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Old June 20, 2020, 10:27 AM   #1
BondoBob
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Brass catcher for pistol recommendations

I want to start also reloading 380 and 9mm. My ranges don't allow you to sweep up others brass. But you can get away with picking up your own to some extent. However, I don't want to grab others brass as I can't be sure how many times it's been fired.

All the brass catchers I see online are for rifle only, or need a rail mount. Neither of my autos has a rail. Any suggestions?
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Old June 20, 2020, 01:45 PM   #2
hounddawg
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could you use something like this maybe on a tripod ?

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/10...=1101131645198
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Old June 20, 2020, 01:48 PM   #3
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http://www.champchoice.com/store/Mai...ions&item=CCBC I wish these had a bigger base plate, I had to put my own on. They aren't cheap, but maybe it'll give you an idea of how to build your own.
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Old June 20, 2020, 02:08 PM   #4
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Quote:
But you can get away with picking up your own to some extent.
"get away with ...to some extent"???

Doesn't work for me. My brass is my property, until and unless I abandon it, and any range that says otherwise loses my business.

A quick DIY brass catcher can be made from a cardboard box a few sticks and duct tape. It doesn't have to be sturdy or pretty. It just has to hold the box in a place where your empties will land in it.

(assuming, of course, that your range lets you use it....)
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Old June 20, 2020, 07:39 PM   #5
Marco Califo
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+1 on cardboard boxes, when allowed.
I have two different types of Hangun brass:
1. Bought new and want them.
2. Range brass, I do not really care.
I only use #2 at (indoor) ranges where pick-up doesn't work.
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Old June 20, 2020, 10:18 PM   #6
markr6754
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Graco Models Brass Catcher

I use something like this.

https://www.gracomodels.com/catcher.html

It isn’t perfect, and it can be a distraction while shooting. I’m adjusting to it to improve my catch, while not blocking my sight picture. It seems to work better with softer loads, as the hotter loads tend to spin the bag around and I end up dropping brass, but at least it’s in my lane for easier retrieval. It’s essentially a bag on a hanger connected to a formed plastic frame with an elastic strap in your palm.
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Old June 21, 2020, 11:18 PM   #7
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I just use a wooden board with a piece of stiff cardboard stapled to it. I place it where that particular gun tends to eject it and use the cardboard to bounce the brass where I want it to go. As far as what a range will let me do. I pay them not the other way around. So my brass is my brass and I have dared them to say otherwise. If other people wish to give theirs to me that is their perogotive. I just don't go invading other peoples personal space for it. If its already in the ranges bucket then that belongs to the range.
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Old June 21, 2020, 11:57 PM   #8
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I've used a few . The stand alone suck because you are stuck with holding the gun in the perfect position to get the brass to end up in the net . It sounds ok but trust me it sucks . It feels very un-natural and takes the fun out of shooting . The ones you hold are the same as far as you don't get the grip feel you want/like and you still have to make sure it's lined up , again very un-natural . The only others that seem "maybe" they would work are the ones that attach to the frame via your front rail system but a lot of guns don't have them like most 1911's . I've never tried them yet .

http://www.sherwoodakuna.com/

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Old June 22, 2020, 01:35 AM   #9
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There's always the Jim March.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZAGpJr5RsU
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Old June 22, 2020, 11:55 AM   #10
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Change your thinking, pickup every piece of brass you can. I have some 9mm that I'm sure has been reloaded close to 100 times. 9mm either gets lost in the grass or stepped on. I started picking up 45 ACP before I even had one, probably have maybe a thousand pieces, never have bought any. If the shooter next to you is shooting 9 or 380 and they don't look like they reload (empty ammo boxes will be a clue) ask if you can have theirs. Offer to sweep their area. Sometimes people will realize that I reload and offer theirs. To me there is just no good reason to buy 9mm brass.
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Old June 22, 2020, 03:59 PM   #11
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I just stopped shooting at places that don’t allow me to pick my property.

Losing me as a customer probably didn’t hurt their bottom line one bit, but it made my shooting trips more enjoyable.
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Old June 22, 2020, 04:47 PM   #12
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For an outside range, I have used both a large blanket/tarp spread out as well as a small towel propped up on the bench (when shooting from sand bags).

One method I saw that worked well was a PVC frame big enough to hold a clear shower curtain - the brass hits the curtain and falls to the ground right there, and being clear, everyone can see both ways for safety. The PVC frame was simply hand fitted, not glued, so it disassembled for ease of transport - worked well for the owner
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Old June 22, 2020, 05:01 PM   #13
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I use the Caldwell brass catcher mounted on a tripod. I think l found it on Amazon for $30, free shipping, a couple years ago. It catches most of my brass although on windy days I hang a gallon water bottle from the tripod hook(ment for that). Beets looking in the snow, hot brass sinks fast! I've tried the ones that go on your wrist and didn't like them
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Old June 22, 2020, 05:09 PM   #14
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Quote:
Doesn't work for me. My brass is my property, until and unless I abandon it, and any range that says otherwise loses my business.
I very much quite agree
However (see how I cleverly avoided using the dreaded "but" word)
I shoot at an indoor range (which DOES let you pick up your own brass) but on crowded weekend days some of the folk picking up their brass are irritating bordering on unsafe...at this range brass does not stay in your own lane. I'd really like them to provide some of the butterfly net brass catchers that people could position on their lanes.

