Indoor Range etiquette and brass?

K

Kimio

New member
So I typically go around picking up brass when I'm at the range, ensuring that I always ask both the range officers and the people who's brass I may be picking up (other than my own) if that it's okay to do so. Brass is practically like gold for those who shoot often and IIRC, it's also an extra source of revenue for some ranges.

This is typically how I go about my brass gathering at an outdoor range. But what about indoor ranges? Do these same rules apply? I typically refrain from doing so since, as I mentioned earlier, it's another source of revenue for the range. Indoor ranges I imagine are typically more expensive to run as well if I'm not mistaken, so I kind of feel like I'm cheating them out of some extra $$$'s

I don't feel right asking for the most part due to the reasons I stated above

What do ya'll think? Am I fretting over nothing, or am I showing proper range etiquette here?

Another thing that I refuse to do at an indoor range is fire a rifle at one, unless it's a .22LR rifle. To me the shockwave can be quite jarring and distracting. It just doesn't seem right to be shooting my AR or rifle caliber rounds at an indoor range where it's so bloody loud. (A reason why I always double up on hearing protection)
 
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It's good form to ask first. Some operators insist on keeping it, while others are fine as long as you just take your own brass.

The person nobody likes is the brass vulture, who takes not only his own, but anything he can shovel up and cart out.
 
What do ya'll think? Am I fretting over nothing, or am I showing proper range etiquette here?
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The indoor ranges around me all have the same policy: no picking up brass besides your own. I would assume it is because they are reselling it as an additional revenue stream.

That said, I will pick up brass if it is left in my stall by the previous shooter. I need to clear a place to stand and shoot from, so I kick it to the side of the stall and then just gather it up along with my brass when I am done shooting. I will not go into another stall or in the "common areas" behind all the stalls and scrounge around, just the area directly behind my stall where my brass ejects to.

The key is to just ask before you go about picking it up.

Another thing that I refuse to do at an indoor range is fire a rifle at one,
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There is only one indoor range around me that allows the firing of rifles (in true rifle calibers), and .224 cal is the max they allow. They also require you to use frangible ammo.

That said, I also do not shoot rifles above 22lr at the indoor range as I agree, the noise can be over whelming for everyone on the line.

I do everything I can to not shoot at indoor ranges and generally only do so December - February when it is below freezing on most days.
 
I see no problem with asking the range owner if you can clean up his floor and keep the brass. Most, like you said will sweep it up and sell it, so most likely will the answer will be no unless its your own. I know at registered trap shoots the hull belongs to the club when it hits the ground.

I have never shot a long gun at an indoor range. Most I have seen prohibit all but pistol calibers. Even some of the bigger calibers are prohibited. I would certainly ask about shooting a rifle, but if its ok with the range the other shooters just need to deal with it.
 
About a year ago I tried to count out my 9mm brass and stopped when I thought I'd counted 10k cases. I've got about 5k plinking reloads on hand and a few times a year I break out the Dillon and work up another 1000 when it looks like I'm running "low".

I don't go out of my way to pick up my 9mm, nor do I object when somebody else asks me if they can pick up my empties because I certainly don't need them. However... when somebody is on either side of me shooting .40/.45, I do pick up my brass and ask them if I can pick theirs up too. Most people who don't reload have no idea you can, so about 9/10 people give me a puzzled look and say "Sure, no problem". The last 1/10 person usually wants to strike up a conversation about reloading, and then wants to shoot some of mine to see what they "feel like". Then they want to keep their brass after all "for the future".

My local ranges don't have signs nor seem to care that people occasionally pick up other brass with permission. I've never seen an ammo-vulture in action, but I did see a guy up-end .50cal can of sweep-ups into his range-bag when he thought nobody was looking... I thought it was pretty un-cool, but then again he was trying to rapid-fire a Judge and had already been talked to by the rangemaster about it, so coolness was not his thing.

Outdoor rifle ranges are a whole other thing... gotta be very sure you're in the green before picking up brass that isn't yours. With the price of even cheap .223 nowadays (or hell, think about a year ago), somebody is liable to take offense.
 
If there are separate shooting stalls, then I only pick up the brass in mine.
If the range claims the brass, then I leave it except for what's underfoot.
If the brass from nearby shooters gets mixed up with mine, and the range doesn't claim it, then I wait until the others leave.
Then I take what they don't.
 
