Down by the dry wash, sifting sand…
Even little kids laugh at Silly Man…
Down by the dry wash, sifting sand.
While shooting this morning I was suddenly reminded that Ian had left almost 1000 9mm cases in the sand at the range, almost two weeks ago.
Two weeks of heavy wind and light rain. So most of those cases were covered with sand which then crusted over.
I really don’t have a good way of finding and picking up all those cases. I could argue that I really don’t have a good reason for finding and picking up all those cases. I don’t even own a 9mm.
On the other hand I have gotten back into reloading, at pretty much exactly the same historical moment that 9mm has disappeared from the shelves. So if I or a neighbor were to get a 9mm, a supply of cases would be desirable. Right?
Unfortunately this turned into one of those chores – chores that always remind me of jobs foisted on me when I was a bored, impatient teenager, that never seem done: Every time you think you’re wrapping it up, you turn over one more rock or hoe one more weed or scrape the paint or drag the rake “one last time” and find out you’ve barely begun. There’s always more, and you have to keep going.
After about an hour in the sun, 66-year-old Joel told his inner guilt-driven teenager to stuff a sock in it.
So I didn’t get anywhere near 1000 cases – but I got quite a few. And being prepared for that means it’s most likely I’ll never have a need for them. 🙂
Brass picker-uppers . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUdy040L5aY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_9yAEPVk8A
🙂
Oh, Kentucky, I don’t believe for a moment one of those things wouldn’t pick up more pebbles than brass. They don’t look like they’re designed for soft sand.
You need a big ass kitty litter scooper……………
You need some hardware cloth with holes smaller than 9mm casing diameter. Make a 2’x2′ shaker screen using waste 2×4 and the hardware cloth. Shovel, shake, sort.
I am really surprised you didn’t have this already. And I was wondering after watching Ian casually dispose of 150 9mm rounds out of the Callico.
Another thing you can make is something like a sand flea rake. Basically a ‘rake’ with a screen basket (holes, again, smaller than your target, 9mm casings) that you scoop out a section of sand, lift, shake, dump results into a bucket or box, continue down the line, scoop, shake, dump, continue.
And then do the sorting of buckets/boxes in the shade in the afternoon when you are chilling.
Something joelishly made to look like… this: https://www.amazon.com/Exact-Design-Anodized-Aluminum-16-Inches/dp/B07XTPKMPS
Well, I have a few more available resources than you, but I slap an inverter on my tractor, plug in my shop-vac, & ‘judiciously’ vac up cases from my range (other folks use it, so’s there’s mucho brasso). The sifting through 1/4” hardware cloth, in the shade of the garage (with beer), is a pleasant chore.
Yeah, those brass picker uppers don’t work for crap unless you have a firm, flat surface.
Better to have it & not need it…
I have 2 – but this is the first time I tried to use them on 9mm and the mesh is too big.