Trash brass . . .

P

Prof Young

New member
Loaders:
It occurs to me that, with all the shooting I do, and all the trash brass I could collect, I should keep and sell the trash brass. By trash brass I mean 22LR and 22Mag, max tech 9mm with the "shelf" inside, any brass I screw up when reloading, 45 autos with a small primer hole, and any brass that makes it's way into my range pile of a caliber I don't reload. So far I've got a five gallon bucket with a couple inches of brass in it and I've only been "collecting" for a couple months. Brass goes for as high as $1.39 a pound so my bucket will be worth a decent amount when it's full. Not much effort involved here.

Life is good.

Prof Young
 
I give my scrap brass to my local range. They have a process in place where they sell it for melt value. At least, prior to this last shortage, the treasurer stated that they collect several thousands of dollars per year - helps keep our membership dues down, range maintenance, etc.

I see people who don't reload scoop up their brass and put them in the brass buckets - as they should. Then, someone comes behind them and takes it out of the bucket - not cool. Once it goes in that bucket, it's range property. Therefore, it's theft. Now I'm just venting, sorry.

I digress. Point is, even if I have a large quantity of brass to dump, I'd give it to my range. One range member who sees me out there quite a bit gave me a 5gal bucket (about 80% full) of all once-fired (by him) 38 Special brass (https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=584355). That was generous of him. I shoot a lot of 38 Special, so it worked out pretty good for me. I guess he doesn't put his brass in the bucket ;)
 
Indeed . . .

Nick:

If I shot at a club-membership-not-for-profit range I'd do that too. The range I shoot is a for profit business. Brass left on the range they gather sort and sell.

Even at that I agree about brass already in the bucket. Once it's in the bucket it belongs to the range. Even when I'm cleaning up my brass I only grab what's in my lane.

I was at a public range once and some clown had grabbed up one of the buckets and was sorting through it tossing what he didn't want back on the ground. Range boss gave him "heck" before I got to him. Some people!

Life is good.
Prof Young
 
My range is not for profit. Members can look at the books and they report out the financials at our monthly meetings. "Extra" money goes to fund youth shooting education/progams.

So yeah, it's a little different.
 
I pick up all brass in the action bays I shoot at, the range actually has a rule to pick up you brass, they dont so I do. I sort it, keep what I want, make piles for buddies, odds and ends get individual baggies labeled until they are worth some "trading" fodder (I usually trade for a smile) and the junk goes in a 3 gallon bucket for the recycler, I do alot of scrapping so it jist ends up another line item on the check stub.
 
I'm a member at a non-profit range as well . All RSO are volunteers ( trained both at the range and NRA class ) . We have what's called work party's the first Saturday of every month where volunteers show up and work on the range . Everything from full on construction to pulling weeds . What ever needs to be done .

Are rule is the same . Once the brass goes into the bucket , it belongs to the range . I get all my brass from the range at a great price . It doesn't hurt we have the Navy , Coastguard and other LEO all train there and we get all that brass as well . Which is nice because you know it's once fired and if you don't just toss there brass in with all the other brass . You get LARGE lots of brass with all the same headstamp . :D I recently picked up 3k 9mm cases all WCC-12 headstamp for $50 :eek:

I have to say I never thought of giving the range brass , Interesting :)
 
I'm lucky. The for profit range I go to encourages you to pick any brass whether on the ground on in the bucket. They can't keep up with all the brass.
 
We have what's called work party's the first Saturday of every month where volunteers show up and work on the range.
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We have "range clean-up day." The first Saturday of every month.

I'll be there this Saturday. You only have to do one Sat per year and it knocks $50 off your annual membership.
 
I don't reload (yet) but I collect brass for future use.

I've found most people do not sweep their lanes.. that's ok I do it for them after they leave.. anything on the ground is fair game far as Im concerned.

I never take from the brass bucket though.. once's it's in there it's the ranges imo.

As a individual im not sure if the recycler would take spent cases or not for free of a live round.

22lr cases can be used to swage and form .223 jackets.. so I don't consider them scrap cause I plan to get into that as well at some point.
 
Am I the only one that saves small primer .45 for a rainy day? By rainy day I mean any kind of future shortage, whether brass or large primer? See lots of people say they trash spp .45 all the time.
 
Just money for more reloads.
Bright shiny brass sells for more, so everything goes through the tumbler at my house. Doesn't cost anything extra, not extra work and makes inspection easier.

