Project Appleseed

Hey guys, still a bit of a noob here. But I was wondering how everyone avoids getting burned with hot casings? I got burned pretty bad at the Appleseed I went to, once right above my rear end, and a couple of times on my arms. A majority of the casings were from the shooter to the left of me, but there's nothing him or I could really do about it.
I'm down in here in hot and humid Florida, so wearing a long sleeve shirt is something I don't wish to do unless I have to, I was looking at those "combat shirts" that some troops wear overseas, but I would get it in an OD green or other subdued color; maybe that would protect my skin but not cook me in the heat?
Sorry if this question has been discussed before, I did a search and didn't see anything. The wife saw the burn on my back and made me promise to try not to get burned again. Thanks!

Long sleeve shirt, tucked in and buttoned up is the way to go.

I like long sleeves even in the heat, it keeps the sun off of me.  Although I'm not sure how to factor in humidity since we do not experience that problem here.

The range we use a lot has wooden stools people use when they shoot from the bench. One inventive shooter this past weekend put one dress right dress with the ejection port of his AR to shield the guy to his right. Also, being in Alaska we usually are wearing hoodies which can shield the neck. Perhaps a wide brimmed hat may be of use in deflecting that "hole in one" down the neck shot? Or a cloth worn on the neck in the style of the legionnaires' kepi? hot brass make good hand warmers on chilly mornings

Quote from: Sonofamarksman on November 03, 2014, 11:43:31 PM
Hey guys, still a bit of a noob here. But I was wondering how everyone avoids getting burned with hot casings? I got burned pretty bad at the Appleseed I went to, once right above my rear end, and a couple of times on my arms. A majority of the casings were from the shooter to the left of me, but there's nothing him or I could really do about it.
I'm down in here in hot and humid Florida, so wearing a long sleeve shirt is something I don't wish to do unless I have to, I was looking at those "combat shirts" that some troops wear overseas, but I would get it in an OD green or other subdued color; maybe that would protect my skin but not cook me in the heat?
Sorry if this question has been discussed before, I did a search and didn't see anything. The wife saw the burn on my back and made me promise to try not to get burned again. Thanks!

Don't make that promise!  If you are going to shoot enough to be proficient, you will either have to shoot by yourself or find a way to ALWAYS have the far-left position on the line.

One of those long-sleeve fishing shirts might work.  They are well-ventilated, light-weight, and fairly inexpensive.

Yet another answer from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - never be without your towel!  If you don't have a stool or anything handy to drape it over as a makeshift brass deflector, you can at least wear it like a cape to protect bare skin on neck and left arm.  When shooting in the sun, during cease-fire periods the towel can be used to cover your rifle forward of the ejection port to keep it from getting too hot from the sun to touch.  One of the SBs in Arizona routinely brings extras for folks who didn't bring their own.

On the other hand, developing a tolerance for searing hot brass is a good "Rifleman's Bubble" victory, and chicks dig scars.   

Keep your shirt tucked in or wear one long enough to cover your backside. Drink more water. 

I am building one of theses style brass catchers for my next shoot.

Two schools of thought sir.

As an RO of a public line - we use screens made of plastic mesh mounted on a stand.

As a Rifleman, I see hot brass as an opportunity. Humans require adversity in order to achieve their full potential. Adversity breeds character. Hot brass affords the Rifleman an opp to learn focus - not to mention a temporary mark for show and tell on Monday morning. 

As you move down the path, it is entirely likely that you will find hot brass less of a bother - it simply ceases to exist until later, when you notice the mark for the first time. When did I get that? Rifleman's Bubble achieved. 

Or you could become an instructor and become immunized.   

UL

An AQT is not life or death. If it's going to burn you, grab it and toss it. However, do it following the 4 safety rules.

1. Hold the rifle with the support hand pointing downrange.
2. Let go of rifle with trigger hand, grab the offending chunk of brass with the trigger hand.
3. Throw brass someplace (I once beaned the line boss; not recommended.)
4. Return trigger hand to rifle, recommence string of fire.

Do NOT move the rifle from a safe direction while doing this.

If it falls down your shirt, grab the shirt around the offender and pull away from your body. Don't do the chicken dance.

Thanks for all the replies guys. I only promised I would TRY to not get burned! 
@Big John, I agree 100% on doing it safely, probably why one of the casings burned me good since I had to put the rifle down calmly first.
I think I'm gonna just go with a short sleeve tucked in next time, burns on the arms aren't too bad, it's when they get in the waistline that they suck!
Thanks for the help guys!

Quote from: olefido on November 04, 2014, 10:33:34 AM
I am building one of theses style brass catchers for my next shoot.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Triple-Pop-Open-Sorter-White/26003189

I saw these portable laundry sorter/hamper things at wallyworld that fold down into a tight little 8" circle that slips easily into a range bag, but pops open into a 28"x16" free-standing mesh bag "brass-catcher."  When at the range by myself I set it up in the appropriate spot so that I don't have to spend half of each cease-fire period chasing enthusiastically ejected brass, but it could just as easily be used to the left to stop the other guys brass.

