Florida Gun Range Recycles Lead

Recycling and being aware of the environment are nothing new to the shooting sports. It's a tradition that goes back to the very beginning of the history of America. From the early pioneers that came to these shores, through the westward expansion, and presently practiced by millions of the shooting sport's participants worldwide, the reuse of lead has always been seen as something one did in the natural course of the sport.

Recycling spent materials, not only makes environmental sense, it is also good economics. Lead is not the only reusable component, brass cases also have a long life in the sport. A good practitioner of the art known as reloading, will reuse everything but the "bang!" What can't safely be used for remaking cartridges, will be received eagerly by the local junk dealer.

Many of the members of the DeSoto Gun Club, located in DeSoto County, west of Arcadia Florida on Highway 72, are also members of DeSoto Citizens Against Pollution, (DCAP). DCAP is a local environmental group that oversees issues that concern pollution in our county. For these, and our other gun club members, keeping a clean environment is a no brainer. Preserving the natural beauty of Florida is paramount to the economy, and life.

DeSoto Gun Club has, as part of the annual dues, a $15 clean up charge. This charge can be avoided by volunteering for clean up work. Most members need little or no prompting to police the area after a session and several are seen at the club daily, cleaning the rest rooms, emptying trash barrels; they have a lot of trash barrels; and sweeping the concrete.

The members often get together in small groups, for an early morning or afternoon detail of collecting spent brass. An excavation of the berm behind the target areas is popular, for the purpose of collecting the lead, while the range is not being used.

When digging for lead, it is no problem working alone, but is more fun and less work, if you have company. Often you will see a rectangular 2x4 frame covered on one side with hardware cloth, hanging up at the firing line, a sifter. Some members often carry these sifters to and from the range in their vehicles. This is the main tool used for excavating lead from the berm. The other piece of equipment is a shovel or entrenching tool.

It is a simple matter of putting a shovel full of earth into the sifter, and shaking it vigorously a few times, to extract the treasure, which can then be melted in a smelter such as the one pictured above, and cast into bullets with a mold.

Just recently, it was reported by the National Rifle Association of America, that our Governor, Jeb Bush, had signed important legislation to protect shooting ranges from frivolous lawsuits by environmentalists, over lead contamination.

My question is, what environmentalists? At DeSoto Gun Club, we are environmentalists, we are the N.R.A.