The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Reloading => Topic started by: alfsauve on November 20, 2010, 11:33:30 AM
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Not complaining, but for those who wonder about the cost of reloading: For .38spl, 9mm, .40 and .45, I've never bought brass (okay, I did buy a little .40 used, but just once). People don't save their brass, and all you have to do is ask. I went to the indoor range 3 times this week. I fired about 300 rounds of 9mm. Here's what people gave me.
~940 rounds of 9mm, ~50 of .45, ~50 of .38spl, ~30 of .40, and ~10rd of .380.
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_udyXWMnOGhI/TOgEIwVlJ_I/AAAAAAAAguI/oVPpwSXQxe0/IMG_3281.JPG)
And in case you're wondering, just for future "rule of thumb" measuring, 1,000 pieces of brass neatly fills the coffee can you see in the background.
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As I've said before - Reloading is about more than just saving money. Anyone that can give accurate inventories and knows how many pieces it takes to fill a coffee can it enjoying the hobby ;D
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I have to sort them anyway, especially culling out the .380 from the 9mm. Throw away the aluminum and steel garbage as well as the crimped stuff. It's also my first inspection of the cases. There were probably about another 100 damaged cases I threw away and there were 5 live rounds. The live ones get their bullets pulled and then trashed.
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Watch out for brass coated steal cases. I would advise running a magnet over picked up brass. The gun shop I work at has a range and when we close up I help the range people clean up. We run a magnet over all the brass and there is an increasing amount of brass coated steal cases. One of the offenders is some Sellier & Bellot cases and there are others, too. It is not all Sellier & Bellot ammo, just some.
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Alf -
Next time you are sorting throw that bad brass in a pail. I through all my bad brass and rimfire in pails. last spring when the club hauled theirs to the recyclers I sent three partial pails along (probably 12 gallons worth) and got back $75. That isn't all my shooting, but it is culls from brass given to me, clean up around the range at fun shoots, everything from firearm safety range day, and my own playing.
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Next time you are sorting throw that bad brass in a pail.
That's a great tip. I already got that covered. My favorite outdoor range (owner run), will give me the day free in exchange for ~10# of brass. All damaged or otherwise unwanted goes into a pail for him.
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I have been reloading pistol ammo for only about 2 years and I really enjoy it because it'a a part of shooting and it keeps me involved when I can't get out to shoot as much. I have to admit that I don't know how much empty brass I have, but I do have an excel spreadsheet where I keep track of the ammo.
I have all the loads I try and a critique of them compared to standard factory ammo. I keep track of what I pay for supplies and how many rounds of each caliber I make. (YES, i DO keep track at the range) I have an active inventory of reloads and factory and know down to the round how much we have at any time.
I also have how many rounds are fired through each gun (which goes right to the inventory page of course) so I know how many rounds we have fired through each weapon, how many total rounds and when we fired them.
Maybe a little anal, but it's nice to know. And by the way, for the last year, the average cost of a box of 9mm, .38, and .45 acp is just over $9. Plus I paid way too much for the primers in the crunch and was buying powder by the pound. Not bad info to have.
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jaybet -
All reloaders are anal. It is part of the activity. Attention to detail, record keeping, measurements, results, etc. all need to be watched very carefully. If person isn't somewhat anal they can never be a good reloader. And once a meticulous person begins reloading they become anal.
I can spend a day at the range with a group, and without looking at the ammo or listening to them I can tell you who are the reloaders and who aren't. It is easy to pick out the guys that are spending hours on the "small stuff," and they are the reloaders that are hooked for life.
If you are looking for good ... really good used reloading equipment - talk to the guys that talk about reloading only in terms of saving money, put a "value on their time," and talk pennies rather than brands. Develop a friendship with the guys at the gun shop, and contact the shopper that only cares about the price of a component rather than the brand. Serious reloaders will have a set list that they work from. Any shopping is done on those items and nothing else.
