a variation on the cow magnets and garden rake was tried.  the pin was not found, but a large number of rusty staples a few small screws and a sight insert were found.  Perhaps we need to pick up one of those roofer's lawn clean-up magnet devices to our range equipment collection 

Fortunately the poor unlucky target of this thread     had other rifles to shoot.  Normally he has a supply of spare parts he generously share with others in need,  for some reason this time he did not have an extra Ballard FP in his box,  and no one else on the line did either.