Brass Scrounging question

[cabezaverde]

I admit it. My name is Cabezaverde, and I am a brass scrounger.

My question - is corrosion contagious?

Sometimes I pick up brass at the range, and throw it in a pail, not to return to it for quite a long time. If there is a corroded case or two, does it spread from case to case?

[45nut]

not sure about whether corrosion is contagious,,,but it always seems to help find more brass when a couple pieces are jingling in my hand.
I sure wish I could get my dog trained to retrieve brass.. it would seem to make SO much sense for a few reasons.
1. they are closer to the ground.
2. their sense of smell would be a natural for finding those last two pieces of fireformed wildcats brass.
3. they could probably be trained to drop it in a bucket , I wouldn't hold them to refilling the ammo boxes.
4.being younger his eyes are far better and he could watch the brass fly and let me concentrate on shooting instead of instantly being distracted by where the brass is flying.
5. He wouldn't want to burn my ammo up like a shooting partner.
6. He wouldn't insist on stopping for a beer.

[rugerman1]

6. He wouldn't insist on stopping for a beer.
Beer,not just for breakfast anymore:drinks:

[Ricochet]

I think if they can train pigs to find truffles, they'd work as brass finders.

I need a truffle pig to find my .45s. I can't believe how hard those things are to see sometimes.

[cabezaverde]

Anybody know if corrision is contagious?

[DeanoBeanCounter]

[smilie=1: Ummmmm......
1. Make mine a root beer.
2. I bet your dog would look cute in eye and ear protection.
3. From what I've seen, corrosion is not contagious. I pick up what I can. The only corroded through ones I've seen is aluminum. However, the ones I use get a really good cleaning and inspection.
4. 45nut, Can I join you for shooting?
:twisted:
Deano

[Edward429451]

Corrosion on brass is not contagious. Technically speaking, brass wont corrode, it only tarnishes.

[Freightman]

Wish there was useable brass at the range I am a member of! even the berdan primed brass is picked up by the shooter.

[dakotashooter2]

As a general rule no but the corrosion on a case may hold enough moisture that if resting against another case that moisture may migrate to the adjacent case and cause some corrosion.

[AZ-Stew]

cabezaverde,

Chemically speaking, I don't think it's possible. The verdigris that forms on cartridges that have been subjected to burial in moist soil or storage in a leather cartridge belt is the result of chemicals from the soil or leather combining with the copper in the brass. Placing a badly corroded cartridge against a shiny new one, absent any other chemicals (such as placing them in a sealed container filled with an inert gas), might cause some localized transfer of the corrosive chemicals from the corroded cartridge to the new one, but only at the point(s) of contact. If they're separated in the inert gas, there will be no transfer.

To the other guys,

There is a law. I believe it's one of Murphy's. If you take a box of new factory rounds for a semi-auto pistol to the range for target practice, you will be able to find one less empty case than the number of factory rounds in the original box. No arguments. It's the law.

Regards,

Stew

[mag_01]

I know Murphy well -- If I shot 3 rounds one will not be there and if I fire 50---- 2 would disappear---- Then someone will say---Hay--- is that your empty case--- Believe it or not right in plain sight. Life dose go on--- Mag



Cheer up it can only get worse------- :Fire: :Fire: :Fire:

[jhalcott]

get a small metal detector. Use it after you shoot and you'l find plenty of brass . MAYBE not yours, but plenty of it!

[Navahojoe]

Dang it! I lost 3 three 1x fired starline .32 H&R brass at the local gun range today. Fumble finger me, the guy in the next stall was firing a .40cal Sig and I was unloading the Ruger Single Six. Three times when the Sig fired, I dropped a piece of brass and it rolled under the firing line wall. No chance of recovery. Dang it!:groner:

NavahoJoe

[Dale53]

Double post...

[Dale53]

Jo;
That's pretty bad when you lose brass from a revolver:-D :-D

I just ordered 500 rounds of .454 Casull brass, gulp!! If I lose one of those "gold plated" suckers, I'll probably take gas!!

Dale53

[STP]

I end up walking back and forth to find the "stray ones" in the grass. It`s amazing how many show up just 30 minutes later, when the sun is positioned just a bit differently.
I tend to find some keepers for my local gunshop owner...he really likes it when I show up with more 38 Super brass for him. I have no idea who in our club membership owns such a thing, but they tend to leave plenty behind.
Any green brass is tossed in our recovery buckets, I just don`t trust `em.