I bought my MEC 9000 from a guy who said he had run 10,000 rounds through it. I doubted it, because it looked like brand new. My first night of using it I ran over a thousand rounds through it, and at 150 I had put more wear on the paint than he had. The reason he was selling it - He started shooting trap and always bought AA. He went to reloading to save money, but he found that he could buy cheap aluminum based crap for the same money as reloading, and as a "business professional" his time as worth too much to spend at the press. Not a true relaoder, but that is my gain ;D
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All reloaders are anal. It is part of the activity. Attention to detail, record keeping, measurements, results, etc. all need to be watched very carefully. If person isn't somewhat anal they can never be a good reloader. And once a meticulous person begins reloading they become anal.
I'm gradually growing out of my OCD tendencies. Attention to detail....yes. Do I care anymore whether there's 49 or 50 rounds in the box......no. In fact, I don't even have any ammo boxes for 9mm. I just load until I run out of components and put the rounds in a Zip-Loc bag, with a 3x5 card detailing the particulars. I keep a log of loads, velocities and groups, but I'm becoming less obsessive about it all.
Serious reloaders will have a set list that they work from. Any shopping is done on those items and nothing else.
I wonder if this is more related to old-age. I tend to find a brand and stick with it these days, be it clothes, shoes, shaving cream, or food. But you're right, I have definite components and don't even look at others. I also quite buying the "deal du jour" in .22LR. I've found what works best in my .22s and that's all I buy anymore.
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A easy way to get rid of the steal and brass plated steal cases is a pick up magnet sold at hardware stores to pick up nails from the ground.
I have mine attached to the lid of my vibratory case cleaner. its not missed one yet, but even if it did I alway inspect/sort the brass as step 2. So I would find it then.
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A easy way to get rid of the steal and brass plated steal cases is a pick up magnet sold at hardware stores to pick up nails from the ground.
I have mine attached to the lid of my vibratory case cleaner. its not missed one yet, but even if it did I alway inspect/sort the brass as step 2. So I would find it then.
I had never seen an S&B brass coated steel case until last night. I recovered one of my super magnets from a disk drive and plunged it into the latest batch of brass. "KLUNK". It looks like brass. Can't resize it, or it'll get stuck in the press. Never saw one before.
I had already hand-picked the regular steel junk out, but I'll definitely do the magnet test in the future. I'll give thought to mounting it in the lid of my vibrator, too.
Thanks, TAB
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The range where I RSO has buckets full of brass for sale. Can't get rid of it around here, so we boxed some up in a medium sized Priority Mail box (flat rate ;) ) and we're going to put it on eBay. We even dropped the price to $5 per 100 for .45ACP, 9mm, etc. Amazing how many people around here do not reload. Even the guy shooting the FN 5.7. I now have soooo much of every caliber I need.
We also recycle buckets of .22, .25 Takarev, Wolf, Blazer, etc.
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Ahhhhh if that was only .38 Super.
Richard
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The range where I RSO has buckets full of brass for sale. Can't get rid of it around here, so we boxed some up in a medium sized Priority Mail box (flat rate ;) ) and we're going to put it on eBay. We even dropped the price to $5 per 100 for .45ACP, 9mm, etc. Amazing how many people around here do not reload. Even the guy shooting the FN 5.7. I now have soooo much of every caliber I need.
We also recycle buckets of .22, .25 Takarev, Wolf, Blazer, etc.
If I were you I'd take that to a scarp yard. Brass is ~$2/lb It adds up quick. I took 4 brute cans full of copper cut offs and removed copper pipe and walked away with almost $7k THis was a few years ago when the price of copper went nuts, but still thats alot of "found cash"
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The range where I RSO has buckets full of brass for sale. Can't get rid of it around here, so we boxed some up in a medium sized Priority Mail box (flat rate ;) ) and we're going to put it on eBay. We even dropped the price to $5 per 100 for .45ACP, 9mm, etc. Amazing how many people around here do not reload. Even the guy shooting the FN 5.7. I now have soooo much of every caliber I need.
