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Thread: Range Scrap Bonus $

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold CScott's Avatar
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    Range Scrap Bonus $

    I melted down more than a ton of indoor range scrap into ingots and ended up with 600 lbs of jackets. The junk yard called it "dirty brass" and paid me $.60/lb for it. They said they would have paid a little more but for the traces of lead sticking to the jackets. Not bad for a by-product; I can buy a lot pf primers with that $360!
    Scott

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    Not bad? Really?

    I'd call that awesome!
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  3. #3
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    It's good to see the little guy win once in awhile.

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    Very cool.... you might have to go into the mining business with that system..
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  5. #5
    Boolit Mold CScott's Avatar
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    It almost makes me want to melt some more but I've got more than a lifetime supply of good alloy now. I could sell it but I've got better things to do for a while. Like casting .44's . I guess I should buy some tin with my new found "wealth".

  6. #6
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    You did great .Buy some tin and what ever else you need this is the best time to do it for your self for what you got.
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I mined my back stop and took the jackets in to the recycler.... the fella runs a magnet through them and funds some steel jackets! I had to sort all the magnetic ones out before they would take them. Guess some of the cheap ammo friends brought out were the culprit. 600 pounds...that is a bunch! Nice work.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    In the past I have been able to sell my bullet jackets as #2 copper, I guess each scrap yard is different.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master


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    I've done that too, although never to that quantity. Once or twice a year I scrap all the zinc/steel wheelweights, my spent brass/.22 casings/range pickup brass, and if I've done any melting any bullet jackets. Beats throwing it away, and it will buy some primers, or maybe a dinner out with the missus.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Its always nice to get some money out of this hobby. We sure put enough into it! Congratulations! A lot of yards won't buy it, or scrap cartridge brass.

  11. #11
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    RogerDat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lightman View Post
    Its always nice to get some money out of this hobby. We sure put enough into it! Congratulations! A lot of yards won't buy it, or scrap cartridge brass.
    Hahahahaha! Get money back out, oh my. Never happen, like the man said. Need some tin now, or primers, or a new mold, or some powder or..... That money is destined for great things but those things are most likely to be related to casting or reloading. Even taking the missus out provides some good will for when you come home with a load of whatever from buckets of WW's to a new rifle. Which of course required some new brass, or at least a new mold. Soon a new "best" powder for said new rifle maybe required.

    Get money out? Maybe my widow will but I sure won't. If I sell $100 worth of something I'm sure as god made little green apples about to spend $125 on something.

    All that said (some tongue in cheek) it is a great score both the berm mining lead, and the cash from the jackets.
    Last edited by RogerDat; 04-05-2019 at 11:30 AM.
    Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.

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  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    About 10 years ago I smelted about 15 gallons of wheel weights. Skimmed off about a gallon of steel clips, took them to the recycle yard. They bought them at their going rate for steel scrap.
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  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    When I first carried mine to the scrapyard they gave me copper price. $2.60/lb. After 2 trips with 300lbs total the fella said there was tin and zinc in the alloy so they'd have to give me red brass price of $2.30/lb. I gave the guy that ran the range $200 for giving me better than 1.5 tons of indoor range scrap. That was a few years ago.

    I hear scrap prices are down now.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Scrap prices alway fluctuate some and it pays to call and check. If you sell lots of scrap it pays to keep up with it. A few years ago China was buying lots of our scrap and prices were at record highs.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Potomac metals can be funny depending on who’s working the scales. Some days your getting copper prices the next day that stuff that looks like bullet jackets is now yellow brass

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Those that scrap jackets what condition are they in?
    I have a few buckets of jackets, all black and nasty with some lead.
    And of course some steel jackets I would need to sort out.
    My local scrap yards won’t take them, but I think I found one 30 miles away that will.

    I even tried washing some in citric acid (after cleaning brass) and they look better, but still not like shiny copper.


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  17. #17
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    tomme boy's Avatar
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    I get #1 or #2 copper depending on the yard I go to. One place will not take them at all.

  18. #18
    Boolit Mold CScott's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mjwcaster View Post
    Those that scrap jackets what condition are they in?
    I have a few buckets of jackets, all black and nasty with some lead.
    And of course some steel jackets I would need to sort out.
    My local scrap yards won’t take them, but I think I found one 30 miles away that will.

    I even tried washing some in citric acid (after cleaning brass) and they look better, but still not like shiny copper.


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    That is how mine looked. A little lead on the jackets and a bunch of nasty grey crud. They called it "dirty brass".
    Scott

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Thanks
    Now I just need to call around and see who will take it.


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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