Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range - The Firearms Forum

clvickers · 12-30-2009, 10:17 AM

OK, I've got a stupid question.

I don't usually get to shoot at an indoor range but I went to one this week.

The way the floors on the shooting lanes are are setup is that the floor slopes toward the shooting lane so that your brass ends up about a foot in front of you. I recognize that this is done as a safety measure since you don't want someone with a loaded firearm slipping on their spent brass and pulling a trigger on the way down. However the problem is that the safety feature now causes you another problem because you can't get to the brass to pick it up because everyone else on the firing line is shooting and they don't want to be bothered with stopping just so you can walk in to sweep up your brass.

I know that I'm not the only one that has found themselves in this predicament. How do you keep from losing your brass? Do you take something with you to put on the floor to keep it from rolling down so far in front of your shooting station or what?

Tks
Carlie

Alpo · 12-30-2009, 11:46 AM

I've never been at a range like that. The one I go to even has nets, in front of the shooting bench, so that if your brass goes forward, no more than two feet, it lands in the net and you can recover it.

Sounds like the place you are at is more interested in keeping all the brass, than in safety.

Lotsdragon · 12-30-2009, 12:07 PM

LOL Now I know how to get free brass, set up and indoor range and slope the floor away from the shooter! Like Alpo I think they may realise the price of brass!

Texxut · 12-30-2009, 12:21 PM

That's just what is going on. They are gathering your brass and reselling it. Either there or on the internet. I'm sure they would be happy to sell you your brass tomorrow. An indoor range here does the same thing.

army mp · 12-30-2009, 01:14 PM

There is a lot of truth to that. A range I stopped going to had a rule any brass that hit the floor was the property of the range. And yes they sold range brass at the counter.

neilin · 12-30-2009, 09:57 PM

I only shoot at an indoor range that lets me pick up and keep my brass.

LDBennett · 12-31-2009, 07:10 AM

All it would take is a short little broom to reach out into the lane and drag the brass back into arms reach. Take one with you to the range.

I have shot at ranges that had a rule that cases that hit the ground are their's. I recovered my brass whether on the bench or on the floor. I bought it and I have a receipt for it and it's mine. If they don't like that I shoot at a different range.

There is a brass catcher that you slip onto your right hand. It lays near the ejection port of most semi-auto handguns and catches the brass. It works and you get use to it pretty quickly. Only a few get by the catcher. That's what I use normally at any range, indoor or outdoor. It makes brass collection easy.... just dump the catcher out on the bench after every magazine. I think Midway sells them. I bought mine some 20 years ago and it is still working fine.

LDBennett

Smitty14 · 12-31-2009, 09:39 AM

Greetings,
Our local indoor range allows us to pick up spent brasss that "we" shoot only. LOL.
The range sweeps up spent brass and then "gives" the brass to a company that reloads them and resells cases of rounds back to the range at a reduced price.
I agree with LDBennett. Take a broom with you to the range to attempt to sweep up as much as possible.

mikld · 12-31-2009, 10:40 AM

The indoor range I used to frequent had brooms behind the firing line. When I arrived, I swept the area of all brass. Before I left, I swept up my brass. Don't know what the range's official rules were, but I did that for several years. But there is a range in downtown L.A. that will only let you shoot their reloads or factory rounds and they don't allow you to police your own brass. Needless to say, I never shot there!

308 at my gate · 12-31-2009, 11:26 AM

What I did was to take a old car antenna the telescoping kind and bent a small hook on the end and then put a small piece of rubber on it. I use that to retrieve my brass that has landed in front of me at indoor ranges while live fire is going on. The antenna is about 5 feet long and I have always been able to retrieve most of my brass when shooting.

