So any tips or ideas? How do you sort bulk used brass? Im talking a bag or bucket of various calibers... That may be fairly easy as the size of the brass should be evident and help woth the sorting. Some calibers are very similar in size though and could easily be confused while trying to sort into seperate piles or containers.

After that step, the real PIA starts. How to sort by head stamps... with aging eyes... theres got to be a better way than one by one under a magnifying glass!!???

 

 

I have a set of these. https://www.amazon.com/Shell-Sorter-380ACP-3pc-set/dp/B00BFN5TTI

They work pretty well. There is an additional insert you can get to separate .380 from 9mm if you need it. .38 Special is caught by the rim in the .40 tray.

What sort of shooting are you reloading for? If you are just making general pistol ammo there's not much need to sort headstamps. On the other hand it can make enough of a difference if you are reloading for the most precision you can attain.

18 minutes ago, eyeinstine said:

So any tips or ideas? How do you sort bulk used brass? Im talking a bag or bucket of various calibers... That may be fairly easy as the size of the brass should be evident and help woth the sorting. Some calibers are very similar in size though and could easily be confused while trying to sort into seperate piles or containers.

After that step, the real PIA starts. How to sort by head stamps... with aging eyes... theres got to be a better way than one by one under a magnifying glass!!???

I don't have a good answer.  I mostly try to pick up only my own brass, which limits (but doesn't eliminate) mixing of calibers in what I bring home.    There are a few commercial solutions out there (Google hits for brass sorting) but I've no experience with any of them.  I'll be curious to hear if anyone has a strong recommendation.

And yes, sorting by head stamp really sucks, especially with 5.56/223, or 9 mm if you are trying to get rid of the military brass with crimped-in primers.     

What sucks even more is finding and destroying the *#&!#* small primer .45 brass that finds its' way into your .45 brass supply.

for reading head stamps myself I either use my headband magnifier ...

https://www.amazon.com/ProsKit-MA-016-Personal-Headband-Magnifying/dp/B01ENBCE82/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2LBKUJ286U4JR&dchild=1&keywords=magnifying+headset+with+led+light&qid=1588878734&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=magnifiying+head%2Csporting%2C131&sr=1-6

or more often i use my bench light magnifier which this is not the one i have but its close:

https://www.amazon.com/Neatfi-Bifocals-abrazadera-dioptrías-16-00watts/dp/B07L9JTNVZ/ref=sr_1_13_sspa?crid=30CYNOJDXKAK2&dchild=1&keywords=bench+magnifying+glass+with+light&qid=1588878791&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=bench+light+mag%2Csporting%2C139&sr=1-13-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFZTkVETVVQN1dEQVEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMDY4ODczUERFMU1HSkpGQVc0JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwODc1NDAzU1FGNjdSUlA0VDk0JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

23 minutes ago, Mr.Stu said:

I have a set of these. https://www.amazon.com/Shell-Sorter-380ACP-3pc-set/dp/B00BFN5TTI

They work pretty well. There is an additional insert you can get to separate .380 from 9mm if you need it. .38 Special is caught by the rim in the .40 tray.

What sort of shooting are you reloading for? If you are just making general pistol ammo there's not much need to sort headstamps. On the other hand it can make enough of a difference if you are reloading for the most precision you can attain.

I have the same sorting system saves alotta time. It isnt perfect, such as some calibers congregate with similar calibers 44's 38's ect...

But it doesnt take long to figure out the best way to do it. Much better than one atta time.

1 hour ago, Bagarocks said:

I have the same sorting system saves alotta time. It isnt perfect, such as some calibers congregate with similar calibers 44's 38's ect...

But it doesnt take long to figure out the best way to do it. Much better than one atta time.

I have heard good things about these also.

I use the same trays as Mr. Stu and Bagarocks. Best solution I've found. Esp the extra tray for separating .380 from 9mm

Hardest thing to overcome is the nested brass (9 inside 40, 40 inside 45)

As for the SPP v LPP .45acp brass, I visually check the .45s and bag them separately to avoid the aggravation down the line.

Well no chit; here i thought i was asking a kinda dumb question, but there really are good answers to the problem! Never seen those brass sifters before. Great concept, but sure are pricey for something akin to plastic collander or spaghetti strainer! 

 

7 minutes ago, eyeinstine said:

Well no chit; here i thought i was asking a kinda dumb question, but there really are good answers to the problem! Never seen those brass sifters before. Great concept, but sure are pricey for something akin to plastic collander or spaghetti strainer! 

 

Shoot a match and sort a half of a bucket full by hand — you’ll find out they aren’t that pricey

 

No need to sort pistol brass by headstamp — precision rifle stuff sure but not pistol

 

 

The trays are worth the coin

1 hour ago, Zeke said:

The trays are worth the coin

Agreed, even though the prices of these have gone up considerably from when I bought my set, plus the .380 plate, from Midway about 6 or 7 years ago.

But as a brass whore who reloads, they are certainly worth it for sorting your range pickups.

