General Disclaimer

General Information

Check Your Own Ground Before Acting

Metal detecting advice depends heavily on the land in front of you. A public park with clear detecting rules doesn’t behave the same as a state park with mixed regulations, a federal site with ARPA protections, or a private field where you have a landowner’s verbal permission but nothing in writing.

Before detecting or digging anywhere, check the details that apply to your situation. That includes who actually owns or manages the land, whether detecting or digging is permitted there, whether the site has any historical or archaeological designation, and whether buried utility lines run through the area. The guides on this site can help you understand what to look for, but they cannot verify land status or utility locations for you.

Depth and Signal Results Can Vary

Depth estimates, VDI readings, and target identification suggestions are practical starting points, not guarantees. Detector performance depends on soil mineralization, ground moisture, target size and composition, discrimination settings, and how much trash metal is mixed into the ground.

A detector that reads clean and deep in dry sandy soil may behave completely differently in wet, heavily mineralized red clay. A setting that works well for coin hunting in a park may not translate to gold prospecting in a creek bed. Use any depth or setting recommendation as a reference, then test it on your own ground before assuming it will perform the same way everywhere.

Digging, Land Access, and Physical Safety

Swing&Dig does not provide legal advice, land surveying services, or utility locating services. Most detecting and digging is low-risk, but striking a buried gas, electrical, or water line while digging is a real hazard, and in the US, calling 811 before digging on unfamiliar ground is standard practice, not an optional step. Detecting on land without clear permission, or in a protected federal or historical area, can carry real legal consequences, including under laws like the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.

If you’re unsure whether a site is legal to detect on, whether a utility line runs through the area, or whether a hole you’re about to dig is near something you shouldn’t disturb, stop and verify before acting. Watch for other field hazards too, sharp buried metal that can cause cuts or puncture wounds, unstable holes, ticks, and, in some regions, old unexploded ordnance on or near former military land.

Product and Regulation Information Can Change

Detectors, coils, and accessories can change over time. Manufacturers may revise models, update firmware, change included accessories, rename products, or discontinue a detector without making the change obvious to buyers. Land access rules can also shift, a park that allowed detecting last year may restrict it this year, and federal or state regulations can be updated on a schedule this site cannot control.

Before buying a detector or relying on a specific land access rule, check the current product listing, manufacturer documentation, and the relevant land management agency’s current published information directly. Do not rely only on a detail quoted in an older article, especially if the exact model, price, or current rule matters for your decision.

Third-Party Links and Sources

Swing&Dig may link to BLM.gov, NPS.gov, USFS.gov, manufacturer pages, retailer listings, TreasureNet, detectorprospector.com, r/metaldetecting, and other external sources. Those sites are not controlled by Swing&Dig. Their content, pricing, availability, specifications, and page locations may change after a link is added.

External links are included to help readers verify details or continue researching a topic. Swing&Dig is not responsible for the accuracy, availability, policies, or content of third-party websites.

Limitation of Liability

Swing&Dig and Scott Duncan accept no liability for losses, damages, equipment failures, legal violations, utility line damage, injuries, trespassing citations, or other outcomes that may result from using information found on this site. This includes situations where a detector does not perform as expected, a recommendation does not fit your specific ground or location, a land access rule has changed, or a general guide does not account for a condition at your site.

Use the information here as a practical guide, then confirm land ownership, permission, utility locations, and current regulations before acting.