Need a good way to ID my brass for pickup at the range

[ghh3rd]

I'm about to load up 400 rounds of .40 with brass of mine and other shooters that I recovered at the range. There seem to be a lot of .40's at the range, and I'm concerned that my brass will be mixed with other .40 brass around me, and after being polite and cleaning up my brass (and everyone else's), I want to know which one I just fired so I can identify them as 'fired twice'.

I was thinking of running a marker along the bottom of all of my rounds so I can see which ones are mine and which ones are from other shooters (hopefully 'fired once').

Any comments on what you do?

Thanks - Randy

[Frank46]

Many moons ago used to participate in steel plate matches. We got very creative with magic markers so as to id our brass. multiple colors as you can imagine. Frank

[OLPDon]

I go the way of multiple colors on the primer this way after I remove the primer I can give a new mark to ID it. So simple it even works for me.
Don

[Buckshot]

..............Never had to do it but a buddy shot bullseye with the Elks Lodge and he used as marker as the other posters mentioned. Just a red slash mark across the base of his brass.

...............Buckshot

[AZ-Stew]

Load 'em up, put them in a plastic storage box (50 rnds) nose down and give them a light coating of your favorite color spray paint. Just a touch so you can see the color. Works great, quick to apply, doesn't gum up your gun and lasts through several polishings.

Regards,

Stew

[DrNick]

Just a note on picking up brass at the range: If there are any USPSA activities going on at that range be sure to examine the brass very closely:

1. Glock 22s are popular standard guns (at least here in Canada) and have an unsupported chamber. They need to have shells loaded hot to make major power factor....the brass comes out with a slight bulge on one side and repeated reloadings of the unevenly worn brass can (and do) result in case failures...not fun.

2. The latest craze in open guns is 9mm Major. This means loading 9mm with slow powders to velocities in excess of 1350 fps with a 124 grain bullet. Fine in the open guns with comps that it was designed for but you can imagine what pressures like that do to the brass...the most common effect is streched out primer pockets.

I'm not nay-saying being a brass hound (heck, I'm one) just a heads up from someone who's seen problems arise from cases that get abused.

[par0thead151]

just tumble your brass so it shines like the sun.
use car wax and that will help keep the powder residue off of the casing, making it easy to differentiate yours from others brass.
at least this is what i do.

[dabsond]

I use a large sharpie. I have found that coloring the entire bottom of the casing works best. I will come off in a tumbler. A couple scrubs with solvent and it is off the pistol as well.

[shooterg]

I've always used the fine markers - 1 red line all the way across for 1st reload, an "X" in same color for 2nd reload, 1 black line for 3rd, black "X" for 4th/etc. As long as you have a "system" and stick to it, you'll ID your brass and keep up with firings. Of course, in the AR/M1A I don't need as many colors as some - After 5th load, it's practice brass only for me. And someday you may shoot next to someone with the same system and same headstamp !