Damage control for range brass

[Mainehunter]

I noticed as of late when I go though a range session my brass are getting beat up due to the new concrete slab the gun club poured this past spring. I had to throw a few away when the case head gets dinged so bad it wont chamber or eject. I don't know if I'm making a big deal about it. How do you guys handle it or not?

Mainehunter

[Mike D.]

The answer is simple, don't let it hit the concrete. I hand catch all of my brass no matter what the situation is. Slowly open the lever, remove the case, bag it.

[J Miller]

I've never had brass dinged up so bad they wouldn't chamber just from landing on concrete. Being stepped on, yes. Or from the extractor, ejector, breach face or ejection port, too, but never concrete.

When I have a case that's just dinged on the head or rim I take out my antique ignition point file and fix it. I don't waste brass. Even now that I have quite a reserve of brass in the calibers I shoot, I will not toss one if it's useable or can be made useable.

Waste not, want not.

I'd check my gun for some of the case damage were I coming up with damaged cases.

joe

[stretch]

I've had plenty of case mouths dinged on the 50-yard range over
at Capitol City. That's designed as a 22 range, so I guess the
issue of dinging centerfire brass was not the primary issue when
they made the slab. I've not had any dinged so badly that they
couldn't be reloaded, though. Pistol brass fares better - probably
because it's so much lighter.

If you're expander won't go into the case, work out the ding on the
back end of an old drill bit clamped in your vise. Quick, easy, and
free!

-Stretch

[BC in TN]

A heavy canvas tarp laid out where your brass lands might help.
I usually take a tarp with me to the woods where I target practice.
I use it to help police up the brass. Although I don't reload I do clean up after myself.

[FWiedner]

Get one of those catch bags that cover the ejection port.

They're not cute, but your empties never touch the deck.

[J Miller]

Stretch,

Yep, case mouths get dinged, but Mainehunter was talking about his case heads getting banged up.
I get dinged and dented case mouths in factory sealed packs of new brass. I don't give dinged case mouths a second thought. I use a dummy 50BMG round to work out the dings and then size 'em as usual.

Joe

[Cimarron]

Our local range has a concrete pad and the only time I have had cases dented is when I'm shooting .45 ACP, and then never to the point that they can't be reloaded. I'm always able to keep my lever and bolt guns from ejecting emptys onto the ground.

[stretch]

You're right, Joe.

And I used "you're" incorrectly instead of "your."

The grammatical error is maybe forgivable, but not
knowing my head from my......, well.....

Dinged case heads can many times be salvaged with
a jeweler's file, as long as the damage is mainly burrs,
not too severe, and the rim isn't buckled.

-Stretch

[RIHMFIRE]

at the range I have my soft case for my rifle right next to my sand bag...
so I can lay my rifle on it and also to catch the brass..."if" i eject it with the lever..
but most of the time i load only one at a time....and eject the brass in my hand.

[kimwcook]

The range I go to also has concrete at the firing line and I have yet to get a case head dinged so bad I couldn't use it. Case mouths, yes, but not heads. Sounds like your ejected rounds are coming out at mach 1 or something else is going on.

[Mainehunter]

Thanks for the feedback guys! When I first noticed the problem I checked the firearms is question mainly the Marlin 336 35 Remington and Browning 95 30-06. All is good when I examined the cases individually after firing particularly when I run test loads in them. What I like to do is practice my follow-up shot for hunting situations so handling the brass individually isn't going to work. At first it bothered me but after reading posts here and the more I think about it it's not that big of a deal.

Mainehunter

[Pete44ru]

Go to Home Cheapo, buy some 1" PVC pipe & plastic screening to make yerself a brass catcher that sets on the ground next to yer firing position. It should end up looking like a kids hockey goal net, lying on it's back.



Alternatively, a fisherman's hand net could be made to do double duty.



Or justfahgettaboutit.

.

[Jeff H]

A heavy canvas tarp laid out where your brass lands might help.......

What MikeD said, when I am using a bolt-gun or single shot, single-action revolver.....

I use a tarp if practical when using a lever, but not for damage control - for loss prevention. The grass eats my brass.

I had a Ruger P90 that would put them all into a 5-gallon bucket (the empties), but when using a lever,.... pretty much need a tarp when I am concerned about the brass.

[Ben_Rumson]

With my top eject Win 73 SRC I get most of the cases to land in the broad brim of my of my Plantation hat....From the bench with the 99... I just roll it over a little to the right and slowly work the lever so the cases drop on the Army blanket that always gets laid down on the bench top...Though there always a few escapees that wont get with the program... I just hate it when I step on my brass...