[cabezaverde]

STP - Where do you shoot?

[madcaster]

I see it now fellas,a seeing eye/nose/hearing(for the brass hitting the ground) dog for the scrounger of brass9sorry Scrounger)......
Hmmm,could be a new trend,reckon there's any money in it?
JS.

[buck1]

Big blue tarps, spread out on the ground. When your done ,fold em and pour in to a bucket!!


I think if they can train pigs to find truffles, they'd work as brass finders.

I need a truffle pig to find my .45s. I can't believe how hard those things are to see sometimes.

[danski26]

I must be one of the lucky few. At my club the president is always complaining "i wish people would pick up there brass". I just smile and go about picking up what ever I want.

Brass rich-money poor!

[obssd1958]

I bought a couple of the 10'x20' cloth drop cloths from Harbor Freight when they had them on sale for 6 or 7 dollars. My wife sewed them together to make one drop cloth that is 20'x20'. I spread it out to catch the brass and it doesn't melt when those hot ones land on it, like the other tarps might. And like buck1 said, when you're done you just fold 'em and dump the brass into the bucket!!

Don

[Crash_Corrigan]

i have one of those 10 x 10 folding sun shelters as it gets kinda hot here in Vegas. I hang a sheet with clothes pins on my right side and it catches all the empties and leaves them in a neat line on the ground for me to pick up later. It save me at least 20 mins at the end of the session and I don't get a backache.

[STP]

Cabezaverde,
Community Conservation Club, in Odessa.

[cabezaverde]

Cabezaverde,
Community Conservation Club, in Odessa.

Thats a pretty area. It is amazing how many small gun clubs there are sprinkled around the countryside up here.

[arkypete]

My shooting buddies and think there's a 'Range Godess' who gobbles up brass. If you don't complain to much she will return something of higher value.
For example I loose 12 45 acp cases, but find 13, 44 special cases. One day I unloaded the shooting junk didn't much attention to what was going on other then unpacking rifle, ammo, bench rest, etc. Well, on the ground there was 100 bright shiney W/W 30-06 cases.
Our range Goddess is not a mean lady, like she doesn't keep 405 Winchester base but likes to keep 45 acp and 308.
Jim

[AZ-Stew]

arkypete,

Regarding missing brass, I like your concept of the "Range Godess" a little better than my explanation of a connection to the infamous Murphy. In retrospect, there's a lot of truth in it. Maybe it depends on the range.

Regards,

Stew

[dakotashooter2]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Big blue tarps, spread out on the ground. When your done ,fold em and pour in to a bucket!!

Murphy law still tends to apply as a plastic tarp often causes them to roll or bounce.

:castmine:

[arkypete]

arkypete,

Regarding missing brass, I like your concept of the "Range Godess" a little better than my explanation of a connection to the infamous Murphy. In retrospect, there's a lot of truth in it. Maybe it depends on the range.

Regards,

Stew

Hey Stew
Our range Goddess is being very generous, this past fall a five gallon pail of 45 acp brass. And a couple of years ago 100 or so 375 H&H cases.
One of these days she'll see all that Berdan primes stuff we threw in the bushes.
Jim

[jhalcott]

I made a gadget that straps to my wrist and catches the auto pistol empties. Kind of resembles one of those nets they pluck gold fish out with. I've been toying with an idea for the guys that shoot in the clubs M1 league,but since I no longer own one .... Didn't I tell you I am LAZY!?

[jhalcott]

I've seen a few ODD things at the range. One not so funny was a guy who had a round go off with MUCH more oomph than usual for the round. The empty was caught by the slide slamming forward. There was some damage to the slide and firing pin.A nice 45 auto,S&W .When the case was finally inspected,a SMALLER case was inside mouth up! Apparently the case(s) had been reloaded with out the shooter ever noticing the inside case. The 45 is the ONLY handgun he owns. A check of the brass in the box showed a variety of head stamps. He is always picking up brass on the range. One of MY grandkids dropped a 9mm case into a 44mag case on my loading desk .Thankfully the 44's hadn't been deprimed yet.