Wire Mesh Sizes for sorting Range Brass

Marco Califo · May 9, 2011, 09:32 PM

I am thinking about ordering some wire mesh in several sizes to sort brass. Different wire sizes and hole sizes are available, for instance, from McMasterCarr.com These could be nailed to a 2x4 frame to make a sorting screen, the same way gravel is separated into grades.

Question: Does anyone have a reference table of calibers and the mesh size they will not pass through, for this purpose?

Based on logic and guesses here are my thoughts:

0.44" would catch .45 ACP
0.39" would catch .40 S&W
0.36 would catch 9mm/357/38

Below that I don't care.

Thoughts? Better ideas?

Incognito · May 9, 2011, 10:33 PM

I think it'd be easier to buy a set of these: www.shellsorter.com

Marco Califo · May 9, 2011, 10:49 PM

Same idea, but $40 plus shipping? For plastic?

Actually, screens would probably cost that much too.

Silentarmy · May 10, 2011, 11:13 PM

I have put hundreds of thousands of pcs through my shellsorters and they are great! I urge you to wear a lead respirator however as you shake the buckets. I had some very serious health issues from lead ingestion before getting one and I wear it religiously now!

Lunicy · May 11, 2011, 06:31 AM

The problem with square mesh is that the shell has to "stand-up" to go through it. Take a hand full of brass and throw it on a table. How many are vertical?
Most will be on their side. You can shake the heck out of them and a few will fall through the screen, but most will not.

medalguy · May 12, 2011, 12:46 PM

Yeah square mesh won't do it. The brass needs to pass thru the mesh straight down. I sort by hand into a set of boxes, never found anything better.

jmorris · May 13, 2011, 07:45 AM

I have built every different style brass sorter I could come up with including the shell sorter style, that is easy to make (if you have a mill). They were all too slow or didn't sort enough (like 380 from 9mm from 38 super) until I built the one in this video.

It now looks like this.

Eazmo · July 8, 2011, 09:36 AM

there on sale here

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=847836

rdmallory · July 8, 2011, 11:37 AM

Quote:

I have put hundreds of thousands of pcs through my shellsorters and they are great! I urge you to wear a lead respirator however as you shake the buckets. I had some very serious health issues from lead ingestion before getting one and I wear it religiously now!

And don't forget ear plugs. Especially sorting the .380 from the 9mm with the steal plate.

jmorris < now if you can just sort the .357 sig from the .40 and have a way to remove the 9.mm nested in the .45

jmorris · September 19, 2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

jmorris < now if you can just sort the .357 sig from the .40 and have a way to remove the 9.mm nested in the .45

I don't have anything except my hands for nested cases and don't see many 357sig at the range I scrounge at (USPSA/IDPA bays) but I do have this device I built that can sort by length or OD of the case mouth. A trap door is opened when the switch is triggered

Click on this photo for a video.

Locoweed · September 20, 2011, 05:53 AM

I sort by hand. That's my first step in the inspection process and I can cull out any with crimped in primers for later treatment. With any shell sorter there's always the problem of 9mm nesting inside .40 cases.

May 9, 2011, 09:32 PM	#1
Marco Califo Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2011 Location: LA (Greater Los Angeles Area) Posts: 2,598	Wire Mesh Sizes for sorting Range Brass I am thinking about ordering some wire mesh in several sizes to sort brass. Different wire sizes and hole sizes are available, for instance, from McMasterCarr.com These could be nailed to a 2x4 frame to make a sorting screen, the same way gravel is separated into grades. Question: Does anyone have a reference table of calibers and the mesh size they will not pass through, for this purpose? Based on logic and guesses here are my thoughts: 0.44" would catch .45 ACP 0.39" would catch .40 S&W 0.36 would catch 9mm/357/38 Below that I don't care. Thoughts? Better ideas? __________________ ............

May 9, 2011, 10:49 PM	#3
Marco Califo Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2011 Location: LA (Greater Los Angeles Area) Posts: 2,598	Same idea Same idea, but $40 plus shipping? For plastic? Actually, screens would probably cost that much too. __________________ ............

May 10, 2011, 11:13 PM	#4
Silentarmy Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2007 Location: Bountiful, Utah Posts: 355	I have put hundreds of thousands of pcs through my shellsorters and they are great! I urge you to wear a lead respirator however as you shake the buckets. I had some very serious health issues from lead ingestion before getting one and I wear it religiously now! __________________ "No one will Ever buy that PLASTIC gun!" Steve Gallenson, Early 1980's "Those Who live by the sword get Shot by those of us who don't" "What we learn from History is that we do not learn from History!"

July 8, 2011, 09:36 AM	#8
Eazmo Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 164	there on sale here http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=847836 __________________ I'm just an average man I drive a average van My dog ain't got no pedigree!

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May 9, 2011, 10:33 PM	#2
Incognito Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 370	I think it'd be easier to buy a set of these: www.shellsorter.com

May 11, 2011, 06:31 AM	#5
Lunicy Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2008 Location: Behind enemy lines, jersey shore Posts: 118	The problem with square mesh is that the shell has to "stand-up" to go through it. Take a hand full of brass and throw it on a table. How many are vertical? Most will be on their side. You can shake the heck out of them and a few will fall through the screen, but most will not.

May 12, 2011, 12:46 PM	#6
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	Yeah square mesh won't do it. The brass needs to pass thru the mesh straight down. I sort by hand into a set of boxes, never found anything better.

May 13, 2011, 07:45 AM	#7
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 3,077	I have built every different style brass sorter I could come up with including the shell sorter style, that is easy to make (if you have a mill). They were all too slow or didn't sort enough (like 380 from 9mm from 38 super) until I built the one in this video. It now looks like this.

September 20, 2011, 05:53 AM	#11
Locoweed Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2008 Location: Alabama Posts: 661	I sort by hand. That's my first step in the inspection process and I can cull out any with crimped in primers for later treatment. With any shell sorter there's always the problem of 9mm nesting inside .40 cases.