Variables to Decipher Through
This is a great question, but I guarantee not everyone is asking it. Most would assume not, at least that’s what I assume. There are a lot of variables to decipher through to come to the conclusion if a BB is reusable.
Yes, it comes down to inspecting each individual BB, if you’re willing to do that, the answer is yes. If you’re not, the answer could still be yes but your Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun may not be reusable when you’re done. Sometimes some of the smallest decisions we make have a huge effect on the outcome of the story.
BB Inspection
By the end of this, you’ll either have a BB inspection center set up with a magnifying glass, a sifter and a sink. Or you’ll decide a new bottle of Black Widow BB’s is worth every penny spent! Let me know which way you’ve decided to go.
Here are some questions I would ask before I would agree that you could reuse it and still have an operable BB gun.
- Are you able to recover them?
- What type of BB?
- What did you shoot with it?
- Is it chipped, rusted or damaged in any way?
- Did you clean it?
Recovering A Smile
Let’s discuss this together. Are you able to recover them? That’s a great question with a quick answer, if you can’t recover them, you’re not going to reuse them. I know, that’s a no-brainer there, just thought I’d get a smile out of you.
What type of BB’s, Umarex Steel BB’s, Crosman Copperhead BB’s, biodegradable, or zinc plated? Some will hold up better than others. The BB’s that are steel through and through are most likely to come away from their travels unscathed. While others may chip, deform or even disintegrate. The answer to the biodegradable or ricochet proof ones will be a hard no, they are not reusable!
Damage Your BB Gun
Is it chipped, rusted, or damaged in any way? If the BB has come away from its travels unscathed with a little clean up, it will be reusable. But if it has chips, dents, or cracks putting them back through your BB gun may mean your gun is no longer in working condition. It could damage the innards of the gun or the barrel.
What type of targets are more likely to cause more damage? If you’re shooting paper with a soft backstop, they better BB’s will survive. But if you’re shooting hard or steel targets (not recommended) you can most likely kiss that BB good-bye!
One of the worst things you could do is pick a BB up from your dirt berm and pop it into the magazine or clip and fire at will. Dirt, sand, and small particles are the guilty culprits to many gun failures. If you do that you are only asking for trouble.
Back to Variables
Back to the original question, are BB’s reusable? We’ve gone through all the variables that would say no and all the variables that would say yes. The biggest question is, are you willing to go through each of those steps with every single BB? If so then you have yourself a big YES.
