Range brass question.

George H · January 24, 2011, 07:42 PM

Other than dirt and whatever else gets in and on these casings, is there any difference in indoor and outdoor range pickups? I have never had any problem with either so far. I pickup brass at ranges where I can and just sort and clean it then use what of it that is useable with the exception of calibers I do not shoot, which is very few.

What brought this to mind was I saw where some places say their used brass is from indoor ranges only.

BODAME · January 24, 2011, 07:50 PM

Indoor Never been in the weather - Wet & Etc

brickeyee · January 24, 2011, 07:58 PM

Unless I cannot find it I only leave behind brass that is at the ends of its life.

Be sure you inspect VERY carefully, especially for incipient case head separation.

Slamfire · January 24, 2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

What brought this to mind was I saw where some places say their used brass is from indoor ranges only.

If they said it was from a non smoking home, would that make the brass better?

If the brass is obviously corroded it is bad. There is the chance that there are types of soil that could corrode brass. I suppose brass left in a field of cow manure could have problems due to season cracking.

I have picked up WWII brass that was in the Pacific seawater for 60 years, the stuff was porous. Not going to reload that.

At the ranges I shoot, I have picked up 308/30-06 cases that had been in the ground long enough that they are a nice brown color. Some of these cases were full of mud. God knows how long they have been in the ground.

If they were once fired, I knocked out the primer and reloaded the stuff.

For pistol brass, my experience is the same.

George H · January 24, 2011, 08:00 PM

Any disadvantages to using though? How bad does the weather affect it if at all? I guess I'm just wondering if there is a reason not to use it and if my being "thrifty" (see cheap) could be a problem using it.

I was just looking at brass prices today and thought the prices were a little high. I have actually never bought any brass even before I reloaded I always saved mine from the ammo that I bought and what I could pickup at the ranges and saved. I knew I would start reloading soon after I started shooting regularly.

BigJimP · January 24, 2011, 08:08 PM

It doesn't matter - when its cleaned - its irrelevent where you picked it up ....

George H · January 24, 2011, 08:17 PM

BigJimP, that is pretty much what I thought, but kind of got me wondering when I saw that about being from indoor ranges only. I know I have soaked to get dirt out, then tumbled and used alot of brass in the past with no problems.

Civil War Life · January 24, 2011, 11:27 PM

"If they were once fired, I knocked out the primer and reloaded the stuff."

Is there a way to tell if a case is once-fired? That would be handy do know.
Thanks

William T. Watts · January 24, 2011, 11:48 PM

There are tell tell signs, wrong color primer, if the cases have been trimmed or the mouth been chamfered, usually there are resizing marks on the cases too. Another indicator is if the cases have heavier than normal residue on the case neck or if the case has a high luster, usually that means they have been tumbled. If you encounter Any of these indicators you could reasonable assume they have been fired more than once. In my area there is only one range and it's picked clean, I no longer am able to find range brass. William

Incognito · January 24, 2011, 11:51 PM

Some good signs that it's once fired:
- The primers are still crimped in
- Primers still have sealant around them
- Annealing discoloration still present on the case

These may not apply to heavily weathered brass, but if it appears to have been previously reloaded at all, it's probably best to leave it there.

FrankenMauser · January 25, 2011, 12:09 AM

About 5% of my rifle brass, and nearly 30% of my pistol brass is outdoor, 'sub-surface' range pickup (more appropriately - middle of the desert pick-up). It ranges from deep, deep shades of brown (nearly black); to blotchy discolorations; to half brass, half brown.

I have never had an issue with case life, or anything else that matters.

The only reason I sort the discolored cases from the newer cases, is because of my preference for seasonal loads. I have "summer brass" (normal brass) and "winter brass" (the discolored cases). The darker color of the discolored cases makes them much easier to see in the snow.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 25, 2011, 12:14 AM

The brass from the indoor ranges tends to clean easier, and is less likely to have been stepped on. Other than that there is not much differance. I get almost all of my brass out of the buckets at an out door range. It can be quite dirty when I pick it up. A little while in the tumbler, and it clean enough to load. The main reason I clean my brass is that it makes it easier to inspect it.

dumbodave · January 25, 2011, 12:28 AM

The range I shoot at has a clay soil that is probably strongly alkaline. Any wet brass will be corroding the next day. Anything over 2 or 3 days old in the wet is not usable. There will be visible pits in the case after cleaning and I won't use rifle brass that shows any visible defect.

