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View Full Version : Ammo left on the Range????



1Shirt
12-06-2011, 01:55 PM
Over the years (to many of them really) on a number of different ranges, I have found discarded loaded ammo in various conditions. I have found loaded rounds with light primer strike that did not go off in both rifle and handgun rounds. Have found numerous 22LR, a few 22Mags, and in recent years a few 17HMR's with primer hits that did not discharge. I have also found some loaded ctgs that were dented and would obviously not chamber.

I have found them on the ground, under benches, and in empty ctg buckets. Have always been concerned that some of these might get tossed into a burn bbl during range clean up days. So over the years, I have taken these that I have picked up home, pulled the blts, dumped the pdr, and then disposed of the brass.

Over more than 20 years, have probably picked up over 50 centerfires of all denominations, and probably as many rifmires. On some of the rimfire 22's that I picked up, if they were not damaged, I just shot them off if I had a 22 with me. I have also shot off 22LR's and 17HMR's that had fireing pin strikes, that were not adequate.

Am just wondering how many on this forum have experianced discarded loaded ammo, and if so, what your thoughts are regarding same.
1Shirt!:coffee:

Wally
12-06-2011, 01:59 PM
Over the years (to many of them really) on a number of different ranges, I have found discarded loaded ammo in various conditions. I have found loaded rounds with light primer strike that did not go off in both rifle and handgun rounds. Have found numerous 22LR, a few 22Mags, and in recent years a few 17HMR's with primer hits that did not discharge. I have also found some loaded ctgs that were dented and would obviously not chamber.

I have found them on the ground, under benches, and in empty ctg buckets. Have always been concerned that some of these might get tossed into a burn bbl during range clean up days. So over the years, I have taken these that I have picked up home, pulled the blts, dumped the pdr, and then disposed of the brass.

Over more than 20 years, have probably picked up over 50 centerfires of all denominations, and probably as many rifmires. On some of the rimfire 22's that I picked up, if they were not damaged, I just shot them off if I had a 22 with me. I have also shot off 22LR's and 17HMR's that had fireing pin strikes, that were not adequate.

Am just wondering how many on this forum have experianced discarded loaded ammo, and if so, what your thoughts are regarding same.
1Shirt!:coffee:


I'd be careful with the CF ammo found...you never know if it is safe or not. Probably best to pull the bullet and use the case, if needed.

Jim
12-06-2011, 02:06 PM
I have also found abandoned ammo. I pull it down and salvage the bullets and the brass. Even if it looks 'factory' and is in a factory box, I don't trust it.

frkelly74
12-06-2011, 02:17 PM
If it is in the middle of a pile of fired brass that looks like it worked okay I will shoot it. If it looks factory made I will shoot it. If it is nasty looking I will salvage what I can of it so that it doesn't get burned up in the trash. I recently found 180 rounds of factory 223 in steel cases still in their 20 rd boxes in the trash. I suspect it was there because someone got caught shooting after closing and the officer made the perp throw away his remaining ammo. Or else they didn't like how it was shooting. Either way I will shoot them up and be glad to.

tomme boy
12-06-2011, 03:49 PM
I get loaded ammo all the time. The local range officer picks up what he finds for me. Two weeks ago he gave me a box. 127 45acp, 92 9mm, 5 270win, 19 3006, 2 44mag, 17 38 spec, 4 357mag, 27 380 auto, 350 223 rem, 7 22mag, 3 17HMR, 1 17short HMR, 42 30-30, 14 40's, 2 32auto, 25 lbs of 22rf.

I love it when people leave ammo. The range officer used to take all of this to the Rock Island Arsenal to have destroyed. Now that he knows I can use it, I get all he picks up.

The stuff I can use, I look it over real well. You can tell if it is factory or reloads. At least I can. I will shoot it up. The 22's I pulled the heads and melted the lead down and cases went into scrap bucket an the powder got sprikled in the yard.

