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Thread: Brass at the scrap yard

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    Brass at the scrap yard

    Some guys told me they seen buckets of shells at the scrap yard. Went by an they let me go through it an got 9 pounds for three dollars. WOW where are some of your favorite hidden treasures at.

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    just make sure it didn't go through the popper, otherwise nice score.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    OK, I'll bite. What's "the popper"? Inquiring minds want to know...

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    they might be at the scrapyard for a reason. check them out good

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by kencha View Post
    OK, I'll bite. What's "the popper"? Inquiring minds want to know...
    I think mainly the army uses it but basically ammo is throw in a oven like popcorn. I think all old brass has to be destroyed to a point before it can be exported overseas, thats why scrapyards will usually give you a good deal.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master ACrowe25's Avatar
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    How can you ensure

  7. #7
    Boolit Master ACrowe25's Avatar
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    Ensure no popper that is....

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by ACrowe25 View Post
    Ensure no popper that is....
    no clue if buying from a scrapyard since it would heat the whole case, on the gov liquidations sites it will usually say if its been through a popper or needs to be destroyed before leaving.

    Maybe by headstamp

  9. #9
    Boolit Bub Green Monster's Avatar
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    Ive seen this more and more. The other day when i was lead hunting i came across three five gallon buckets of mixed calibers. When i asked the guy how often he gets brass he said its a weekly thing. They way i look at it is not everyone reloads and hey if they a few bucks from something that is trash to them and i get it at a low price per lb its a win ,win,win -shooter, scrapper, and me.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master on Heavens Range
    Bonz's Avatar
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    I would think the the brass would be really soft also. Probably squish it between your fingers.
    Shoot'em If You Got'em...

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lead View Post
    Some guys told me they seen buckets of shells at the scrap yard. Went by an they let me go through it an got 9 pounds for three dollars. WOW where are some of your favorite hidden treasures at.
    You got one heck of a price there. 33 cents a pound is what THEY pay for brass! It may be popper brass at that price.

    Around me, only a couple yards will even sell fired brass casings.....they are NOT poppered.....and they charge $3/pound.....the going rate today for prime brass bar/sheet/scrap. I buy bar and sheet all the time.

    I am better off buying from Starline!

    banger

  12. #12
    Boolit Master rondog's Avatar
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    Man, I'm a cheap bastage, but even I won't buy brass from a scrap yard. No telling what it may be, maybe someone else's scrap bucket garbage.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

    mold maker's Avatar
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    Lots of ranges require you leave the brass, and they sell it to the scrap yard, as a profit maker. Most PD ranges do this as they don't allow reloads.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by rondog View Post
    Man, I'm a cheap bastage, but even I won't buy brass from a scrap yard. No telling what it may be, maybe someone else's scrap bucket garbage.
    When the yard has four 55 gallon drums full of mixed cal brass......it is DEFINITELY not someone's scrape bucket! That is the quantities I see all the time. 22's (not so much any more) all the way up to and including 50 cal!

    Most is probably once fired from various mil ranges and private ranges.

    I pick up ALL my brass (and everything else I can find!)

    banger

  15. #15
    Boolit Master rondog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bangerjim View Post
    When the yard has four 55 gallon drums full of mixed cal brass......it is DEFINITELY not someone's scrape bucket! That is the quantities I see all the time. 22's (not so much any more) all the way up to and including 50 cal!

    Most is probably once fired from various mil ranges and private ranges.

    I pick up ALL my brass (and everything else I can find!)

    banger
    I met a guy once that claimed to have contracts with most of the ranges around here to buy all their brass. Don't know that as a fact, but selling brass is what he does, and I've had ranges tell me they couldn't sell me brass because it was committed to a buyer.

    I very rarely ever visit scrap yards, and have only seen one 5 gal bucket of brass at one. Made my heart go pitty-pat, but it didn't look like healthy stuff. I've got more than I could ever use anyway, and drag home more from every range trip.

  16. #16
    Boolit Bub
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    I know the owner it was fresh two days prior drop off. I tumbled an got 160 3006 which eleven were no good an 170 45acp 3 were bent up pretty good some were still loaded so for sure no popper.

  17. #17
    Boolit Bub
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    Here's what it looked like after tumbling. Also got 120 223. Click image for larger version. 

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  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    I buy from the local scrap yard all the time, find anything from 22lr to 20mm. They even let me sort through what im buying most of the time.

  19. #19
    Boolit Man
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    Yea they let me sort but barly scratched the surface.

  20. #20
    Boolit Bub
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    as noted, lots of ranges sell the brass left by customers. Every pile of brass is different. Take a good luck before you buy and you can score big

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check