shell casings very nicely. Much faster than fiddling around picking them up one by one. Sincerely. bruce.