We also recycle buckets of .22, .25 Takarev, Wolf, Blazer, etc.
Remind me of this next time I'm up there!
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Remind me of this next time I'm up there!
Just call me the Fixer, I can fix you up with whatever you need! ;) ;D
And try calling me sooner than an hour after you get here!!!!!! >:( ::) ???
;D
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Just call me the Fixer, I can fix you up with whatever you need! ;) ;D
And try calling me sooner than an hour after you get here!!!!!! >:( ::) ???
;D
257 weatherby mag?????
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I have 200 rounds of 45colt I bought as new empty brass during the Clinton years. They have been loaded 6 or 7 times each and are still in great shape.
Range rules where I shoot are any brass that is left behind is fair pickings for anyone wanting it, I have collected hundreds of 9mm, .40S&W and .45acp empty brass. Scrounging range brass can be an addiction, be careful because if you pick it up you will want to reload it.
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257 weatherby mag?????
Um, no, sorry, it is a pistol range only. Possibly at the outdoor ranges, but they're under a foot of snow at the moment.
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.........., be careful because if you pick it up you will want to reload it.
I've found out I'm not the only one who's done this. Collected brass for a caliber of which I don't own a gun. Actually reload some of it, then tell the wife that I HAVE to go buy that gun cause I have all this ammo loaded.
Works for me.
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A guy I shoot matches with says he's been saving the old used primers that come out of his Dillon 550. There is a scrap yard not too far from his house that gives him brass scrap prices for them.
Man...oh....man!
If there was a way I could quickly/efficiently seperate .22LR brass cases from gravel....I'd be rich.
;D
Oh, okay, maybe not rich, but at least I could pay for my gas to the range and back.
As far as bad pistol brass goes, I can usually hear it when it has split. He sounds more tin-ey.
I use these to seperate the different calibers. It goes quickly:
(http://www.fast-autos.net/diecast-cars-models/diecast-car-image-large/introducing-the-shell-sorter-sorts-mixed-range-brass_250412913697.jpg)
They also make a metal plate that has even smaller slots that seperates the .380's from the 9mm's.
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I use these to separate the different calibers. It goes quickly:
(http://www.fast-autos.net/diecast-cars-models/diecast-car-image-large/introducing-the-shell-sorter-sorts-mixed-range-brass_250412913697.jpg)
They also make a metal plate that has even smaller slots that separates the .380's from the 9mm's.
Found them at MidwayUSA. $38 tough. I might continue to hand sort for that price.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=847836 (http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=847836)
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I have at least one 5 gallon bucket dedicated to clean/tumbled 9mm, .40, and .45 brass. Then there is at least one other bucket that is dirty mixed brass.
IIRC, a bucket full of brass weighs about 80 pounds.
Yeah, I kinda balked at the price of the shell sorters originally too, but my time has got to be work something, dontchya know?
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I have at least one 5 gallon bucket dedicated to clean/tumbled 9mm, .40, and .45 brass. Then there is at least one other bucket that is dirty mixed brass.
IIRC, a bucket full of brass weighs about 80 pounds.
Yeah, I kinda balked at the price of the shell sorters originally too, but my time has got to be work something, dontchya know?
Your employer thinks so, and he pays people to figure that stuff out. ;)
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whoops!
that should say "worth" something instead of "work"
doh!
I have talked to some former bosses and they said that they bill out $60 an hour for my time.
Gee...I wish I could actually take $60 an hour to the bank. :(
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I have at least one 5 gallon bucket dedicated to clean/tumbled 9mm, .40, and .45 brass. Then there is at least one other bucket that is dirty mixed brass.
IIRC, a bucket full of brass weighs about 80 pounds.
Yeah, I kinda balked at the price of the shell sorters originally too, but my time has got to be work something, dontchya know?