The first step, at the range, is to collect your pickups in a mesh "delicates" laundry bag. Shake out all the sand first, leaving it at the range instead of taking it home. At home, I use an empty 2.5 gal bucket from cat litter, with the 3 sifter trays set in the top. You can't just dump loads of brass into the stacked trays, you need to pour into the yellow (45) and pick it up from the blue (40/38), which is in the black (223/9/380), and shake it to let the smaller brass fall through. Once all you have left in the yellow is 45, empty them into another container and continue with the raw brass. Then remove the yellow and insert the aluminum 9/380 tray into it. Set it aside until you're down to the black tray.

Agitate the blue tray until the smaller stuff all falls through. Note that 38/357 will go case mouth down through the slots in the blue, so you'll have to pick them out to clear the slots for the 223/9/380 to go through. When all you have left in the blue is 40, empty them into another container.

With the black filled with 223/9/380, hand pick out all the 223, remove the black from the bucket mouth, empty the garbage in the bucket into the trash (or another container if you want to pick out all the 22 rimfire for your scrap brass collection) and put the yellow (with the 9/380 tray inserted) in the bucket. Pour the contents of the black into the yellow. The 9 will stay in the black while the 380 will fall into the emptied bucket.

Voila, all your spent brass is sorted in no time at all! No muss, no fuss. Easy peazy.

As @heavyopp has said...sorting pistol brass by head stamp and weight is a waste of time.

40 minutes ago, USRifle30Cal said:

As @heavyopp has said...sorting pistol brass by head stamp and weight is a waste of time.

Yea but they sure look nice all lined up when I open da box! 

55 minutes ago, USRifle30Cal said:

As @heavyopp has said...sorting pistol brass by head stamp and weight is a waste of time.

The only time it makes sense to sort pistol brass by headstamp is when you will be shooting at a range that does not allow reloads. So you make a box or two of reloads that are identical to the factory rounds that came in the box that you saved, with the same headstamp brass.

Not that any of us would do that. 

57 minutes ago, njJoniGuy said:

The only time it makes sense to sort pistol brass by headstamp is when you will be shooting at a range that does not allow reloads. So you make a box or two of reloads that are identical to the factory rounds that came in the box that you saved, with the same headstamp brass.

Not that any of us would do that. 

Well there you go !!!!!!   Never thought of that...and excellent point...

My reloads are better than factory...any range that doesn't allow reloads i wouldn't shoot at...

1 hour ago, USRifle30Cal said:

Well there you go !!!!!!   Never thought of that...and excellent point...

My reloads are better than factory...any range that doesn't allow reloads i wouldn't shoot at...

I feel like that's most indoor ranges. Though no one has ever checked my headstamps before.

4 hours ago, njJoniGuy said:

The only time it makes sense to sort pistol brass by headstamp is when you will be shooting at a range that does not allow reloads. So you make a box or two of reloads that are identical to the factory rounds that came in the box that you saved, with the same headstamp brass.

Not that any of us would do that. 

I always have extra empty 50 round factory packaging around, so if I'm going to a public range I put my ammo in those.  As long as they see the factory boxes they don't even ask if it's reloads.

I had one RO look at me funny when he saw the red tips on the coated ammo I was using, but once it clicked he just threw down a mat for me so it would be easier for me to grab my brass.

On 5/8/2020 at 9:00 AM, Greenday said:

I feel like that's most indoor ranges. Though no one has ever checked my headstamps before.

Put your reloads in factory boxes.  

Join GFH ...where you dont have to worry about these things.

The only issue I've encountered with reloads at public ranges were usually smoke related. Moly heads and titegroup produce a lot of smoke. Same for lead and clays. Other than that no issue. I bring my reloads in shave kit bags.

10 hours ago, ronhonda said:

The only issue I've encountered with reloads at public ranges were usually smoke related. Moly heads and titegroup produce a lot of smoke. Same for lead and clays. Other than that no issue. I bring my reloads in shave kit bags.

The poly coated bullets and Titegroup (or Win231) are a dead giveaway!!!!!

After several thousand poly coated bullets I've switched back to copper plated.  Too many smart-ass comments from guys at my club and too many complaints from my kids about the smoke.

15 minutes ago, 124gr9mm said:

After several thousand poly coated bullets I've switched back to copper plated.  Too many smart-ass comments from guys at my club and too many complaints from my kids about the smoke.

Hmmm...I do recall asking someone at a Riverdale plate match what powder they were using.   FFg or FFFg?

Just now, 10X said:

Hmmm...I do recall asking someone at a Riverdale plate match what powder they were using.   FFg or FFFg?

LOL!!!

At least you were nice about it.

Joe told me to shoot from the parking lot if I was going to keep smoking the place out!

On 6/3/2020 at 9:35 PM, Ray Ray said:

Put your reloads in factory boxes.  

Yea, I used to do that. I like the way American Eagle rounds are loaded in each box for .223 and 6.5CM. But I'm at the point I just bring it in a 100 round ammo box and my range doesn't ask questions.