Isolation Exercises

[JimT]

Today is cool and windy and I decided since we are isolating, I would spend time shooting on my indoor range in the shop. I had a pile of old .22 rimfire ammo of all different kinds that I picked up on the range. Seems folks drop some and never bother picking it up. This was not stuff that failed to fire. Just some that apparently fall out and people don't notice it. Over the 3 years or so I picked up more than 100 rounds. I just tossed them in a tray and figured now was as good as time as any to see if they worked.

I decided to practice shooting from the draw .. catching the front sight and trying to hit a dime-size target at about 12 feet. I was not practicing for speed .. just consistency. About 20 minutes into this and as I pulled the trigger there was a loud POP and I could feel a blast against my supporting hand on the sixgun. I figured a case head had busted. When I finished the string this is what I found.

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That's the first time I've had a case nearly split full length in 40 years! No harm done to me or anything else.

Awhile later I was running a drill where I pulled the gun, found the front sight and fired 3 fairly rapid shots. I pulled the gun and fired 2 when the 3rd shot went PIFFLE and smoke came out of the barrel/cylinder gap. I was shooting slow enough that I did not cock the gun and shoot again. I pulled the cylinder and sure enough, the bore was plugged. I walked over to my bench and got a rod and pushed it down the bore. The bullet was only about an inch into the barrel and was not stuck tight.

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It was a Stinger .. but most of the powder did not ignite. When I pushed the bullet out of the barrel quite a bit of powder came out also.

I shot up all the scavenged ammo with no more problems other than some would not fire. There were about 10 or 12 that did not fire. I ended by shooting the 22 Magnums I had picked up, then went and looked at the sixgun. It was clean, no leading, and I wiped it down, ran a brass brush through the chambers and put it up. It has been a good day.

[gamekeeper]

It can be darn upsetting when free ammo don't work right....

[Bronco]

Quite the adventure Glad no harm no foul !

[Griff]

It can be darn upsetting when free ammo don't work right....

[jeepnik]

I've often seen unfired ammo at the range. I just let it lie. I treat it the same way I do reloads. I don't shoot anyone else's. I won't even buy reloads from a range. There are a few that insist you use their stuff or factory new. These places also want you to leave your brass. I don't shoot at these. There always seems to be a disclaimer you need to sign not holding them responsible for bad things that happen with their reloads.

[JimT]

I've often seen unfired ammo at the range. I just let it lie. I treat it the same way I do reloads. I don't shoot anyone else's. I won't even buy reloads from a range. There are a few that insist you use their stuff or factory new. These places also want you to leave your brass. I don't shoot at these. There always seems to be a disclaimer you need to sign not holding them responsible for bad things that happen with their reloads.

I don't mind if people don't pick up unfired ammo. Leaves more for me.
But I only shoot the .22 rimfire stuff. The centerfire goes into a "pull the bullets and start over" can.
The only time I shoot at public ranges is when I am with someone and they have no other place to go.