Your time is worth what you make with it. Secondly, you have to hand inspect each case anyway, so why not sort by hand? If you can inspect five hundred cases an hour with an average value of a nickel, that is $25.00 for the hour. Just what do you figure your time is worth? I'd take $5.00 an hour if I was playing with shooting stuff any day of the week!
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whoops!
that should say "worth" something instead of "work"
doh!
I have talked to some former bosses and they said that they bill out $60 an hour for my time.
Gee...I wish I could actually take $60 an hour to the bank. :(
Don't we all ;D
But, I was thinking more along the lines of what he pays you. ;D
Seriously, If you are at the reloading bench you are not at work, so that is what your time is worth,
or you could just figure it at minimum wage since you don't have documented training.
Either way, your time has a definite value.
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OK, this is weird. We took packages of 9mm to the gun show, 3 boxes of 1000 selling for $25 each and 3 boxes of 3500 selling for $75 each. Did not sell 1!! Not a damn one!!
We actually had people reaching for their checkbooks until we pointed out these were cases, not loaded rounds (loaded 9mm for 2.5 cents apiece?)
No one at the show who had brass on sale was selling any either. Apparently 9mm is so cheap that people just leave the brass and buy new. Cheap? I paid $52 for 250 Remington at WW the other day (starting to replenish the "stockpile" after the encounter between my son and the Uzi after Christmas). Cheaper than it used to be I suppose, but not what I would call cheap.
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I don't know any thats reloads 9 luger around here. when you buy in bulk there is only a few cents diffrence between reloaded 9 mm and say win white box.
its like $12/50 or $.24 a shot, where its about $.19 to reload it to simlar specs.
Its like $.12 for the bullet, $.04 for the primer and about $.02 in powder ( a little more then 6 grains of unique, will get you to WW preformance) bullets from win are about 110/1000, primers are right 40/1000 1 lb of unique is 15-18, and you get about 1100 rounds out of it. do the math
assuming I can reload 1000 rounds a hour thats only $50 saved. When you add up your time in collecting the brass, sorting it, cleaning it, then finally reloading it. its more like 4 hours.
Honestly for the average hand gun shooter ww will be more then good enough for them in reguards to accuracy.
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its like $12/50 or $.24 a shot, where its about $.19 to reload it to similar specs.
Its like $.12 for the bullet, $.04 for the primer and about $.02 in powder
Honestly for the average hand gun shooter ww will be more then good enough for them in regards to accuracy.
When it's less than $9/50, I've bought a case or two, since that puts it a < $0.18ea. However, one of the other reasons for starting to reload was to get down to the 125 Power Factor. (120 for Shooting Steel) And while I might stock up on factory 9mm, to use for practice and for my carbine. I still want my handloads for competition.
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Thats ture it is a little bit hotter then 125 power factor, but now that you can't make major with 9 mm, every one I knew that reloaded a 9mm now reloads 40 s&w. ;)
40 is actually worth reloading for plinking. as the cost is about $20/50 or about $.40 where as you can reload it for $.26 to dublcate the ww load. thats $140 diffrence per thousand.
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Thats ture it is a little bit hotter then 125 power factor, but now that you can't make major with 9 mm, every one I knew that reloaded a 9mm now reloads 40 s&w. ;)
40 is actually worth reloading for plinking. as the cost is about $20/50 or about $.40 where as you can reload it for $.26 to dublcate the ww load. thats $140 diffrence per thousand.
Actually, if you have a custom made 1911 in 9mm you can hop up your 9mm round to over 165PF. A number of "big boys" do this for unlimited class. Push a 125gr bullet at around 1,370fps. It's hell on the brass.
In IPSC production everyone is classified as "minor" so there's no reason to shoot .40 except in the other classes. I'm not about to get into the equipment game, so I'm dumping my XD40 down the road. Probably for a backup XD9.
