Funny Thing Happened at the Range...

Cee-Zed · October 5, 2002, 01:27 AM

Last weekend, I saw something that I just can't understand...

One of the best things about 9mm is that you will never HAVE to buy a single piece of brass, unless you want to do so. I scrounged over 1,000 Winchester USA cases the other day. "Scrounged" isn't really the right word. I actually felt like I should get them out from underfoot for my own safety!

The funny thing was that the primers looked like they came from the SAME Glock. I know it's hard to really say for sure, but they were all in the same 7' square. (I hereby take back anything negative I ever said about Glocks!)

I personally thought that was beyond wasteful/lazy of whoever shot all of that. Someone would have readily paid $5-$10 for those cases. They were essentially in one big pile at that point already. I just can't imagine someone shooting roughly $110 worth of ammo in one session who neither reloads nor sells their brass. Must be nice, huh?

What do you think? Maybe there was more than one shooter, more than one pistol, or some other rational explanation?

caz223 · October 5, 2002, 02:52 AM

Nice thing about nine, it's cheap enough so that most people don't load for it.
That makes cases easier to find for me!!
It's not really wasteful, blazers are sometimes more money than win or PMC.

Cee-Zed · October 5, 2002, 03:05 AM

caz223,

I don't even mean reloading per se, but leaving over 1,000 pieces of brass? When people drop a penny, they don't usually bother to look for it on the floor. If someone drops a dollar bill, they pick it up. I'm glad they didn't, because now I've got them! I just can't imagine shooting in that volume and not selling the brass.

Johnny Guest · October 5, 2002, 04:08 PM

Might could've been a single instructor with five relays of two students side-by-side, practicing certain drills. That would put a thousand empties down in same area in fairly short order. And, if every shooter furninished only 100 rounds, they might not think it worthwhile to pick it up. Small arms instructors have the opportunity to pick up HUGE amounts of brass, if they want it.

And, unless proper comparison is done, one Glock 9mm case looks much like another, especially if the shooters are using same model" G19, 17, or whatever.

Just a possibility.

Best,
Johnny

DAVID NANCARROW · October 5, 2002, 04:11 PM

I still get people leaving their 45 ACP brass on the ground, and that makes me a very happy camper indeed!

Sisco · October 5, 2002, 06:38 PM

Once spent about 20 minutes picking up .308 brass, got a bunch of it and I don't even have a .308! Figure I might someday.
Got all the brass home and inspected it, berdan primed.

Paul B. · October 6, 2002, 05:45 PM

Another thought. Could have been some LEO's either practicing or qualifying.
One day at the range, out local SWAT team was working out with H&K MP-5's. Ground looked like it had snowed 9MM brass. Anyway, they usually pick up all their brass when they leave, but this time they got called out for some sort of hostage situation and had to leave the brass. All I can say is I brought home about 3,500 rounds of once fire 9mm federal brand brass.

Lately there have been civilians shooting .45 ACP and leaving it lay. In the last month, I have to have picked up almost 2,000 rounds of once fired 45's. Now either people are getting richer and don't care about the cost of ammo, or I can't guess what the deal is. All I can say is, let the free brass flow.
Paul B.

john kilgore · October 7, 2002, 01:56 AM

I got a friend that picks up all the brass (decent usable) at a local public range on a state wma. After about a year of taking it home, sorting, polishing, and bagging it, sold it to a commercial reloading company for 10-25 cents a piece (Magnum rifles some even in .30/378 !). Got a check for $1,250.00 !!!
Went and bought a Sako 75 in .22 PPC.

Said it paid better than picked up Aluminum cans.

I picked up 2200 rds of once fired win 9mm at a match last year and wasn't the only one picking up the brass. It too was 90% Winchester USA as Winchester sponsered the match.
The other 10% was Hornady/Frontier. Boy! - what nice brass !!!

