Brass Wand Report - The Firearms Forum

The Duke · 10-05-2011, 03:36 PM

Got one of these gizzmos from Dillon last week...Tested it last Saturday and found it works pretty good, but not perfect. I believe my old way of the 'hand operated grasping thing' (sorry, no pic, forgot) works well enough and a lot cheaper than the $44.95 Brass Wand...

The Brass Wand worked well enough, rolling along so to speak, with smaller pistol bullets...Here are some .38spls I dumped..

With a little pressure, I was able to get most of them without bending over...OUCH..the back...

Course, it picked up some ground clutter along with the brass..

I found using a 'pogo-stick' motion..up and down rather than rolling was more effective picking up single brass and the ONLY way to go with large caliber rifle stuff...I tried .308 and .45-70...forget rolling with these bad boys...But turning the tool lengthways to the big cartridges and 'Pogoing" worked quite well..

Although the long forceps grabber I normaly use is slower, but more selective in what I pick up...Plus only $16+tax at local hardware store...

After all is said and done...I will use the Brass Wand because I bought it...But will continue using my grabber also...

312shooter · 10-05-2011, 04:30 PM

We use them at our local range, out here in the desert with a hard ground they work extremely well. Excellent purchase!

garydude · 10-05-2011, 05:03 PM

Great review Duke! Thanks for sharing. Our local range has so many steel cases laying around I doubt that device would be much benefit to me.

Bindernut · 10-05-2011, 10:41 PM

Nice review Duke!
Sounds like it might be a neat addition to my kit.
I usually have a brass catcher set up for my own shooting but I always spend a bit of time policing the public range I sometimes use when I'm done. Too many other users don't and the clutter just gets ugly after a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by garydude

Great review Duke! Thanks for sharing. Our local range has so many steel cases laying around I doubt that device would be much benefit to me.

After you've rolled up a batch of empty brass, just drag one of those big magnets they use for sweeping up nails at construction sites through the empties. the steel ones sort themselves pretty good that way...but you do have to pick them off the magnet though.

Brisk44 · 10-06-2011, 07:45 AM

It does look like it would be effective.

Country101 · 10-06-2011, 11:38 AM

Looks like a pecan picking tool. Only differance is there are a few more wires and it's more oblong. They have one that would probably work that looks like you bent a slinky over and wleded it to a rod. to dump, you just invert it over a bucket.

raysmithson1 · 10-06-2011, 11:53 AM

Except for the cost.. it is a good deal,, saves the back, you must be careful , it will get messed up on some persons inability to understand the workings of it,,,meaning it gets out of shape with hard use....

10-05-2011, 03:36 PM	#1
The Duke Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NW Louisiana Posts: 813	Brass Wand Report Got one of these gizzmos from Dillon last week...Tested it last Saturday and found it works pretty good, but not perfect. I believe my old way of the 'hand operated grasping thing' (sorry, no pic, forgot) works well enough and a lot cheaper than the $44.95 Brass Wand... The Brass Wand worked well enough, rolling along so to speak, with smaller pistol bullets...Here are some .38spls I dumped.. With a little pressure, I was able to get most of them without bending over...OUCH..the back... Course, it picked up some ground clutter along with the brass.. I found using a 'pogo-stick' motion..up and down rather than rolling was more effective picking up single brass and the ONLY way to go with large caliber rifle stuff...I tried .308 and .45-70...forget rolling with these bad boys...But turning the tool lengthways to the big cartridges and 'Pogoing" worked quite well.. Although the long forceps grabber I normaly use is slower, but more selective in what I pick up...Plus only $16+tax at local hardware store... After all is said and done...I will use the Brass Wand because I bought it...But will continue using my grabber also... __________________ Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc'-ra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers. -->

10-05-2011, 04:30 PM	#2
312shooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 1,148	Re: Brass Wand Report We use them at our local range, out here in the desert with a hard ground they work extremely well. Excellent purchase! __________________ "Democracy is based on citizenship- perhaps the greatest gift the United States has given to the world- Power is vested in the people themselves, and government flows from the people" James M Henslin

10-05-2011, 05:03 PM	#3
garydude Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Desert Southwest Proper Contributor Posts: 747	Re: Brass Wand Report Great review Duke! Thanks for sharing. Our local range has so many steel cases laying around I doubt that device would be much benefit to me.

10-06-2011, 07:45 AM	#5
Brisk44 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Contributor Posts: 1,747	Re: Brass Wand Report It does look like it would be effective.

10-06-2011, 11:38 AM	#6
Country101 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dardanelle, AR Contributor Posts: 2,029	Re: Brass Wand Report Looks like a pecan picking tool. Only differance is there are a few more wires and it's more oblong. They have one that would probably work that looks like you bent a slinky over and wleded it to a rod. to dump, you just invert it over a bucket. __________________ Gainfully employed= shooting somebody elses bullets and getting paid for it Country101

10-06-2011, 11:53 AM	#7
raysmithson1 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Monterey ca. we call it paradise Posts: 63	Re: Brass Wand Report Except for the cost.. it is a good deal,, saves the back, you must be careful , it will get messed up on some persons inability to understand the workings of it,,,meaning it gets out of shape with hard use....