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The reason they went to the 40 as min cal to make major was that issue. I know lots of guys that were shooting 38 super and would litterlty destroy the brass with the 1st shot. the guys doing it with 9mm luger were pushing the limits of all but the strongest purpose built guns.
in these parts just about every one shoots limited 10. maybe 5 to 1 to anything else.
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I don't know any thats reloads 9 luger around here. when you buy in bulk there is only a few cents diffrence between reloaded 9 mm and say win white box.
its like $12/50 or $.24 a shot, where its about $.19 to reload it to simlar specs.
Its like $.12 for the bullet, $.04 for the primer and about $.02 in powder ( a little more then 6 grains of unique, will get you to WW preformance) bullets from win are about 110/1000, primers are right 40/1000 1 lb of unique is 15-18, and you get about 1100 rounds out of it. do the math
assuming I can reload 1000 rounds a hour thats only $50 saved. When you add up your time in collecting the brass, sorting it, cleaning it, then finally reloading it. its more like 4 hours.
Honestly for the average hand gun shooter ww will be more then good enough for them in reguards to accuracy.
This is where our country has gone off the rails economically! And, leave it to TAB for fully bring it out in me ::) ::)
I pick up my brass at the range - no extra time because it is required at most ranges, and good manors any day; I inspect and sort while in the easy chair relaxing, but I'll let you charge me an hour for 500; cleaning is a zero, because it takes less than a minute to put in the vibrator and a couple minutes to dump and spin; reloading 500 rounds and boxing (covers inspection of finished product) takes an hour; and purchasing supplies is a zero, because it takes no more time than purchasing complete ammunition. Two hours to go from a pile of dirty brass in a pail to ten boxes of reloads at a savings of $25.00. That is $12.50 per hour! I would take far less than that per hour for doing something tied to my hobby. Actually I pay more than that to participate in the hobby, so why not earn something back from it in my spare time?
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some people enjoy reloading, others don't
I'm one that does not. $50 is not worth it to me. Now a $100 plus is.
I reload for one reason and one reason only. $$$
I have 3 chambers I like to shoot that are rare. 16 ga 257 weatherby mag and 10mm. none of them are cheap or even easy to find in many cases.
so there for I reload.
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Tab, they are shooting 9mm Major out of compensated Glocks! I will add that the chamber is better supported than factory stock but still a Glock.
FWIW
Richard
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not in USPSA, it must be 40 or larger.
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not in USPSA, it must be 40 or larger.
Limited, Limited 10 and Single Stack is limited to .40 for major., but OPEN and REVOLVER minimum for major (and minor) is .38Caliber or 9x19. See Appendix D1-D6 items 4 & 5.
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Well, since I'm using floor sweepings for 9mm I've run into some problems with case bulges.
There are a number of threads on this in THR and other forums, no need to rehash all of them. If you're interested just Google it (or Bing, or Ask, or Yahoo, or DogPile). I'm not convinced it's caused by one particular gun or even design. And I don't care, what causes it, really. I'm not going to pay for 9mm brass and I'm not going to turn down free stuff.
The long and short, if you've never loaded 9mm and are considering it, is that you need to check your cases after resizing. you'll need to resize them as one step then check them in a chamber checker. (or in your guns barrel -- remove from gun first) Then finished the reloading process sans the resizing die. (Oh how I love the LnL, cause it only takes seconds to add/remove dies.)
I bought the ECW chamber checker with 7 chambers from Dillion.
And while this slows down the reloading process, with a progressive it still goes pretty fast. I only have to feed in the cases, the press does the ejecting when they come around to the last station.
Oh and I also discovered that my Lone Wolf 40 to 9mm barrel for my Glock 23 has a "match" chamber. Meaning it's pretty tight on tolerances. Some rounds that might just make it through the chamber checker still won't chamber in that barrel. I corresponded with Wolf and they confirmed that their chambers are NOT "loose". They will however ream them out to match your ammo for $25. Just send them 5 resized shells. I thought that was very cool. I don't shoot the 23 that much to worry about it and when I do it'll probably be factory ammo.
