By Allen Davis, Former Professor of Constitutional Law (2001 – 2015)

Question

Can I keep discharged bullet casings from a gun range? 

Answer

It depends on a couple of things. If you live in a place like New Jersey, probably not. Possession of ammo, or even spent cartridge casings for a caliber of gun you aren’t licensed or permitted to own or possess, you’re committing a felony. Just ask one Pennsylvania school teacher who was pulled over in New Jersey, and had spent .38 Spl. casings in her trunk! Or the guy who was busted with casings for a .22 LR in his car, and the only gun he was licensed to own was a 9mm.

There are some gun ranges, usually the indoor variety from which you rent range time, will have restrictions on keeping spent casings, say, if they’ve hit the floor. Some of those places actually claim ownership of such used casings, even if they’re yours, you brought them in with you as part of loaded ammo, and want to keep them for reloading later!

Spent casings in an airport will make you the center of attention with the TSA folks manning the security points. I know it makes no sense, but they can be awfully anal about such matters.

Cases capable of being reloaded aren’t discarded nearly as much as they once were. They’re too valuable. Even as scrap metal, brass can bring quite a tidy sum from many recycling centers if you bring in a bunch in bulk.

Check local laws concerning possession of ammunition.