If a range lets you pick up your own brass and your fearful of picking up someone elses brass a quick swipe with a magic marker across the primer end of your rounds will mark your brass for you. At one time I shot in a league and all the league members had their own color so we could sort out our brass at the end of the night.
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Old June 22, 2020, 10:22 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaleA View Post
I very much quite agree
However (see how I cleverly avoided using the dreaded "but" word)
I shoot at an indoor range (which DOES let you pick up your own brass) but on crowded weekend days some of the folk picking up their brass are irritating bordering on unsafe...at this range brass does not stay in your own lane. I'd really like them to provide some of the butterfly net brass catchers that people could position on their lanes.

If a range lets you pick up your own brass and your fearful of picking up someone elses brass a quick swipe with a magic marker across the primer end of your rounds will mark your brass for you. At one time I shot in a league and all the league members had their own color so we could sort out our brass at the end of the night.
Yeah. Not being allowed to pick up my brass is not an option for me. I was discussing this with the guy at the counter at a range that stated this policy. I removed my wallet and dropped it on the ground. I asked the guy, “ who’s wallet is that?” He said “yours, of course” I replied “ and so is my brass”. He gave me the “ I just work here” bit, but did agree to let me pick up my brass.

I guess I was being drama king, but I have a problem with unreasonable rules.

I’ll add that the above exchange was friendly and almost humorous. He was a good guy.
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Old June 23, 2020, 02:15 AM   #16
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I use a tarp about 5'w x 8'h and anchor it with range bags, heavy stuff, etc at outdoor range. I have thought about using a standing set up but have noticed my brass doesn't always fall/eject in the same direction/area. So opted out for a standing brass catcher. Eventually I do end up losing some brass or trying to figure out where it somewhat fell. What ever falls in the tarp, I group them and just pick them up in hand fulls instead of one by one. Besides the ones that didn't fall on the tarp. Probably not ideal but works so far.
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Old June 23, 2020, 02:21 AM   #17
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Quote:
I use a tarp about 5'w x 8'h
OK that's bigger then a sheet of plywood , . Did you mean to use " instead of ' ;-)
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Old June 23, 2020, 08:29 AM   #18
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The range I shoot at is a private club that has no restrictions on recovering brass, but I find it tedious to locate it all and then rake or sweep it into a pile, or to keep bending over to pick it up (though that's probably good exercise). So, I use this free-standing net: https://www.gracomodels.com/bigcatcher.html mounted on an inexpensive table-top tripod or a full-size tripod if I'm shooting away from a bench. I can position the net so it catches everything without affecting my shooting position and there's plenty of room for it, even in the somewhat narrow shooting positions at our indoor range.
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Old June 23, 2020, 11:39 AM   #19
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I found some like the Graco model illustrated (above) on eBay for about $15. I don't remember the name but they look the same: elastic band around your hand, line it up as close to the ejection port as you can and go for it!

I have both the rail-mounted version for my Glock G19 (9mm) and the hand-mount for other handguns. Only problem I find it can be a bit distracting and/or flop around and block your sights. I use steel-cased ammo when I don't want to fool with the catchers.

If properly adjusted to your gun it should catch the majority, if not all, of your brass.
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Old June 26, 2020, 07:18 AM   #20
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I fixed this problem years ago, and it works 100% of the time. Get a revolver. (Joking)
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Old June 26, 2020, 07:57 AM   #21
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I made one out of pvc piping and netting from lowes. Found the diagram on the net some where. Great for shooting from the bench and target shooting.

But now that I have started to "practice" more moving and shooting I just result to picking up brass
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Old June 26, 2020, 12:49 PM   #22
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Quote:
I fixed this problem years ago, and it works 100% of the time. Get a revolver. (Joking)
I was trying to figure out a way to catch my brass and found every way I tried really made shooting less fun and more of a project . It’s the very reason I in fact bought a revolver .
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Old July 12, 2020, 01:25 PM   #23
BondoBob
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I ended up using this one. https://www.gracomodels.com/catcher.html.

It works really well, I'm getting 90% or better catch rate. Well worth it.
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Old July 12, 2020, 03:31 PM   #24
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I use a mesh laundry basket like this to catch my brass on guns that I can't get a real brass catcher on. I just stand it up next to my shooting bench or use a heavy magnet to stick it to the wall of my shooting lane & shoot away. Most of the brass stays in side, the few that drop out I pick up & pitch back into the bag.

https://www.amazon.com/PRO-MART-Delu...VYH0F4HR0TF0X7
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Old July 13, 2020, 09:02 AM   #25
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Why?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BondoBob View Post
, I don't want to grab others brass as I can't be sure how many times it's been fired.
Brass longevity mostly depends upon the quality of the brass you start with.

"Good" pistol brass can typically last through an average of 35 to 45 reloads before it fails, but there are gross exceptions like Blazer that can be seen to fail on being fired only once. ( See pictures I have posted in the past )

So your best bet on safe reloads is sorting by head stamp and a good consistent reloading routine that involves repeated inspection.

My own reloading routine typically has me closely inspecting the round 5 to 7 times. 85% of the brass I scrap happens as I dry the brass coming out of the wet tumbler. The other 15% scrap happens on either side of the cleaning process.

As for keeping track of how often I've shot a particular piece of brass - I have yet to find a means that isn't intolerable for me to keep track of.

I have looked at brass catchers in the past, but my glock throws brass in a 30 degree arc from straight up to 30 degrees to the right of the weapon so placing a box or some such doesn't yield any effective result. My carbine pretty much consistently drives the brass to the right.

As for putting a net frame on my weapons or my wrist - I don't want the off balance weight, the visual distraction to the overall sight picture, and the unrealistic feel of the weapon.

Last edited by Grey_Lion; July 13, 2020 at 09:18 AM.
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