October 5, 2002, 01:27 AM	#1
Cee-Zed Junior member Join Date: March 2, 2002 Posts: 481	Funny Thing Happened at the Range... Last weekend, I saw something that I just can't understand... One of the best things about 9mm is that you will never HAVE to buy a single piece of brass, unless you want to do so. I scrounged over 1,000 Winchester USA cases the other day. "Scrounged" isn't really the right word. I actually felt like I should get them out from underfoot for my own safety! The funny thing was that the primers looked like they came from the SAME Glock. I know it's hard to really say for sure, but they were all in the same 7' square. (I hereby take back anything negative I ever said about Glocks!) I personally thought that was beyond wasteful/lazy of whoever shot all of that. Someone would have readily paid $5-$10 for those cases. They were essentially in one big pile at that point already. I just can't imagine someone shooting roughly $110 worth of ammo in one session who neither reloads nor sells their brass. Must be nice, huh? What do you think? Maybe there was more than one shooter, more than one pistol, or some other rational explanation?

October 5, 2002, 02:52 AM	#2
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	Nice thing about nine, it's cheap enough so that most people don't load for it. That makes cases easier to find for me!! It's not really wasteful, blazers are sometimes more money than win or PMC. __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

October 5, 2002, 06:38 PM	#6
Sisco Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 1999 Location: KS Posts: 1,558	Once spent about 20 minutes picking up .308 brass, got a bunch of it and I don't even have a .308! Figure I might someday. Got all the brass home and inspected it, berdan primed. __________________ "I don't mind it when stupid people say stupid things. Stupid people should be encouraged to say stupid things, that way we always know who the stupid people are." ~ Ted Nugent http://www.awbansunset.com/awcountdown_sm.gif

October 6, 2002, 05:45 PM	#7
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	Another thought. Could have been some LEO's either practicing or qualifying. One day at the range, out local SWAT team was working out with H&K MP-5's. Ground looked like it had snowed 9MM brass. Anyway, they usually pick up all their brass when they leave, but this time they got called out for some sort of hostage situation and had to leave the brass. All I can say is I brought home about 3,500 rounds of once fire 9mm federal brand brass. Lately there have been civilians shooting .45 ACP and leaving it lay. In the last month, I have to have picked up almost 2,000 rounds of once fired 45's. Now either people are getting richer and don't care about the cost of ammo, or I can't guess what the deal is. All I can say is, let the free brass flow. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

October 7, 2002, 01:56 AM	#8
john kilgore Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2002 Location: east georgia Posts: 125	I got a friend that picks up all the brass (decent usable) at a local public range on a state wma. After about a year of taking it home, sorting, polishing, and bagging it, sold it to a commercial reloading company for 10-25 cents a piece (Magnum rifles some even in .30/378 !). Got a check for $1,250.00 !!! Went and bought a Sako 75 in .22 PPC. Said it paid better than picked up Aluminum cans. I picked up 2200 rds of once fired win 9mm at a match last year and wasn't the only one picking up the brass. It too was 90% Winchester USA as Winchester sponsered the match. The other 10% was Hornady/Frontier. Boy! - what nice brass !!! __________________ "There is no such thing as a second place winner in a gunfight" Bill Jordan

October 5, 2002, 03:05 AM	#3
Cee-Zed Junior member Join Date: March 2, 2002 Posts: 481	caz223, I don't even mean reloading per se, but leaving over 1,000 pieces of brass? When people drop a penny, they don't usually bother to look for it on the floor. If someone drops a dollar bill, they pick it up. I'm glad they didn't, because now I've got them! I just can't imagine shooting in that volume and not selling the brass.

October 5, 2002, 04:08 PM	#4
Johnny Guest Moderator in Memoriam Join Date: August 28, 1999 Location: North Texas Posts: 4,123	Might could've been a single instructor with five relays of two students side-by-side, practicing certain drills. That would put a thousand empties down in same area in fairly short order. And, if every shooter furninished only 100 rounds, they might not think it worthwhile to pick it up. Small arms instructors have the opportunity to pick up HUGE amounts of brass, if they want it. And, unless proper comparison is done, one Glock 9mm case looks much like another, especially if the shooters are using same model" G19, 17, or whatever. Just a possibility. Best, Johnny

October 5, 2002, 04:11 PM	#5
DAVID NANCARROW Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2000 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,761	I still get people leaving their 45 ACP brass on the ground, and that makes me a very happy camper indeed!