Why can't I control myself? Range pickups are a pain in the brass

GimpyPaw · 11-27-2021, 01:34 PM

Was always taught to leave a place better than I found it, so even when I wasn't reloading I always picked up my brass. Once I started reloading, a sickness came over me and I'll pick up just about any brass that looks good enough to reload.

Dirty and in the mud? No problem, all range brass gets thrown in a 5 gal bucket with Dawn and Lemi-Shine for a quick cleaning anyway.

Don't currently own a gun in that chambering? Well, I might, someday.

Military crimps? This is where it makes me question my sanity. Thank God my wife is patient and puts up with my kitchen table gun shop.

I usually let the .223 and .308 range brass build up until the coffee can is almost full. Then they get deprimed (I use a punch and hammer, dirty range brass doesn't go in my dies until after it's been cleaned, inspected, and debured), then they go in for a wet tumble before I start removing the crimps and uniforming the primer pockets. Finally they get annealed before they are ready to meet the dies.

Only has to be done once, but it's tedious. I think I would be money and time ahead if I would just buy Lapua brass and ignore the stuff on the ground. Just can't help myself.

So, any other brass scavengers in the house?

baboon · 11-27-2021, 01:53 PM

I have a pretty good collection brass on hand. At one point I bought a SS pin tumbler cleaned & sorted most of it. I have having away all the 7.62 brass since.

55chevy · 11-27-2021, 01:55 PM

Yeppers I do the same. How ever I leave all the 22 LR and aluminum and steel case thingies.

GimpyPaw · 11-27-2021, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 55chevy

Yeppers I do the same. How ever I leave all the 22 LR and aluminum and steel case thingies.

Well yea, that goes without saying. I mean, I've seen videos on youtube of a guy swaging and pressing 22LR brass into 150 grn 22 cal freedom pills, but the cost of the equipment to do that made it seem unrealistic.

55chevy · 11-27-2021, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GimpyPaw

Well yea, that goes without saying. I mean, I've seen videos on youtube of a guy swaging and pressing 22LR brass into 150 grn 22 cal freedom pills, but the cost of the equipment to do that made it seem unrealistic.

Yes it was even years back when I explored that idea. The stuff to do it was in Orygun, don’t know any more though. Getting to old to pursue that route now. Like the easier routes these days.

TBR1887 · 11-27-2021, 03:18 PM

I hate to say I do the same thing. First time I got a batch of military crimp 9mm I was like wtf?

bill3542 · 11-28-2021, 08:29 AM

I have a private range up back and get all different kinds of free brass. Last batch was 108 PMC 223 cases.

Free is always good.

FloridaAKM · 11-28-2021, 09:32 AM

I am a self professed brass whore, anywhere I go, if there is brass on the ground, it gets picked up & sorted for later cleaning. If no guns in that caliber, trade it for something else useful.

Military crimped brass is no problem as that got sorted out in 1979 when I bought a 1k box of 5.56 fired brass from Robbins Air Force Base out of shotgun news for $20.00 shipped. Now, there are two swagers from Dillion for the reloading bench to remove the crimps.

When I retired, there were all these boxes of brass that were in different levels of reloading that took several weeks to get completed to fully loaded status, but nobody had primers, powder or projectiles. My hoarding paid off as the necessary supplies to load many cases of 5.56, .308, .30 carbine, 9mm, 30.06, .40 cal & .50BMG were waiting in storage.

Free is always good & a fellow filer gave me a couple of buckets of mixed range brass to load & wanted nothing in return.

Life is good!

Sanders · 11-28-2021, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GimpyPaw

Well yea, that goes without saying. I mean, I've seen videos on youtube of a guy swaging and pressing 22LR brass into 150 grn 22 cal freedom pills, but the cost of the equipment to do that made it seem unrealistic.

My brother in law does that. Some parts he bought, and some he made on his lathe. Final product is a nice hollow point bullet. Really does a number on coyotes.

Sanders · 11-28-2021, 11:43 AM

Got a 7.62x51 and a 5.56 primer pocket swager from Hornady for my Lock n load progressive press. The system works very well, and I’m able to process a lot of brass quickly. Bought them back when I was buying unprocessed surplus brass from Top Brass, before they quit offering that option.

4thIDvet · 11-28-2021, 11:51 AM

"Thank God my wife is patient and puts up with my kitchen table gun shop."

I use my kitchen counter its a bit higher easier to work with. Working in my kitchen on guns it looks like John Browning had a nervous breakdown and took the damn place apart.

RetVet · 11-28-2021, 12:01 PM

I scrounge all reloadable brass

Hunter07 · 11-29-2021, 12:57 PM

I don't reload, and I don't scrounge brass. What I do is, bring along a large tarp to lay out off to the right side of the spot where I (and the one to three others I shoot with), stand. Ejected brass lands on the tarp. At the end of the session, the tarp gets lifted up, and the brass is funneled into an ice cream bucket. Then when I go out to my friends place to watch mini matches, I take the brass to him.

When we shoot at his place, usually everybody picks up their own brass after each stage of a shoot, and at the end of the match, we line up and police the brass we find, and drop it into a box or bucket.

RedAngus · 11-29-2021, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sanders

Got a 7.62x51 and a 5.56 primer pocket swager from Hornady for my Lock n load progressive press. The system works very well, and I’m able to process a lot of brass quickly. Bought them back when I was buying unprocessed surplus brass from Top Brass, before they quit offering that option.