Harter66
12-06-2011, 03:58 PM
In the past I shot up what I could ,not so much anymore too many "meanies" out there. Right now I've a bucket that it all goes in to be sorted pulled or passed on.

firefly1957
12-06-2011, 07:31 PM
Some time ago there was another thread on this My first experience was .243 shells that were "VERY" overloaded and I have been suspicious of any abandoned ammo since.

leftiye
12-06-2011, 08:41 PM
I leave triple charged loads wherever I shoot, kind of a bonus for the brass scroungers. Kidding - pay attention!

dragonrider
12-06-2011, 09:25 PM
I always find some 22's whenever I go to the range, always with only one fireing pin strike, I will wipe it clean with a rag and unless the round is crushed or bent I will fire it. Have yet to have one fail. I also find the occaisional centerfire round, most don't have a mark on them, figure they were dropped and lost while loading. Some have primer dents. These I take home and take apart.

looseprojectile
12-06-2011, 09:30 PM
I was given about a hundred pounds of rejects from a small reloading company.
These are all calibers and all kinds of screw ups from loading and reloading pistol and rifle ammo.
I have always thought that I would someday acquire the ambition to unload and salvage the components. It ain't happened. Would probably take a week full time.
The only reason I have them is the owner threatened to dump them off a bridge somewhere. I thought I was being noble in saving the environment from all the contamination. Wish I had not.

Life is good

DLCTEX
12-06-2011, 09:42 PM
A friend recently gave me some loaded ammo (38 sp. and 357 mag) that he had bought from a guy who just wanted to get it gone. I thought at first it was factory ammo, but found that it was reloads and the data in the boxes indicated it was loaded too hot. I am pulling all 2000 rds. down. I haven't trusted others reloads since a friend once gave me some 12 ga. that he said he had loaded "pretty hot". He wasn't lying. They would open the breech and eject the shell on my Win. 1300.

high standard 40
12-06-2011, 10:50 PM
I will not fire any 22LR ammo I find at the range in any firearm I own. I was always afraid that the lube would pick up and hold grit that I don't want in my gun. If I happen to drop one of my own 22 LR rounds, I will pick it up and discard it, again for the same reason. Centerfire jacketed ammo I feel comfortable wiping clean and using if I can determine it is a factory load. I don't trust "found" reloaded ammo. I do have a cigar box of ammo I have found at the range over the last year or two......mostly .223 and .40 S&W.

lead-1
12-07-2011, 03:45 AM
If I find any ammo on the bench or ground I am always worried that someone will get hurt with it so I whack it with a hammer so it won't fit any firearms.
But seriously I will try to refire .22 ammo and if its centerfire I recycle it to brass and bullets.

bobthenailer
12-07-2011, 07:57 AM
With alot of time spent on the shooting range over the past 45 years ive picked up alot of unfired ammo for what ever the reason. it seems to be more of a problem in the last 10 years than in the previous 35 years .
I cast & reload for my ammo or buy 22 lr ammo and for me it would be a sin to leave a unspent ammo on the ground , let alone empty casings . except 22 lr casings and sometimes i sweep them up if i can.

btroj
12-07-2011, 08:54 AM
Read the OP guys. He didn't ask if you would shoot it. He asked if you take it home for better disposal than letting it go into a burn barrel.
I tend to leave iron the ground. I sure don't ever even think about shooting it. I don't need brass enough to go thru the effort to pull a bullet and mess with it.

bruce drake
12-07-2011, 09:11 AM
I sweep the line when I go to the range before I start firing and when I am done firing. The brass and unspent ammo I find goes home and the loaded ammo gets pulled down for the bullets and the brass. The powder and primer is always suspect quality for me and gets pulled and disposed of. The jacketed bullets get miked, sorted and saved for later plinking rounds. 22LR cases get the bullets pulled for later for large alloy melts and the powder also is disposed of (flower gardens). The brass is disposed of as well with a single-shot 22 pointing out into the air from the back door of the garage.

Why do I do it? One reason is to keep the range clean and the other is to acquire spare brass for reforming and reloading purposes as well. I would say over 90% of the brass I acquire at my local range is once-fired. The other 10% might be other reloader's brass and if I recognize their color tint ( most of us use various colored sharpies to mark the bases or primers so we can sort out our brass on the line during matches) than I set them aside and when I see them again at the club I pull their brass out and return it to them when I can.

I am not a range hawk looking over everyone's shoulder when they are firing hoping to catch the brass in the air as its ejected out of their rifle but if they leave the range and don't police up, I remind them that their brass is on the ground and if they could at least put the brass in the barrel before they leave. A lot of the shooters in the club know I reload and will collect their brass and set the brass by my station as they go. Its usually the new guys who forget they aren't on a military range that I have to remind them that the club survives by how well it maintains its property.

