Salvaging really dirty brass from the range

[batter]

Hi guys,

I'm after some advice on picking up used brass from the range.

I'm sure it's probably the same at your shooting ranges and there are heaps of casings lying around. Some are and some have obviously been there for a long time and are almost black.

Do you guys use unknown brass picked up off the range?

Is the really dirty brass just tarnished really bad? Does tumbling fix this and make the brass usable?

How do you to decide whether to use it or not?

Thanks.

[Chronos]

Are we talking about rifle or pistol brass?

For me, if its rifle brass I wouldn't touch it. Unknown condition, unknown batch.

It may be at the end of its life or from a different batch to others in the same brand affecting case weight and therefor volume.

Secondly I use lapua brass, even if I pay $100/100 that's $1 per case and I expect at least 20-30 firings per case. That equals just 3-5c per firing for cases. And I rarely loose my own brass.

If its 9mm pistol brass I am happy to pick it up if its shiny and throw it into my tumbler

Chronos

[batter]

Rifle brass sorry.

Only rifle brass, no pistol.

[Elek]

I wouldn't touch the really tarnished stuff.

Even if you shine it up ok you don't know what the interior is like. Could be well corroded inside by the time you get to it.

It might work, or you might immediately get split necks, or case head separation or anything else and damage your rifle or worse...

[Turkle]

Like Cronos said, the problem with found brass is the unknown history.

It could be once fired. Or it could be 20x fired and on the border of failure.

Could have been firing mild loads, or blistering hot loads.

You don't really know what condition it's and you could check for head separation with a paperclip and all that, but for all the hassle it's not worth your time IMO.

Buying new brass and maintaining it yourself only costs about 5c per shot anyway, so you're not really saving yourself much to scrounge a few shells off the floor of the range.

[yoshie]

No way

[Lorgar]

No way

That's the short version

If you see someone burning through factory ammo and leaving all the once-fired brass, I'd probably grab it.

Anything beyond that though, I'd leave alone.

[Wes]

Nope.

You're asking for trouble using old brass like that, especially if it's been out in the elements for a while.

[bunnybuster]

When I first started reloading,I picked up everything,learned a lot about odd calibres etc. The stuff I wasn't going to load went in the scrap

bucket,then brass was cleaned in a solution then sorted by headstamp and inspected for faults,several were sectioned to check inside.

I never had a near head failure but did have some cracked necks which led me to start annealing .Following the loading manual disciplines

with a good spoonful of common sense I saved a heap,doesn't matter so much if you loose a few in the bush either.

Be safe BB.

[Chronos]

When I first started reloading,I picked up everything,learned a lot about odd calibres etc. The stuff I wasn't going to load went in the scrap

bucket,then brass was cleaned in a solution then sorted by headstamp and inspected for faults,several were sectioned to check inside.

I never had a near head failure but did have some cracked necks which led me to start annealing .Following the loading manual disciplines

with a good spoonful of common sense I saved a heap,doesn't matter so much if you loose a few in the bush either.

Be safe BB.

all that cleaning, sorting and annealing...makes me remember why i buy new brass

fine if you have the time and inclination but sounds like a lot of work

Chronos

[Bills Shed]

I am with bunny buster.

I seldom go to a public range but when I do I collect all the rifle brass regardless of condition. I first do a visual inspection and if it is not a calibre that I can use for my rifles it goes straight to the scrap bin. If the brass appears in good nick, l put it through a citric acid wash. This will get every bit of tarnish off inside and out. Another visual inspection and annealed. Cost me next to nothing. Never had an issue to date.

I do keep range pick up brass separated from my new known history brass.

As to the brass being of different lots and therefore not as accurate. This depends on what sort of accuracy you require. I do sort by brand but that is all. I hunt and my targets are within 150m and a head shot is still a 2" target. I do not need 1/2 MOA. If it works use it.

Scrap brass buys powder etc., second hand brass works just fine if it is in good nick. Common sense must prevail, if in doubt toss it. If I loose a couple in the field it still cost me nothing.

As to cleaning, sorting and annealing, you are doing that to your "good" brass anyway. Doing another 100 or so does not need any more equipment to sit on the bench, just a bit more time.

[BRNOmod2]

Once or twice have picked up after some noobs who have hit range with their flash new gear and multiple boxes of new factory rounds, and left their once fired brass on the ground. Did once pick up a bit ADI left behind after army had practice on the range as i had just purchased my .223. But unless I was certain I knew it was once fired only I wouldn't not bother.

But I must admit that, as I'm a scrooge through and through, I do collect every bit of brass I ever come across in whatever condition - have a few plastic drums in the shed and dump all scrap brass there, every few years when drum is full its off to the scrap metal merchant. Don't make a fortune but every lil $ helps.

[Lyam]

Once or twice have picked up after some noobs who have hit range with their flash new gear and multiple boxes of new factory rounds, and left their once fired brass on the ground.

Always a gold mine when a few of those blokes turn up

[batter]

Thanks all.

I think I'll stick to salvaging brass for the collection only, not for shooting again