Another etiquette question

[Blizzard]

I have started to reload ammo and wondered what the etiquette is for asking other shooters at the range if they want their casings. Is it common for people to ask strangers for discarded shell casings?

 

[Snake45]

It's very common. If you see a guy carefully picking up his brass and putting it back in boxes or whatever, you can assume he saves it for his own use. But if he's just sweeping it up to toss in the trash, or walks off and leaves it, don't be afraid to ask, "You saving those?" or something of the kind. Almost everyone will give it to you if they don't reload or already save it for someone else who does.

Anything you find in the trash is fair game unless there's some kind of range rule to the contrary.

 

[sicboy13]

At the range I frequent, there are trash bins labled "brass only" but I don't know if you can take it or not because right inside they sell reloading supplies, including brass... I imagine they sort it and bag it to resell it? I am going to ask next time I am there...

 

[Turbobuddha]

We have serveral ranges in the area and they recycle their range brass. I think if you just went in and started going through the bucket they might not like it but I've never seen the regulars who reload get called out for it. They don't sit and go through the buckets either though. Don't get greedy and no one should say much. If you spend an hour going through the buckets, that might be going to far.

Some ranges around here have published rules regarding brass and for some places, if it hits the ground, it's theirs. The ones I go to don't even require you to pick up the brass if you don't want to. Most don't mind if you pick up after your self.

Check with the ranges operators and find out what their view on brass is. That will be your best bet to find out the info you need.

 

[slippingaway]

The indoor range here has posted rules that you can pick up your own brass only. However, I'm usually only there when it's not busy, and if there's only one or two other people there, I'll usually ask if I can have their brass and sweep it all to the corner and pick it up.

The range also allows me to go back and pick through their 55 gallon drums of brass as long as I want, all I have to do is pay $2 a pound for whatever I take. That's what they get from the recycler.

 

[blume357]

I'd think even if another shooter is policing his brass you could still ask them... worse case is they reload too and y'all get in a long winded conversation on the mysterys of it... (I don't have a clue about reloading)

 

[Jumping Frog]

I'd think even if another shooter is policing his brass you could still ask them...

I ask if they keep their brass. If they say they do, I wish them well. If they are simply policing the area without keeping the brass, I offer to sweep all their brass up for them if I can keep it.

If the range has big buckets full of brass, I figure the brass is "fair game" when it is on the ground, but if it is in the bucket it belongs to the range.

 

[Vecco]

I simply ask, if someone is shooting 223 on the rifle range or 45 on the pistol range, I ask if they are going to pick up there spent brass or if it's ok for me to do it after they leave. They either reload and want their brass or don't care what I do. I did ask the range in the beginning if it was ok for me to pick up other peoples brass. PS I also ask my LEO friends, Front sight NV, and anywhere I am that there might be spent brass.

 

[Glasstream15]

The indoor ranges in JAX all claim it when it hits the floor. I rarely go to them though. I use the FOP outdoor range and spread an old sheet where the brass will fall. Makes it easy to police up and range rules require clean up after yourself.

I bag it and leave it for someone who reloads. But i plan to start reloading next year so I'll pronanly start bringing it home.

 

[Hammer]

One trap range I am familiar with will not allow any shooter to pick up spent shot shells.

This is not a shooting safety issue because they won't let the shooters pick up spent shells at the end of the day when all the shooting is done.

They have their own people gather all the spent shells.

I thought they were selling the spent shells as a source of revenue to support the club.

Then I found out that they were actually trashing all the spent shells.

Maybe this helps them sell new factory ammo.

I shoot mostly double-barrels so my spent shells don't hit the ground anyway.

 

[stare-decisis]

I always ask before picking up. But if no one is around, I'll dig through the garbage brass bins and look on the ground. Lately, the only shells left out are .22/.40 and 9mm.