Being a reloader of many calibers I am a brass whore.
Yes there is no 10 step program for me for this affliction.

I all ways ask those shooting around me if they save their brass; if so then I help gather it up and return it to them the rest I collect.

We have been shooting at the same range for years as a group so they are ok with us sweeping up all the brass.
 
My indoor range also has a policy of the only brass that can be picked up being your own. However, it is not strictly enforced by most to the range officers. They have asked that if you pick up brass from other people that they would appreciate tossing a couple of bucks on the counter as you walk out.

This range has both a rifle side and a pistol side. The only restriction is that no armor piercing is allowed. I know that 50BMG is sometimes fired there. The owner used to run a welding company and the backstop trap system is an amazing engineering feat as is the ventilation system. Ventilation system is so good that they allow black powder shooting as well.

All of this is good for me because the nearest outdoor range is an hour drive away.
 
Jay24bal said:
The indoor ranges around me all have the same policy: no picking up brass besides your own. I would assume it is because they are reselling it as an additional revenue stream.
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This is the policy at the range where I shoot. I've known the owner for about 20 years and I help out with various aspects of the operation once in awhile, and he knows I prefer Winchester brass, so if a person or group in a lane next to me is shooting Winchester, the owner doesn't raise a stink if I ask them for their brass when they're done.

He does sell the brass, so I try not to overdo it. As long as I can leave with as many cases as I shot plus a few more, I'm happy.
 
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The public range I shoot at once a week says one can pick up their own brass but that's it. They claim selling the spent casings is an additional source of revenue for them. As a matter of fact, one must pick up their own brass if going to do so rather quickly as a staff member comes thru the range every 10 minutes or so to shovel all brass downrange making it impossible for anyone to claim.

The private range I shoot at 3 - 4 times per week has barrels set out for brass. One can either claim their own brass or shovel it up and deposit it in the barrel for use of other club members that reload.
 
I shoot at an outdoor range. They provide brooms/dustpans and bins for you to dump your brass in if you dont want it. Many times people in the lanes next to me will notice that I am saving my brass and will offer me theirs. I gladly accept and thank them if its a caliber I reload.
At that range a lot of people are slobs and dont sweep up after themselves so sometimes you get to your lane to find hundreds of pieces of brass already there. Score!

The range does resell brass but mostly in rifle calibers and some of the harder to find pistol calibers like 500S&W. The RSO has never said anything to me about cleaning up after someone in the lane next to me who left a mess and they always ask if I want my brass when they come around to do the occasional sweep of the whole line.

So far I have noticed that many indoor ranges now have rules that if the brass touches the floor it is now range property. I wont shoot at these places. I paid for that brass and if I want to pick it up I will.
 
As others said, different ranges will have different rules. I've yet to go to one that's all that picky about it- just standard courtesy to stick to your own unless you ask (but then, I've also never been to one where it's all that easy to be absolutely sure what's yours unless it's not that busy and you're the only one not shooting .22).

I pick up my brass. I probably sometimes end up with some from other people (whether they're still there or not), but since some of mine often ends up forward of the firing line where mortals ought not go, I consider it pretty even. I do try to stick to the stuff I shot but I don't make a real production out of it.

If I were to have a local range that played the "if it hits the floor, it's ours" game I'd be sure to never shoot anything centerfire that wasn't a revolver at that range.
 
Technosavant said:
If I were to have a local range that played the "if it hits the floor, it's ours" game I'd be sure to never shoot anything centerfire that wasn't a revolver at that range.
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Can we have a BIG "Amen"?
 
Some matches are brass loss ones.
No time to mess around and pick it up.
So then, it's decision time as whether to bring old brass and risk a malfunction, or the good stuff and lose it.
 
I would ask, never hurts to strike up a conversation and be polite about it. You never know when it might payoff in the future.

One day a father and son were shooting next to me indoors. I guess the son (20ish) saw me sweep the brass next to the corner of my lane. After a mag change I noticed that he kindly swept my brass and pushed it down range to be nice guy.

I thanked him any let him know that I keep it to reload, which made his face drop and he sheepishly said sorry. I assured him it was no big deal and when I finished my time he managed to sweep up their brass for me to have as well. We chatted a bit about reloading as they had many questions about cost savings etc. Long story short at the range just ask, it will never hurt.
 
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