Spitfire made me strip down to near nekid during an AQT and "shoot under duress".  He said a real Rifleman can shoot under any circumstances.   











j/k

I can hardly believe that this is an issue. I get peppered with hot brass every Appleseed I attend. Am I the only one that thinks that this is no big deal? If you are dressed properly for a shoot this should not be a problem. SOP when you are doing ball and dummy.

I love the smell of hot brass on flesh in the morning. It reminds me of...Appleseed.

Loren

I used a brass catcher on my AR because I felt bad for the shooter to my right.

For everyone's SA -- this is not an Appleseed-only issue.  For example, NRA Light Rifle requires four feet per firing point, High Power is five feet per.  So the Appleseed Experience is very similar to that faced by competitors at Camp Perry and elsewhere for many decades.

Wearing long sleeve shirts and/or working on the rifleman's bubble are two good options.

I am not wild about the brass catcher idea as an RSO with lots of newer shooters on the line.  As an RSO/line boss I personally like being able to have a direct line of sight to all shooters.  Our local range has little screens set up to catch brass and it makes it hard to supervise everyone properly.  It makes it harder to see muzzle sweeps, and the screens also prevent you from being able to jump in and physically grab a muzzle if needed.  This may just be an issue with the specific implementation/construction at our place, but I am not a fan of anything that obstructs the line boss' line of sight or degrades their situational awareness.

High power firing points are 6 feet wide. Many shooters use brass deflectors or have their ejectors tuned to avoid pummeling people with brass (and to make it easier to recover expensive brass). But HP shooters also wear sweatshirts and long pants in the summer.

For the younger crowd I use a Welders Sleeve that a friend gave me. Especially the new Kidlets who haven't experienced all that we do. Just heat resistant cotton and they breathe well during the hot months. 

A piece of 15" or so high and 36" long cardboard and a couple of stakes makes a portable wall. Works well for the guy next to you. Doesn't work so well for the 7.62x39 rifle 3 guys down from you. As the line boss I have also used the target box to shield a youth shooter.

Mike

The truth is, it's part of the shooting experience.   Shoot enough and you get burned. There are things you can do to minimize the exposure, but nothing to prevent it, short of not shooting.

I have a .308-shaped scar just below my neckline on my back. I was running downrange during a carbine class some years back, and the guy next to me was shooting a Socom .308. The guns were really HOT for all the shooting, and one of his empties dropped down inside my collar. I could hear it sizzle when it hit, but there was nothing I could do -- I had to keep running or my classmates would be in front of my muzzle.  So I ran down the end of the course, and had somebody yank it off.  Came off with skin and hair still attached.

As my wife says, "you have such interesting scars....."

tk 

  Because of (melanoma) skin cancer risks, I end up wearing long sleeves and a bandana handkerchief tucked under the hat I am wearing. Looks rather goofy, but it serves dual purposes. Hot; yes. Uncomfortable,  yes. But it works...

There are lots of lightweight long sleeved shirts meant for fishing in the tropics, and hats too. My wife gave me a long billed hat with a curtain of sorts hanging off the back and although I thought it was a bit goofy looking (think of the new guy in "The Sandlot"),  it served very well for two sunny SC days on the range. I started getting compliments as people started realizing just how much sun they were getting.  And it shed a few 22 cases as well.

Hot casings are part of the sport. However, I do echo your brass-loathing sentiments at times; I still have a lovely .223 "tattoo" on the side of my knee from a couple years ago. That's when I learned to not wear shorts on the firing line...

As others have said, wearing light, long sleeves and light pants will do the trick to protect against brass burns in the summertime (and also raw elbows, sunburns and sling chafing). Tuck in your shirt, wear tall socks, throw on a neck shade and you're set.

If you're desperate (and can't take the feeling of being "pelted"), then placing a physical barrier between you and the offending brass slinger to your left, and affixing a brass catcher to your own rifle in hopes of inspiring others to do the same, should have you 100% covered.

For your arm, save the sleeve off that crappy long sleeve shirt/sweater you were meaning to throw away. Just the sleeve.

For the rest, as it was mentioned before, towel FTW.

At least you are not one of those girls in bikinis on youtube. 

At my last seed I could hear the casings hitting the plastic band on my hearing protection. 

Aware that they could easily slide down into my neckline, I used my Shemagh as a scarf of sorts wrapped over my neck. Since it was cool enough this worked well.  Later, after the seed, in the motel room, some spent brass fell out of my hood on the jacket. Since I was wrapped up, nothing bothered me. The occasional "ping" as the casing bounced off the head set or my hat.... the rest I never even felt.... but by the days end, I was laying in dozens of casings.

If it was too warm to use clothing and scarves for protection......Another option would be to use your camping fold up chair/hunting seat... the smaller ones, and open it. Drape a shemagh or towel over the back and place it directly between you and the incoming hot brass from your left.  Problem solved.

Or... next time select the #1 shooting position to the far left on the range.

I've seen a few companies that make brass catchers and haven't really looked for shields, but I suspect there are a few out there. Search Amazon and type BRASS CATCHER.... between $30 to $60 but you could make something for a whole lot less that will simply shield you.