Mining an Indoor Handgun Range - Yes or No

[mfraser264]

Been granted access to an indoor handgun range to remove all the lead. Having never done this is it worth the time and what safety concerns with lead dust?

Remove some lower plates and there it is. Maybe 200-300 pounds. All ammunition was 1,000 FPS or lower and only .45 ACP can use jacketed.

Thank you for your input.

[ascast]

go for it-wear a dust mask if you want- and thin cut resistant gloves. milk jugs with the tops cut open a bit make nice collection buckets

[DerekP Houston]

I'd wear a respirator personally but go for it!

[GhostHawk]

Well the way I look at it, if I was buying raw range scrap, I doubt I would pay more than 25 to 30 cents a pound. To smelt it you are going to have work collecting, fuel costs, molds needed, plus time to the the smelting.

Smelted range lead in ingots run dollar a pound or a touch over with shipping.

So is it worth your time for two or three hundred pounds of range scrap?
Figure finished product at a dollar a pound. Is it worth 200$ of your time?

That is the question. For me no, I am retired, but I have better things to do with my time. I'd rather spend 70$ for 65 lbs of double fluxed lead in easy to handle ingots, no heat, no sweating, virtually no dust.

For you? Well that is what you have to ask yourself.

If I was going to do it you are going to want a good respirator. A simple system of buckets, shovel, trowel, whatever will work to scoop.

Once home you need a good smelting setup, normally turkey fryer type or better, with a good pot and ingot molds, a few basic tools.

The advantage is that you can sell off some of the excess to pay for your tools.

Lets you build sweat equity.

But only you can decide if your interested.

[OS OK]

Good points there Ghost...but...every caster oughta have a go at reclaiming and smelting at least one time in life. After doing it he will be better advised whether or not to go this route the next time.

Somebody's gotta do it...I surely don't mind.

[lightman]

I've done indoor ranges before. Wear a dust mask or respirator, and take an assortment of tools for digging or scooping. Take several buckets. A two wheel dolly makes moving the stuff to your truck easier. Don't load the buckets so full that you can't pick them up. I've had buckets of range lead that went 240#.

[adam_mac84]

100% i would do an indoor. I am second guessing doing an outdoor with no broken jackets again... haha. if they hit a plate and busted open... easy peasy

[rondog]

I've done indoor ranges before. Wear a dust mask or respirator, and take an assortment of tools for digging or scooping. Take several buckets. A two wheel dolly makes moving the stuff to your truck easier. Don't load the buckets so full that you can't pick them up. I've had buckets of range lead that went 240#.

I'd MUCH rather deal with a bunch of small buckets than a few large ones. I'm just not into heavy things anymore.

[jsizemore]

Did 5x that much each week. Flat shovel, respirator, leather gloves, and 3-4 5gal buckets. Take a hand truck if you have one. Only fill the bucket halfway (about 80lbs) or you will spill scrap when you use the hand truck.

I sold the jackets to the scrapyard as #2 copper for $1.95/lb or red brass for $1.45/lb. 80lb bucket of scrap yielded approx. 60lbs lead ingots. When the scrap hits 700degF start pushing the ones floating on top down in the melt. When they have all given up their lead to the melt, start spooning the jackets out because they'll have little to no lead attached. The scrapyard will pay the clean #2 copper price. 5 gal bucket of jackets weighs about 50lbs.

Easy smelting job and I made money doing it.

[Sasquatch-1]

As mentioned, the jackets have value. This should pay for propane and time. Get a good magnet and make sure you get the steel jackets out of the scrap before taking to the salvage yard. Depending on how good it is, you could use it for magnet fishing later.

If this range has any popularity at all, I find it hard to believe there is only a couple hundred pounds of lead. Unless it gets cleaned out often.

Also, make sure all they want you to do is remove the lead and not clean up the dust from the back stop area for EPA purposes.

[CIC]

Indoor range scrap is my favorite. I have also used outdoor scrap but since it was dug from a berm it was much dirtier. Required a little more work. I enjoy the process so it would be worth it to me. Congratulations on the lead score.

[fjruple]

I mine my scrap from an indoor range which I get five 2- gallon buckets per week. The range does not permit shotguns or any steel core or copper wash steel ammunition. It just copper jackets and lead. The bucket I use are 2 gallon paint bucket with sealable lids. I wipe down the outside of the bucket with bay wipes while wearing rubber gloves. when any exposed particle lead is around or exposed I wear a face mask.

--fjruple

[imashooter2]

The jackets don't have value everywhere. The yards around here won't touch them. That said, I have about 3,500 pounds of indoor range scrap in ingots that is the backbone of my casting supply. As smelting goes, it wasn't hard work. Can't speak to the collection, as it came to me in 5 gallon buckets.

[country gent]

For several years I helped with a indoor pistol ranges upkeep. This was a commercial range and used heavily. It was a steel back stop into water tanks. Between bullets remaining velocity and concussion in the range the lead in the tanks could be packed pretty tight into the tanks. We used a heavy ice spud to help break it up at times. Each tank would have 600-700 lbs in it. Once partly emptied we would tip them over and dum remainder on the floor to shovel up. One plus it was wet and no dust from it

[mold maker]

I spent the time to gather and melt outdoor range scrap into over 2 tons of ingots. I sold the jackets for #2 brass.
It took some time and sweat, but my stash loves it.
If your stirring up dust, definitely a tightly fitting mask is needed. My yield turned out to be about 12 BHN and cast great.
At my age I doubt I'd do it again, but it sure gives me satisfaction, not to have to scrounge.
I understand those with deeper pockets and less time, but the prices will soon change, and the sources are drying up. You be the judge, but don't come up short.
Take it from an old man and get it while you can.

[ghh3rd]

I'd be in heaven if a range made that offer to me - I would jump on it, and take precautions to stay lead free.

[Hickory]

Another thing I'd do is have a pump-up sprayer and spray the area you're working with water to keep the dust down.

[reddog81]

I'd give it a try. It can't be much worse than dirty old wheel weights that turn out to be half zinc or steel. I'm surprised about the estimate of 200 to 300 pounds. Many of the shooters on this forum shoot that much every year. That's barely over 100 boxes on 45 ACP ammo. I'd think most ranges would see that much use in a week.

[KYCaster]

Ask him what the hazmat company's bid was. Tell him you'll do it for half that.

Jerry

Oh, BTW.... Factor in the cost of a hazmat suit with respirator.