Money comes in handy, the only tip I can give is find a salvage yard that specializes in non-ferrous, they usually pay more, up to 50 cents a pound more for bright/shinny.

Rimfire brass hits the bucket, the recyclers don't care where the weight comes from.
----

Camnus, I TRADE small primer & oddball brass for something I want.
Mr. Morris has an auto sorter for small primers that flips them out, or you can hand sort.
Some guys around here shoot all small primer one day, then shoot all large primer another day so they don't have to sort again.

I don't shoot a lot of pistol, but I can't find a difference in function or accuracy.
I trade a lot of pistol brass for stuff I can use more, from brass to dies to lube, etc.
 
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Then, someone comes behind them and takes it out of the bucket - not cool. Once it goes in that bucket, it's range property. Therefore, it's theft. Now I'm just venting, sorry.
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Vent away. It ticks me off and I've gotten on someone for doing that as well. It was a for profit range, and the lady running it just stared at him in disbelief. I politely asked him to stop and he was nice about it. He honestly thought it was just trash. At that point the RSO came over and explained that they resell the brass and it helps keep prices down (they are reasonably priced, $12.00 per hour and they don't nickel and dime you if you go over by 5 or 10 minutes). I got to shoot for free that day for helping out, plus I was told that I could get anything on the floor that I wanted (I usually just stuck to brass in my lane before then):D
 
Camnus said:
Am I the only one that saves small primer .45 for a rainy day? By rainy day I mean any kind of future shortage, whether brass or large primer? See lots of people say they trash spp .45 all the time.
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Same here, can't see trashing them. I have a 5 gallon bucket dedicated to SP 45ACP brass. Just toss them in when I sort through brass. Don't like them, never loaded any of them, they're a pain when one makes it's way into the Dillon. They seem real easy to pick out, whatever kind of powder they use leaves the inside like a bright mirror! Bucket's at least half full, I'll give them away or trade them for some LP brass one day.
 
I've found most people do not sweep their lanes.
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Different ranges have different cultures. If most people don't sweep their lanes, that's because the range tenders don't reinforce that behavior. At my range, most people are pretty good about brass housekeeping.

anything on the ground is fair game far as I'm concerned.
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I don't see it that way. If someone leaves my range without houskeeping (rare), that brass is range property. I will clean it up during the cease-fire - and put it in the brass bucket - it's not mine. But please, your range and my range most likely have different cultures/mores (as mentioned above) - so I'm not getting on your for sweeping and keeping other people's brass. They're two different places.

I'm a regular at my range. And although I hold no official capacity there; I do have a sense of ownership and behave as such. Hence, cleaning up after others' as needed. The place is modern and clean, but the culture is folksy and old-fashion-neighborly. https://www.lincolnrifleclub.com/
 
It depends on RSO if left brass is up for grabs . There is nothing in the standard operation procedure ( SOP ) manual that directly addresses brass left behind . I had a fellow shooter give me his brass while he was shooting . The only condition was I had to pick it up . A new RSO came over and said I can't take it because it was on the ground and not fired by me . Seeing how I have a SOP manual at my house I know it quite well and had to question what he was saying . The lead RSO came over and confirmed I could pick up someone else's brass if it was given to me .

The only thing in writing that we have states "once it's in the bucket it belongs to the range" . So we pretty much let anybody clean up and if they take the brass so be it but there again some RSO will say something .
 
Different ranges have different cultures. If most people don't sweep their lanes, that's because the range tenders don't reinforce that behavior. At my range, most people are pretty good about brass housekeeping.
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Probably true, It sounds like you have a private range/club which means people are probably more tidy.

I only shoot at public ranges.

I don't see it that way. If someone leaves my range without houskeeping (rare), that brass is range property. I will clean it up during the cease-fire - and put it in the brass bucket - it's not mine. But please, your range and my range most likely have different cultures/mores (as mentioned above) - so I'm not getting on your for sweeping and keeping other people's brass. They're two different places.
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I've never been to a range where the RO swept the floor.
First off I'd be kinda ticked because he'd be picking up my brass.

2nd of all when you say "sweeping/keeping other peoples brass" do you mean the shooters or the range? (since you consider it their property?)


1st off I don't sweep someone elses lane unless they've left and it's empty.
Im in fact doing the range a favor since to much brass on the ground makes it hard to walk.

2nd of all if the person left, abandoning the brass then im not taking anyones.
If I ran into a range that considered floor brass as their property I would not be back.

