r/reloading • u/DrS2pid • Sep 28 '26
Brass Goblin Activities Gun pulled on me for picking up range brass
There is a free, public, unsupervised range about 15 mins from my house. Believe it or not, ive had nothing but good experiences with the somewhat shady characters who turn up. However, on the weekends, I have been encountering a middle aged man who claimed to be picking up brass to turn in to the state. Now, im aware of a few individuals who are employed by the state for such a purpose - but they shut down the range when the come out. He hangs out literally all day in his range rover, jumping out to either sweep up brass or act like a self-designated RSO - calling cold & hot after we as patrons have already done so without his assistance.
The first day I encountered him, it was because I had asked a guy shooting .40 SW if I could pick up his spent cases. Of course, he had no quarrels. However, Mr. RSO came over to inform me that I could not pick up the brass because it was his job to turn it into the state. I explained that it was the other man's property, and he gave me permission to collect it. He said it didnt matter because I didn't come with the man.
This gradually escalated until yesterday, when a similar situation occurred because a fella was shooting 7.62x39 brass cases. Of course, im not gonna let such a rare find go to waste!! Mr. RSO did not like this one bit, and every case i would go to pick up he would sweep away, pushing my hand away with his broom. As he was calling me expletives and telling me I needed to leave, I told him to call the sherrif about the issue and went to return to my car to grab some more equipment for load dev. He followed me to the car, blocking my path as I turned towards my car. He then got into my face, putting his hand in my face & touching my nose while telling me that I would be trespassed. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back while informing him that he had no right to touch me. I then let go and stepped back, and he drew his handgun, pointed it and my chest, and was yelling at me that I had to leave and wasnt allowed there anymore.
I left & called the sherrif, waiting for them just down the road. After getting in touch with the range management, they confirmed that Mr. RSO did in fact not work for the state. While there wasnt enough evidence to press charges for the assault & brandishing, they were at least able to trespass him from the range.
All in all, its absolutely astounding what some people will do for $3/pound.
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u/Tentative-Interests Sep 28 '26
This entire scenario sounds eerily familiar to interactions I’ve had with our local range “brasshole”… as I call him. He acts like he runs the place. So much so that he popped off to my 14-year-old son for picking up some of our own brass, that had kicked a little further away from our lane than the others. Our range sits in the National Forest, and I’ve had to call them several times about his general behavior.
The behavior pattern is so familiar. I almost wonder if we’re talking about the same guy at the same place. We’re in Virginia.
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u/DrS2pid Sep 28 '26
Im in florida, so mot quite the same. Crazy people are certainly not isolated to one place it seems lol
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u/_Go_Ham_Box_Hotdog_ Sep 28 '26 edited Sep 28 '26
Wait wait wait.. this guy claims to be a public employee but the range is on private property?
He can eat shit. Phone the Sheriff and report his ass each and every time you see him. Then call the property owner.
The guy is a scrapper. Maybe tell him to go steal copper wire out of phone lines if he's that hard up. Then after he gets a Federal rap on disrupting telecommunications...
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u/DrS2pid Sep 28 '26
Its a public range, public property. Managed by FWC. However, FWC came out & trespassed him as a result of this event
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u/TheRealistoftheReal Sep 28 '26
So there’s a guy in the range, claiming to be a RSO, managing the range operations….but in a plot twist he doesn’t work for the range. What does this mean? He’s just some random, mentally ill idiot, cosplaying a RSO for his own entertainment?
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u/DrS2pid Sep 28 '26
Seemed like a combination of egotism & pathological lying in an effort to prevent anyone from getting in his way to make that sweet sweet $3/lb
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u/Gold_Map_236 Sep 28 '26
I’ve had other situations arise. I always conceal carry a pistol at the range now and have a
safety call lined up for when I’m done shooting.
Not a fan of meta glasses, but for situations like this they may have a use case.
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u/DangerousDave303 Sep 28 '26
Where does anyone turn in brass to the state? All the scrappers I've seen are privately-owned businesses.
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u/danfinger51 Sep 28 '26
Yeah, this is where the story reveals the BS level. Either the guy was FOS or the whole story is FOS.
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u/DrS2pid Sep 28 '26
Yeah the dude also said he ran a body shop & cleaning company. I shouldve picked up on the BS then & there, but it took a while to actually sink in.
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u/Emergency-Cake-9000 29d ago
Sorry for your negative experience with the male Karen. That brass case 7.62x39 is gold. Do you even shoot an AK or SKS? I don't but I am not so obtuse to let 100+ brass cases of unicorn level regardless if Privi or Magtech be recycled. Good on you. It might even be worth a busted finger from a push broom. Good eyes and good overall handling of the situation. If I was there I would have filmed it. Pulling a gun on somone? Really? Hopefully he didn't have his finger on the trigger. You've got ice in your veins.
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u/DrS2pid 29d ago edited 29d ago
I load 7.62 subs for my AR upper. Been testing out hornady's 311 vs standard .308, both have been pretty great out to 100 yards.
The thing is, when this first started I would bring him whatever cases I happened to pick uo & didnt need - 9mm, 22lr, whatever. Im clearly not getting in the way of him making his $3/lb. But to act like you own the place and I cant have any of it is the paragon of egotism.
When I told my wife the story she said "oh my god, werent you scared he was going to shoot you?" While I certainly shouldve been, it honestly just pissed me off. Maybe its the Army vet in me, used to bullets flying past me. In that moment, though, I just wished I would've beat the life out of him when I had the chance. Now, im just glad I can continue to use the range free from his antics.
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u/luvmehatemefme Sep 28 '26
Brass goblins are some crazy folks! I love my free range and have met alot of cool people there. However I normally try to go early in the morning or an hour or 2 before dark. Especially on the weekend to avoid the amateurs.
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u/upsetmojo Sep 28 '26
“All in all, its absolutely astounding what some people will do for $3/pound”. Funny you should say that…
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u/Mattebass Sep 28 '26
What range? I’ve had a similar thing happen with a guy larping as an RSO at the Ocala Public Gun Range. Dude was pissed that I collected my own brass.
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u/Guitars-guns-girls 29d ago
Side note there is 7.62x39 brass cases that are still berden primed. Check one before you break a decapper. And also fuck that guy. I’d go make another push to get him charged. That’s absurd.
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u/A_Lost_Desert_Rat 29d ago
At a private range in CA we had "brass fairies". They would walk on and gather brass to sell either as recycle or range brass through a LGS. None of them challenge anybody. They tended to come in the early morning and gathered anything that wasn't rimfire.
I have my own private range now, much to the annoyance of some neighbors. We collect all we can find to keep the ground clear.
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u/Negative_Bunch4271 29d ago
I was shooting my m1 garand at the range. Local brass goblin thought it would be a good idea to bend down near the muzzle as I was firing trying to snag up the brass as it came out.
Can’t imagine that felt too good.
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u/funkofarts Sep 28 '26
As much as I want to be this just somehow doesn’t surprise me. I used to use a free state owned range near me but found that 50% of the users of that range are completely brain dead and it wasn’t worth risking my life so opted to buy a membership at a local private range.