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I love people who leave their brass on the ground at the range. I pick it all up, keep what I need, give my friends what they can use, and take all the leftovers to a recycling center for a few extra bucks. Everybody wins and it kees the range clean.
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Sometimes I feel I'm on the verge of going OCD on collecting my brass.
For years I've tried to keep them in lots of 100 and become very upset when I lose one of them because I either have to replace it with one not in the lot or leave an empty spot in my ammo case!!!!! And if there was any justice in the world, they would all split or stretch on the exact same firing cycle...but NOOOOOO.....
I've tried all kinds of brass catchers, but they just don't do a very good job unless specifically designed for a particular firearm...and most firearms don't have them available.
My last "Flight of Fancy" was to envision using some type of enclosure, like those "shower tents" with a fully attached bottom and set it up at the range and shoot out of it, thus keeping all the brass in the enclosure. Then you just fold it up and take it all home.
Common Sense has prevented me from implemented that idea....or maybe it was not being able to find a suitable enclosure with an attached floor ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Make one.
A PVC frame with a tent type enclosure.
Open rear, front and left side. full right side
Remember weights on windy days.
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I really needed to have my psychosis encouraged....
It would have to be completely enclosed. They would bounce out, ricochet off the PVC supports, some firearms eject somewhat forward and some pretty far to the rear and high too. Still would have to have a bottom. Left side would have to have two overlapping partial covers...maybe 3/4 with the inside being unattached at the bottom but long. Only the front would have a small opening for shooting and sighting through.
See what you did!!!
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Be enclosed will lower the noise signature some what as well.
Did you REALLY expect any of us to say, "Oh, thats a terrible idea" ?
Have you looked at those collapsible Bob Houses for Ice fishing ?
Get one of those and cut a hole in the back .
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20 years ago at the first club/range that I was a member of, there was an older gentleman that came out every Saturday afternoon and used the far end shooting position (we left it for him anyway). First order of business for him was to spread a king-sized bed sheet on the ground (with the majority of the sheet to his right side). If it was windy, he had four bricks in his trunk to hold the corners. At the end of his session, 99% of the brass was on the sheet, so he just gathered the corners, picked it all up in the sheet, and dropped it into a bucket....... still in the sheet.
I have done the same thing at home, shooting handguns and also for shotgun shells when shooting skeet.
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I still scrounge for brass when it is avaliable. But I also look for Internet deals. I just bought 2,500 rounds of .223 / 5.56 MM from Brassman Brass out of Las Vegas for only $90.00 including shipping USPS. It was all once fired, but range pick up brass that was dirty. Mel ran it through the dishwasher in zippered mesh bags we use to wash our shotgun hulls in. They came out clean as a whistle. I'll process them later on before reloading them. Bill T.
(http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/billt460/BucketOf223001.jpg)
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wait, your wife actually ran something thru the dishwasher?
around these parts I have to wait til shes gone before I can do that.
Pretty much every women I've ever met would kill if stuff was ran thru the dishwasher other then dishes.
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When we shot trap we washed all our hulls in the dishwasher. Usually around 400 a week. They come out spotless, and you don't gunk up your crimping die. Washing brass before resizing allows the expander plug to pass through much easier. Bill T.
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The dish washer works great on motor parts too... ;)
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For about 10pounds of mixed brass, one of the outdoor ranges I visit will let me shoot free for the day.
And I hit a small jackpot this week. Somebody left 20 rounds of 45LC. I bet they were tying out a Taurus Judge. Now if I can just get them to leave me the other 30 rounds. ;)
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And I hit a small jackpot this week. Somebody left 20 rounds of 45LC. I bet they were tying out a Taurus Judge. Now if I can just get them to leave me the other 30 rounds. ;)
I had something like that happen last year. I just got to the range and a bunch of cops were finishing up shooting their AR's. They were shooting Federal XM-193 Factory Ball, and left about 300 rounds laying everywhere. I picked up every case after they left. I'm still shooting that brass. Bill T.
