Brass at scrapyard question

[rcw320]

Noob bullet caster here,

There's a scrapyard about 10 minutes from where I live.

I went there today for the first time and bought 30lbs of scrap-lead (ww and range scrap) for .50/lb

What I did find, that surprised me, was a couple of 50 gallon drums full of spent brass casings.

I was short on time and didn't get a good look, but there were all kinds of rifle/pistol brass in there :shock:

I asked the young lady at the counter if that was availabe too, she had no idea... said to call back in a few days when the boss would be there and ask him.

Is it common to see such a thing? My eyes about bulged out of my head when I layed eyes on that massive heap of sepent casings :o

[beagle]

May have come from a range.....or, I have gotten some off ranges of a couple well known firearms manufacturers. That was primo stuff. Mostly proof loads. Tin plated proof load .45-70 cases are really nice.

You might have a good souce....work on the boss./beagle

[GRUMPA]

I'm not to sure it is all that common but I would pursue it the best I could, and especially if it can be had at a good price. Good idea to know the weight per how many pieces of brass if he is willing to part with it.

9mm, 59.46gr/ea, 117.7cases/#, 8.5#/1000

38spl, 68.06gr/ea, 102.8cases/#, 9.7#/1000

40s&w, 70.1gr/ea, 99.9cases/#, 10#/1000

.357mag, 78.3gr/ea, 89.4cases/#, 11.2#/1000

.45acp, 89.58gr/ea, 78.1cases/#, 12.8#/1000

.223, 95.28gr/ea , 73.5cases/#, 13.6#/1000

.44mag, 114.38gr/ea, 61.2cases/#, 16.3#/1000

50bmg, 865.26gr/ea, 8.1cases/#, 123.5#/1000

[shaune509]

Most scrap yards here have barrels of caseings, not sorted or once fired but some serious weight. Not sure I would try to reuse it as you don't know its condition, not like collecting at the police range were its a know history.
Shaune509

[badgeredd]

Guess where my very used up brass ends up at.
Yep the scrap yard.
The scrap price partially pays for the replacement brass.

Edd

[dragon813gt]

I take .22 and berdan primed brass to the yard. I know there are other calibers in their barrels. But I'd have to pay a buy cost and not a sell cost. It wouldn't be worth it for me to purchase a barrel w/ unknown contents. I know I will get some brass out of it. But I will still have some to sell back at a lower cost then I just bought it for. Not worth it in my opinion.


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[SlowSmokeN]

My scrapyard will let you sort through and take what you want for $3 a pound. My fear of not buying is exactly what badgeredd said above. You just don't know what you are getting.

[Cherokee]

The indoor range where I shoot sells all of the brass it collects to a scrapper, about 3,000# a month per the owner. You can pick up your own brass but the rest gets scrapped. One of these days I'm going to ask about getting a bucket from him, and maybe a bucket of range lead that he also sells to the scrapper.

[imashooter2]

Like badgeredd, the scrap yard is where I take my worn out brass that I won't load anymore. I'm sure a lot of other folks do the same. Be careful what you buy and especially if you buy it for resale...

[Janoosh]

Any 8x56r Hungarian, or 7.5x55 Swiss, or 7.62x54 Brass cases, Berdan primed cases are a very good product for re-sale. And you can almost guarantee that it hasn't been reloaded. As long as you can sort for a sale-able product.

[bobthenailer]

I just took 58 lbs to the scrap yard most of it was worn out brass or odd ball brands of range pick up brass.. I sure hope no one trys to use my old brass !

[evan price]

Some ranges sell all their brass to the scrapper by the barrel load. I sell all my berdan brass, damaged cases, rimfires, and A-MERC 45's to the scrapper myself. Got ten buckets waiting to go next trip.

[SlowSmokeN]

I just took 58 lbs to the scrap yard most of it was worn out brass or odd ball brands of range pick up brass.. I sure hope no one trys to use my old brass !


You nailed it on the head. I was all excited when I first learned my scrapper sold used brass. Went home and counted what I had stashed for ammo and it hit me. Why is it there? I put my stash away and feel safer for it.

[Hardcast416taylor]

The junkyard sees my business for tired and Berdan brass. BUT, I first crush the case mouth and shoulder where necessary so a noobie won`t buy it thinking it good brass.Robert

[Centaur 1]

The junkyard sees my business for tired and Berdan brass. BUT, I first crush the case mouth and shoulder where necessary so a noobie won`t buy it thinking it good brass.Robert

I do the same thing with bad brass. Sometimes I wonder if i'm just being anal, but figure you can't be too safe when it comes to guns.

[41 mag fan]

I crush the mouths of mine also. It's not being anal or preventing a noob from getting ahold of it. It's so this ding dong here, doesn't look at the brass later on and think theres nothing wrong with it and put it back in with the good brass

[southpaw]

I crush the mouths of mine also. It's not being anal or preventing a noob from getting ahold of it. It's so this ding dong here, doesn't look at the brass later on and think theres nothing wrong with it and put it back in with the good brass

Thats the same reason I do it! I also have been know to buy some brass from the scrap yard but I can pick and choose what I want. I won't make any money doing it but might save a little.

Jerry Jr.

[rcw320]

Thanks, all.

I'll see how it goes.

[k_dogg030486]

if you do alot of relading they also take the spent primers. ill have bout 80% a 5 gallon bucket full of spent rimfire and spent primers very few center fire casings. i usally trade and sell them with friends and family for eighter cash or reloading suplies... ie lead primers powder brass cash... lol.

[429421Cowboy]

I crush the mouths of mine also. It's not being anal or preventing a noob from getting ahold of it. It's so this ding dong here, doesn't look at the brass later on and think theres nothing wrong with it and put it back in with the good brass

Exactly! Can't say i do it on every piece of brass in my bucket of range scrap but i don't trust myself to not see a shiny piece of 7mm brass on the top of the pile and not remember the good reason i had for tossing.