Well son of a bitch…When did this come out?

I’ve got two L-N-L AP progressives, and never knew this existed. I bought the Hornady case prep center (big electric trimmer with 6-place tool front to add pocket uniformers, inside/outside demurrers, neck brushes, primer pocket cutters, etc.). God, that thing will wear your fingers out holding cases up to the pocket uniformer and swage cutter.

Anyway, just in time for my wife to get it for me for Christmas…

P.S.- I just finished turning 1000 LC 5.56 into .300 BLK, including full prep and annealing. Damn, what a chore!

FL4Real · 12-06-2021, 03:34 PM

It's free money sitting on the ground. I've always picked up brass. Decades before I started reloading.

11-27-2021, 01:34 PM	#1
GimpyPaw Member Join Date: Nov 2021 Location: Oregon Posts: 647	Why can't I control myself? Range pickups are a pain in the brass Was always taught to leave a place better than I found it, so even when I wasn't reloading I always picked up my brass. Once I started reloading, a sickness came over me and I'll pick up just about any brass that looks good enough to reload. Dirty and in the mud? No problem, all range brass gets thrown in a 5 gal bucket with Dawn and Lemi-Shine for a quick cleaning anyway. Don't currently own a gun in that chambering? Well, I might, someday. Military crimps? This is where it makes me question my sanity. Thank God my wife is patient and puts up with my kitchen table gun shop. I usually let the .223 and .308 range brass build up until the coffee can is almost full. Then they get deprimed (I use a punch and hammer, dirty range brass doesn't go in my dies until after it's been cleaned, inspected, and debured), then they go in for a wet tumble before I start removing the crimps and uniforming the primer pockets. Finally they get annealed before they are ready to meet the dies. Only has to be done once, but it's tedious. I think I would be money and time ahead if I would just buy Lapua brass and ignore the stuff on the ground. Just can't help myself. So, any other brass scavengers in the house?

11-28-2021, 11:51 AM	#11
4thIDvet slug Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Astor Florida Posts: 48,405	"Thank God my wife is patient and puts up with my kitchen table gun shop." I use my kitchen counter its a bit higher easier to work with. Working in my kitchen on guns it looks like John Browning had a nervous breakdown and took the damn place apart. __________________ God Bless Americas Veterans. All who are serving and have served.

11-28-2021, 12:01 PM	#12
RetVet Statistical Error Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Homeless Posts: 43,649	I scrounge all reloadable brass __________________ ^^^ For entertainment purposes. Use only as directed. ^^^ III

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11-27-2021, 01:53 PM	#2
baboon slug Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Out by the lake in central Texas Posts: 18,306	I have a pretty good collection brass on hand. At one point I bought a SS pin tumbler cleaned & sorted most of it. I have having away all the 7.62 brass since.

11-27-2021, 01:55 PM	#3
55chevy Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Central Orygun Posts: 4,380	Yeppers I do the same. How ever I leave all the 22 LR and aluminum and steel case thingies.

11-27-2021, 03:18 PM	#6
TBR1887 Member Join Date: Nov 2021 Location: CT Posts: 312	I hate to say I do the same thing. First time I got a batch of military crimp 9mm I was like wtf?

11-28-2021, 08:29 AM	#7
bill3542 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1,700	I have a private range up back and get all different kinds of free brass. Last batch was 108 PMC 223 cases. Free is always good.

11-28-2021, 09:32 AM	#8
FloridaAKM Military Truck Collector Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: North Florida Posts: 668	I am a self professed brass whore, anywhere I go, if there is brass on the ground, it gets picked up & sorted for later cleaning. If no guns in that caliber, trade it for something else useful. Military crimped brass is no problem as that got sorted out in 1979 when I bought a 1k box of 5.56 fired brass from Robbins Air Force Base out of shotgun news for $20.00 shipped. Now, there are two swagers from Dillion for the reloading bench to remove the crimps. When I retired, there were all these boxes of brass that were in different levels of reloading that took several weeks to get completed to fully loaded status, but nobody had primers, powder or projectiles. My hoarding paid off as the necessary supplies to load many cases of 5.56, .308, .30 carbine, 9mm, 30.06, .40 cal & .50BMG were waiting in storage. Free is always good & a fellow filer gave me a couple of buckets of mixed range brass to load & wanted nothing in return. Life is good!

11-28-2021, 11:43 AM	#10
Sanders Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 66,447	Got a 7.62x51 and a 5.56 primer pocket swager from Hornady for my Lock n load progressive press. The system works very well, and I’m able to process a lot of brass quickly. Bought them back when I was buying unprocessed surplus brass from Top Brass, before they quit offering that option.

11-29-2021, 12:57 PM	#13
Hunter07 I'm a grumpy SOB Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Frostbite Falls, MN Posts: 10,520	I don't reload, and I don't scrounge brass. What I do is, bring along a large tarp to lay out off to the right side of the spot where I (and the one to three others I shoot with), stand. Ejected brass lands on the tarp. At the end of the session, the tarp gets lifted up, and the brass is funneled into an ice cream bucket. Then when I go out to my friends place to watch mini matches, I take the brass to him. When we shoot at his place, usually everybody picks up their own brass after each stage of a shoot, and at the end of the match, we line up and police the brass we find, and drop it into a box or bucket.

12-06-2021, 03:34 PM	#15
FL4Real Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2021 Posts: 6	It's free money sitting on the ground. I've always picked up brass. Decades before I started reloading.