January 24, 2011, 07:42 PM	#1
George H Member Join Date: December 13, 2010 Location: Jackson TN Posts: 29	Range brass question. Other than dirt and whatever else gets in and on these casings, is there any difference in indoor and outdoor range pickups? I have never had any problem with either so far. I pickup brass at ranges where I can and just sort and clean it then use what of it that is useable with the exception of calibers I do not shoot, which is very few. What brought this to mind was I saw where some places say their used brass is from indoor ranges only.

January 24, 2011, 07:50 PM	#2
BODAME Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2006 Location: The Dodge House, NC Posts: 183	Indoor Never been in the weather - Wet & Etc __________________ "A Man's got to have a Code, a Creed to Live By, No Matter his Job"

January 24, 2011, 08:00 PM	#5
George H Member Join Date: December 13, 2010 Location: Jackson TN Posts: 29	Any disadvantages to using though? How bad does the weather affect it if at all? I guess I'm just wondering if there is a reason not to use it and if my being "thrifty" (see cheap) could be a problem using it. I was just looking at brass prices today and thought the prices were a little high. I have actually never bought any brass even before I reloaded I always saved mine from the ammo that I bought and what I could pickup at the ranges and saved. I knew I would start reloading soon after I started shooting regularly. Last edited by George H; January 24, 2011 at 08:09 PM.

January 25, 2011, 12:09 AM	#11
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,426	About 5% of my rifle brass, and nearly 30% of my pistol brass is outdoor, 'sub-surface' range pickup (more appropriately - middle of the desert pick-up). It ranges from deep, deep shades of brown (nearly black); to blotchy discolorations; to half brass, half brown. I have never had an issue with case life, or anything else that matters. The only reason I sort the discolored cases from the newer cases, is because of my preference for seasonal loads. I have "summer brass" (normal brass) and "winter brass" (the discolored cases). The darker color of the discolored cases makes them much easier to see in the snow. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

January 25, 2011, 12:14 AM	#12
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	The brass from the indoor ranges tends to clean easier, and is less likely to have been stepped on. Other than that there is not much differance. I get almost all of my brass out of the buckets at an out door range. It can be quite dirty when I pick it up. A little while in the tumbler, and it clean enough to load. The main reason I clean my brass is that it makes it easier to inspect it. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 24, 2011, 07:58 PM	#3
brickeyee Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Posts: 3,351	Unless I cannot find it I only leave behind brass that is at the ends of its life. Be sure you inspect VERY carefully, especially for incipient case head separation.

January 24, 2011, 08:08 PM	#6
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	It doesn't matter - when its cleaned - its irrelevent where you picked it up ....

January 24, 2011, 08:17 PM	#7
George H Member Join Date: December 13, 2010 Location: Jackson TN Posts: 29	BigJimP, that is pretty much what I thought, but kind of got me wondering when I saw that about being from indoor ranges only. I know I have soaked to get dirt out, then tumbled and used alot of brass in the past with no problems.

January 24, 2011, 11:27 PM	#8
Civil War Life Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 166	"If they were once fired, I knocked out the primer and reloaded the stuff." Is there a way to tell if a case is once-fired? That would be handy do know. Thanks

January 24, 2011, 11:48 PM	#9
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	There are tell tell signs, wrong color primer, if the cases have been trimmed or the mouth been chamfered, usually there are resizing marks on the cases too. Another indicator is if the cases have heavier than normal residue on the case neck or if the case has a high luster, usually that means they have been tumbled. If you encounter Any of these indicators you could reasonable assume they have been fired more than once. In my area there is only one range and it's picked clean, I no longer am able to find range brass. William

January 24, 2011, 11:51 PM	#10
Incognito Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 370	Some good signs that it's once fired: - The primers are still crimped in - Primers still have sealant around them - Annealing discoloration still present on the case These may not apply to heavily weathered brass, but if it appears to have been previously reloaded at all, it's probably best to leave it there.

January 25, 2011, 12:28 AM	#13
dumbodave Member Join Date: January 30, 2010 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 46	range brass The range I shoot at has a clay soil that is probably strongly alkaline. Any wet brass will be corroding the next day. Anything over 2 or 3 days old in the wet is not usable. There will be visible pits in the case after cleaning and I won't use rifle brass that shows any visible defect. __________________ If it's incoming - DUCK!