Bruce

Reload3006
12-07-2011, 09:22 AM
since I swage i have become a brass *****. or at minimum ****. so personally I sweep up every thing I can find. ... When I joined the bench rest rifle club in Warrenton Missouri we had to listen to the range safety spiel. I don't know this story to be true. But as it was relayed their garbage collector picked up the trash and someone had thrown a bunch of misfired 22lr in the trash can. when the hauler compressed the trash a couple of the LRs went off and seriously injured the trash hauler. True or not we need to take responsibility for our own messes and the safety of others.

captaint
12-07-2011, 09:56 AM
I recently found one loaded 45ACP on the ground by the bench at the range. I looks like a perfectly good hand loaded round with a cast H&G 68 sittin on top. I haven't been able to make myself shoot it. It just sits on the dresser. Hope I never need it!!!! Mike

Janoosh
12-07-2011, 10:21 AM
As a certified "Range Rat" and a major brass *****, I find a lot of unfired ammo. I take most of the centerfire rounds home and then give those rounds to my friends that use that ammo with the statement "I found it on the range". They all know what I mean. Rimfire ammo I shoot up. It seems some people don't keep the bolt or firing pin of their rimfire guns clean. Bent and damaged ammo goes into recycle bucket after dismantling. By the way, I volunteered to help "clean" the range I shoot at!

firefly1957
12-07-2011, 07:13 PM
I found that mixed smokeless powder can be detonated when hit with a high power rifle bullet for a interesting reactive target. I had some mixed powders that I pulled or spilled and sweep up over a couple ears drilled a 7/8 inch hole in a foot diameter piece of firewood filled it with powder covered by tape. Upon being hit with 6mm 75 gr bullet at about 3000 fps the blast split the wood quite nicely.

Geezer in NH
12-08-2011, 12:30 AM
In the shop, I was a manager in, we disposed of all unknown ammo that was traded in by cooking it in the wood stove.

Mike in TX
12-08-2011, 07:20 AM
I found that mixed smokeless powder can be detonated when hit with a high power rifle bullet for a interesting reactive target. I had some mixed powders that I pulled or spilled and sweep up over a couple ears drilled a 7/8 inch hole in a foot diameter piece of firewood filled it with powder covered by tape. Upon being hit with 6mm 75 gr bullet at about 3000 fps the blast split the wood quite nicely.

Has to be one of the slowest ways to split fire wood but it sounds like it is the most fun.

Mike

Adam10mm
12-09-2011, 01:32 AM
That's usually how I test hot loads. I drop a few pretty rounds on the ground next to a new guy shooting the same caliber, then leave the shooting area. I watch them from a safe distance with binoculars. If the gun doesn't blow up on them, it's a safe load and then I race home to load a few more to try myself.

Freischütz
12-09-2011, 04:37 PM
Ammo left on the range is a good source of components.

gew98
12-10-2011, 09:25 PM
Ammo left on the range is a good source of components.

Exactly !. I have recovered hundreds of live rounds in various states from fort DIX , Fort Drum , Fort Knox & Fort Campbell and with some exceptions pulled 'em all down for bullets & brass.

Alchemist
12-10-2011, 09:45 PM
The only loaded ammo I've salvaged from the range is .22LR...I put the ones that are clean and undamaged (probably dropped by someone too lazy to bend over and pick it up) aside to use later. The dirty, corroded and damaged ones get the lead pulled out to remelt later.

markinalpine
12-17-2011, 08:35 PM
The only loaded ammo I've salvaged from the range is .22LR...I put the ones that are clean and undamaged (probably dropped by someone too lazy to bend over and pick it up) aside to use later. The dirty, corroded and damaged ones get the lead pulled out to remelt later.

DITTO!
plus I keep the brass and give it to my neighbor who sells it to a scrap yard.

Merry Christmas,
Mark

bandit7.5
12-17-2011, 08:50 PM
I have also found abandoned ammo. I pull it down and salvage the bullets and the brass. Even if it looks 'factory' and is in a factory box, I don't trust it.

like Jim and Wally said pull it down, one round of double charged brass = blown up rifle or pistol.