They might not get excited about it the way they would for a new scope or a new bolt carrier group with permanent dry lubricity, but ask any serious shooter if a brass catcher is a valuable shooting accessory and they will answer in the affirmative. This is even more so the case for shooters that burn through a lot of brass.
Let’s face it. Range rules and environmental consciousness aside, no one is willing to part with brass these days, nor should they be. Ammo shortages are in full force, and promising to extend through the near future. It’s getting to the point where primers, powder and brass are short, too.
So you won’t be wanting to waste that brass, even if you previously left your old shells casings scattered to the wind. A brass catcher will help you with that initiative, and if you’re looking for one right now for the first time, why not shoot straight for the best AR-15 brass catcher your money can earn you?
Just keep one thing in mind – whatever you settle on, the best AR-15 brass catcher does not have a bag.
Don’t be unsettled by that, especially if you’ve stumbled upon this post after searching through page after page of brass catchers that all basically looked the same – they have a wire frame and a mesh bag that catches the brass, with minor room for variation.
Why, you might ask? Well, it’s a fatal flaw in design. That might be a bold claim, but let the facts bear themselves out.
Synthetic materials – like nylon – that are used to create these bag-bearing brass catchers are often touted as flame and heat resistant. The operative word here is resistant. Synthetic materials like nylon are heat resistant, especially molded, solid nylon. Mesh bags? Not so much.
During most firing sessions you probably won’t notice a problem, and these bags will perform just fine. But once you start burning through a couple of mags, those brass casings are going to come out of the chamber screaming-hot, and you’d best believe no mesh-nylon bag is going to be equipped to contend with that.
These mesh-bag style nylon catchers have been known to melt or even catch fire during periods of intense firing. This is not only inconvenient but can be extremely dangerous, especially if you share the range with black powder shooters.
But that isn’t the only crutch born by mesh bag brass catchers. If you’ve ever taken your sporting rifle in the field in pursuit of game, as many AR owners have, you’ll know firsthand that close country will swallow up everything you offer it.
The more angles, the more protrusions, the worse the effect is, and a mesh bag becomes nothing less than a purpose-engineered magnet for thorns, brush, twigs, briars, and dry grass, all of which can hang you up and, of course, hamper its basic function.
All of this boils down to a basic and inescapable fact. While brass catchers with mesh bags will work, they’re certainly not the best AR-15 brass catchers. The best AR-15 brass catchers are made from solid materials that don’t jam, won’t obstruct your sight picture, and, more importantly, won’t melt or catch fire.
A prime example of this type of updated design can be found in the Brass Goat by Magwell Mounts. It mounts easily, without tools, to a lower receiver’s magwell in a matter of seconds and is made from extremely durable molded ABS resin.
Because it’s made from heat-resistant, solid materials, it will neither melt nor catch fire and because of its solid design it also won’t hang up on debris. To learn more about its superior design, visit BrassGoat.com today.