3rd of all I don't know about the ranges you've been to but most of them have a very small wall partition.. or often is the case outdoors.. no partition at all.. brass is migratory.. I've never been able to recover more then 80% of my own brass so who's to say what brass is who's.

I won't go into a shooters lane if they're there but once they leave what's on the floor is free game and any range that disagrees with that I won't shoot at.
 
I've never been to a range where the RO swept the floor.
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When we close , the range needs to be cleaned by someone . If not the RSO , then who ? Although not a lot , people sometimes don't clean up or not very well . Sometimes they don't wait for a stoppage to go get there targets and just leave . At the 300yds range you have to drive out and get them at the end of the day . "we should make everyone get there targets" . We do-ish but with 30 lanes and being somewhat informal not everyone tells us when they're leaving . Everybody must check in including non shooters but you don't have to check out .

Even if they did I personally would not force someone to wait 30min for the next stoppage to go get a target . Often the second half of the day there's only a handful of shooters and a lot of the times they don't want to stop at the pre determined times . I wont call a stoppage just so someone can get there target in those cases either .

Those are just a couple examples of RSO doing things they generally would/should not need to do .

2nd of all if the person left, abandoning the brass then im not taking anyones.
If I ran into a range that considered floor brass as their property I would not be back.
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So if someone left something on your property never to return and get it . That something is not yours now and anyone can just come along and take it off YOUR property ? hmm when you put it that way ;) I believe it's actually legally range property at that point .

3rd of all I don't know about the ranges you've been to but most of them have a very small wall partition..
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The range I've been talking about is an outdoor range with nothing separating the lanes . We have 6 individual ranges on the complex and it's open to the public . I to only retrieve about 80% of my semi auto brass for what ever reason . Sometimes because it's at the feet or around another shooters gear . Then if I'm out checking a target and they clean up there lane my brass goes with it . As much as I want all my brass . I'm finding it hard to have a great time if every time I pull the trigger I'm thinking I hope I get that brass back .
 
When we close , the range needs to be cleaned by someone . If not the RSO , then who ?
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I was responding to the RO that sweeps up while people change targets.. IM STILL THERE!, RANGE STILL OPEN!

So if someone left something on your property never to return and get it . That something is not yours now and anyone can just come along and take it off YOUR property ? hmm when you put it that way I believe it's actually legally range property at that point .
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So then by this logic anything that touches the floor is the ranges?
I think I already address the fact that at best I recover maybe 80% of my brass.. brass migrates it does not stay in a nice little pile in what is usually a very small lane space.
Am I expected to go thru brass piece by piece before I collect it off the floor?

Hey I frankly don't have that kinda time, I sweep it up and sort it later.
I've not been to a range with such a policy but if I did it would be the last time I visit.

You do what you want.

The range I've been talking about is an outdoor range with nothing separating the lanes . We have 6 individual ranges on the complex and it's open to the public . I to only retrieve about 80% of my semi auto brass for what ever reason . Sometimes because it's at the feet or around another shooters gear . Then if I'm out checking a target and they clean up there lane my brass goes with it . As much as I want all my brass . I'm finding it hard to have a great time if every time I pull the trigger I'm thinking I hope I get that brass back .
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I agree I would not want to shoot at that range with over zealous brass collection.
 
At an indoor range, onlookers accompanying other shooters often get overly carried away with the broom and are constantly sweeping away any and all brass within close proximity. I have more brass than good sense so do not get neurotic about that and just let it be. To try to get the message across to bypass certain brass, it becomes necessary to make a dive for your brass every 5 or 10 rounds. But doing that does tend to become neurotic, and best avoided. But the onlookers do help the range personnel by keeping the floor cleaned up. The range does not particularly care whether they or you get the brass.
 
Every range has some kind of rule about brass. The local range is an outdoor range and brass is supposed to be picked up by the shooter. If it is left on the ground it is free for the taking. If it is on the ground after an event then the RSOs pick it up and the club sells it. We have magnetic "brooms" to pick up the steel cases that people leave on the ground and it is scrapped.
When I shoot semi-autos I have a brass catcher so I can find my brass and not lose any of it. I do a lot of prep work on my brass and I like keeping it. I also pick up "range brass" that others leave behind. It goes into a gallon freezer bag and gets sorted when I get home. If I reload it, the brass is cleaned and prepped before I reload it. The brass I don't use is separated and used to trade or give to someone who will use it.
 
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