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I use these to seperate the different calibers. It goes quickly:
(http://www.fast-autos.net/diecast-cars-models/diecast-car-image-large/introducing-the-shell-sorter-sorts-mixed-range-brass_250412913697.jpg)
They also make a metal plate that has even smaller slots that seperates the .380's from the 9mm's.
I picked up a set from Midway this week for $30 +shipping. But they don't/aren't designed to solve the 9mm-in-40 problem though. They do a very good job and I recommend them.
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I picked up a set from Midway this week for $30 +shipping. But they don't/aren't designed to solve the 9mm-in-40 problem though. They do a very good job and I recommend them.
I like the bowls but haven't bought them yet. Still enjoy hand sorting on my bench. The 9mm-inside-.40 and the .40-inside-.45 just requires a lot of vigorous shaking, it would seem to me.
Separating .380 from 9mm is tricky. The case is smaller as well as shorter but not by much.
The one I gave up on, is separating 9x18 from 9mm (9x19). Most 9mm guns are sloppy enough they'll shoot 9x18 with difficulty. At least my Glock and XD seem to, so I quit trying to check all the case heads and just load the 9x18 as though they're 9mm.
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I got a few thousand rounds of picked up .40 brass that I would like to trade for 9mm brass. Check the classifieds.
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I like the bowls but haven't bought them yet. Still enjoy hand sorting on my bench. The 9mm-inside-.40 and the .40-inside-.45 just requires a lot of vigorous shaking, it would seem to me.
Separating .380 from 9mm is tricky. The case is smaller as well as shorter but not by much.
The one I gave up on, is separating 9x18 from 9mm (9x19). Most 9mm guns are sloppy enough they'll shoot 9x18 with difficulty. At least my Glock and XD seem to, so I quit trying to check all the case heads and just load the 9x18 as though they're 9mm.
When iI seperate my range brass i sort them by caliber and stack them together on my bench. after they are all sorted I just look at them,,carefully, looking for differences in hight. Even then I still ocasionallly miss one. This only takes 5-10 minutes with a 1 qt plastic baggie full of brass.
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When iI seperate my range brass i sort them by caliber and stack them together on my bench. after they are all sorted I just look at them,,carefully, looking for differences in hight. Even then I still ocasionallly miss one. This only takes 5-10 minutes with a 1 qt plastic baggie full of brass.
Nice process. If you put a known tall case of the batch at one end and another at the other end, you can lay a flat edge on those two and easily spot any that are shorter.
Like the .380 and 9mm. 9mm at each end and any short ones between can be spotted.
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I, too stand all of them up after sorting. Part of the reason is looking for cracked cases and of course the other is to sort out the ones that don't belong. I also run a magnet over the cases to catch any of the S&B brass-over-steel stuff.
I don't have any trouble spotting the .380s amongst the 9mm. Even if you don't catch them when sorting, it's obvious when you re-size them, cause .380 is a little smaller diameter. It's the 9x18s that are difficult to pick out, which as I said doesn't matter unless you really need the 9x18 cases for your Tokarev.
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Hi;
I use to go to 2 different ranges twice a week minimum for brass, however due to the bad economy there are people coming out of the woodwork to the ranges for brass. I use to get 50-70 casings of different calibers as a minimum every visit/range. I even had it worked out as to how many casings I needed to get vs the cost of gas to get to and from and if it was worth it.
lately, I just go to shoot and take my brass back. I am fortunate that I have most of the quantity in most calibers that I want. Now I try to "specialize" in certain calibers and manufactures and trade off excess/unwanted for the type/caliber I want/need.
As soon as this economy gets back to pre '08, I expect to be "swimming back in brass". At 1 of the ranges is a young kid whose unemployment ran out and the only income is brass at the ranges. He even digs into the backstops for anything there. It's hard to take brass away when someone else really depends on it.