Shipping "primed" brass...?

[RBak]

This is probably a silly question, but I would certainly like an answer.....I hope I'm posting it in the right place.

Anyway, I have over 100 plus pieces of new, unfired, .338WM brass that I bought, sized, and primed...but just never got around to shooting.
A couple of years back, I suspect I suddenly realized I no longer enjoyed the whuppin that .338 Sako used to put on me, so I sold the rifle and most, but not all, of the brass.

(I had this new primed brass stashed in a drawer, where I wouldn't forget where I put it, and now, this past week end, I found 'em again....you know the old story :-( put stuff where you'll never forget it...... )

Now I have this Brass, no gun for it, and was thinking I probably should be selling or trading the stuff.

My question is; Can you ship "primed brass", in the mail, w/o all the haz mat fees I keep hearing about?
Or, should I remove the primers....more accurately is it safe to de-prime the brass using the sizing die???
My first thought was just to remove the primers with the sizing die, but these are Fed 215 Primers, and I have popped a couple of these in a handloader over time, and that ain't no fun.

Any thoughts?

Russ...

[Storydude]

Yes. Primed brass is not HazMat. Primers are hazmat, Loaded ammo is ORM-D

[Guesser]

Technically it should be unprimed if you ship it USPS Flat Rate, that said, I shipped 200 pieces of Winchester factory primed 357 Magnum brass and some bullets to my brother in Colorado. When asked what was in it, I stated" new cartridge cases and jacketed bullets, all for 357 Magnum". Response was "ok".
With UPS or Fedex, just an Orm-D label works.

[223tenx]

I tried to get a definitive answer from my local PO and could not get anyone to commit themselves as to whether it was hazardous or not, so i just gave up and sold it locally. I think if you ship it by USPS you're taking a chance, but it's probably done a lot.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Having dealt with this problem in the past. I feel I am capable of taking this problem off your shoulders by you boxing it all, repeat ALL, up and immediatley sending it to me! My 338`s and I will destroy those evil Fed. primers for you.[smilie=w:Robert

[RBak]

Having dealt with this problem in the past. I feel I am capable of taking this problem off your shoulders by you boxing it all, repeat ALL, up and immediatley sending it to me! My 338`s and I will destroy those evil Fed. primers for you.[smilie=w:Robert

ROTFL...Oooookay.

Well, if I can't legally mail them, how about removing the primers, not necessarily to save, but for safety's sake.

How do you "safely" remove a primer without the stupid thing popping and scaring the dickens outta ya...those 215's can "pop" pretty good. (Don't even ask me how I know. :-(

Much like 223tenx, I asked, but I never got an answer I could live with.
I'm sure it's done and possibly quite often, but with my luck something really bad would happen, I would somehow get blamed, and I'm to darn old to spend what little time I have left setting in a jail.

Russ...

[DLCTEX]

Just decap them with a universal decapping die, or if you don't have one extend the decapping rod as far as possible to work the brass as little as possible. I and others have deprimed thousands of cases without incident. Raise the ram slowly so the anvil isn't hit sharply. I have reused primers removed this way with no problems.

[cheese1566]

Just decap them with a universal decapping die, or if you don't have one extend the decapping rod as far as possible to work the brass as little as possible. I and others have deprimed thousands of cases without incident. Raise the ram slowly so the anvil isn't hit sharply. I have reused primers removed this way with no problems.

Thats what I was wondering. I asked a while back too. I have about 250 pcs of 223 that was bought this summer at a garage sale for $10 from an ex-prairie dog guide. They are primed, but he cannot recall exactly if they were sized (assuming so since who primes before sizing anyway?). But now they are grimed and tarnished and need a good cleaning. I really do not want to rub each one down or buy a $30 tool to spin them with my drill.

I wondered if I can safely deprime, tumble, small base size, then reprime with the same primers. Or if I can give them a short tumble in plain cob.

[Matt_G]

Midway doesn't charge a hazmat fee when shipping primed brass. Seems to me, there's your answer.

[RBak]

Thanks folks!

Good responses and practical answers, as far as I'm concerned.

Russ...

[Freightman]

My post office has never ask me what was in a package, and I sure do not tell. Dont ask -dont tell I think that is government policy!isn't it?

[woody1]

Well, it's dammed hard to find but the answer is NO. You cannot ship primed brass.
Cases, cartridge, empty with primer 1.4S UN0055 II Prohibited
Cases, cartridges, empty with primer 1.4C UN0379 II Prohibited

I finally found it in: http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/Pub52/pub52.pdf
Look for yourself in Appendix A, page 150. Jeez, what a trip! Regards, Woody

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

If you got some boolits and some powder . . .load um up and sell them, seems legal to send loaded ammo!:grin:

I have de-primed a bunch of 9mm I have 1000's of, but sold my Glock . . . needed some sp primers as I was waiting for my back ordered ones to come it . . .no bang! just wear some hearing protection, and glasses when doing it if you are concerned.

[Matt_G]

Well, it's dammed hard to find but the answer is NO. You cannot ship primed brass.
Cases, cartridge, empty with primer 1.4S UN0055 II Prohibited
Cases, cartridges, empty with primer 1.4C UN0379 II Prohibited

I finally found it in: http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/Pub52/pub52.pdf
Look for yourself in Appendix A, page 150. Jeez, what a trip! Regards, Woody

Via the Post Office, you're correct.
However, via UPS etc. primed brass can be shipped and it's not hazmat.

[DanM]

Technicaly it is illegal to ship primed brass via USPS, even if they are fired. This is a rule that never seems to be enforced, as it is done all the time. It is pretty much up to your local postmaster. Our local PO accepts either with no comment.