12-30-2009, 10:17 AM	#1
clvickers Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: NE Florida Posts: 5	Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range OK, I've got a stupid question. I don't usually get to shoot at an indoor range but I went to one this week. The way the floors on the shooting lanes are are setup is that the floor slopes toward the shooting lane so that your brass ends up about a foot in front of you. I recognize that this is done as a safety measure since you don't want someone with a loaded firearm slipping on their spent brass and pulling a trigger on the way down. However the problem is that the safety feature now causes you another problem because you can't get to the brass to pick it up because everyone else on the firing line is shooting and they don't want to be bothered with stopping just so you can walk in to sweep up your brass. I know that I'm not the only one that has found themselves in this predicament. How do you keep from losing your brass? Do you take something with you to put on the floor to keep it from rolling down so far in front of your shooting station or what? Tks Carlie -->

12-30-2009, 11:46 AM	#2
Alpo Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Florida Posts: 8,662	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range I've never been at a range like that. The one I go to even has nets, in front of the shooting bench, so that if your brass goes forward, no more than two feet, it lands in the net and you can recover it. Sounds like the place you are at is more interested in keeping all the brass, than in safety. __________________ Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy, and taste good with catsup - George of Lod, Year of Our Lord 297 I always take precautions. Beware the Evil Bullet Fairies.

12-30-2009, 12:07 PM	#3
Lotsdragon Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Potosi, Mo Posts: 813	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range LOL Now I know how to get free brass, set up and indoor range and slope the floor away from the shooter! Like Alpo I think they may realise the price of brass! __________________ "First comes smiles,then lies.Last is gunfire" Roland Deschain

12-30-2009, 12:21 PM	#4
Texxut V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Utah Posts: 264	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range That's just what is going on. They are gathering your brass and reselling it. Either there or on the internet. I'm sure they would be happy to sell you your brass tomorrow. An indoor range here does the same thing.

12-30-2009, 01:14 PM	#5
army mp V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: western Pa, Posts: 479	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range There is a lot of truth to that. A range I stopped going to had a rule any brass that hit the floor was the property of the range. And yes they sold range brass at the counter.

12-30-2009, 09:57 PM	#6
neilin V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Clinton, MO Posts: 116	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range I only shoot at an indoor range that lets me pick up and keep my brass.

12-31-2009, 07:10 AM	#7
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,715	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range All it would take is a short little broom to reach out into the lane and drag the brass back into arms reach. Take one with you to the range. I have shot at ranges that had a rule that cases that hit the ground are their's. I recovered my brass whether on the bench or on the floor. I bought it and I have a receipt for it and it's mine. If they don't like that I shoot at a different range. There is a brass catcher that you slip onto your right hand. It lays near the ejection port of most semi-auto handguns and catches the brass. It works and you get use to it pretty quickly. Only a few get by the catcher. That's what I use normally at any range, indoor or outdoor. It makes brass collection easy.... just dump the catcher out on the bench after every magazine. I think Midway sells them. I bought mine some 20 years ago and it is still working fine. LDBennett

12-31-2009, 09:39 AM	#8
Smitty14 Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 8	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range Greetings, Our local indoor range allows us to pick up spent brasss that "we" shoot only. LOL. The range sweeps up spent brass and then "gives" the brass to a company that reloads them and resells cases of rounds back to the range at a reduced price. I agree with LDBennett. Take a broom with you to the range to attempt to sweep up as much as possible.

12-31-2009, 10:40 AM	#9
mikld Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oregon Posts: 573	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range The indoor range I used to frequent had brooms behind the firing line. When I arrived, I swept the area of all brass. Before I left, I swept up my brass. Don't know what the range's official rules were, but I did that for several years. But there is a range in downtown L.A. that will only let you shoot their reloads or factory rounds and they don't allow you to police your own brass. Needless to say, I never shot there! __________________ My Anchor is holding fast. Last edited by mikld; 12-31-2009 at 10:41 AM..

12-31-2009, 11:26 AM	#10
308 at my gate Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Lost in SW USA. Posts: 847	Re: Spent Brass Colletion at Indoor Range What I did was to take a old car antenna the telescoping kind and bent a small hook on the end and then put a small piece of rubber on it. I use that to retrieve my brass that has landed in front of me at indoor ranges while live fire is going on. The antenna is about 5 feet long and I have always been able to retrieve most of my brass when shooting. __________________ You got to love it.