What do you do with old primers?

[Burnt Fingers]

Just remember those spent primers contain lead.

I've got almost a gallon of spent primers right now.

I'll run a big magnet over them, then take them to the scrap yard.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I was planning to store enough to make a nice BP signal cannon some day, should be fun

[dale2242]

My spent primers go in with the junk brass and sold to the scrap yard...dale

[davek8s]

I’ve been tossing my spent primers in the trash. I never thought of taking them to the scrap yard.

But living in California I might start trying to reuse them when they ban reloading here.


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[Texas by God]

Loaded in 12 gauge shells in lieu of shot they positively shred milk jugs of water! Done Done That.

[brassrat]

They weigh down a couple, metal, water bottle anchors for my kayak. Another bunch got me twice the cartridge scrap weight. why...?

[Mytmousemalibu]

If you deprime brass before washing...You wouldn't want to use them as "media" in a wet tumbler unless you are just using the anvils or using small primers to wash large primer brass. Seems crazy but when I have been a little careless and let some get in with the brass too be washed, somehow they manage to get partially pressed back into primer pockets during tumbling! Really fouls up the works on the progressive press feeding system!

[mdi]

I would think that if you don't do your deep breathing exercises with your head in a bucket half filled with spent primers or don't chew on some spent primers while reloading, you won't have any lead poisoning troubles...

[Burnt Fingers]

I would think that if you don't do your deep breathing exercises with your head in a bucket half filled with spent primers or don't chew on some spent primers while reloading, you won't have any lead poisoning troubles...

Also don't eat, smoke, or drink while handling them. Washing hands with cold water and soap after handling them.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I keep D-lead soap in a dispenser on the counter next to the hand soap and always have lead wipes in my range bag. The world has enough hazards as it is, might as well cull as many out as possible.

[David2011]

I've done different things with them.

When I had a gravel driveway, I'd toss them out like gravel in a low spot.
I've added them into the bucket going to the scrap yard.

Lately, after having to be revived after I saw the price of corn cob tumbling media,
I toss them into the Lyman turbo as additional make up media.

I was on Zoro.com a few days ago and saw that they had corn cob media 40 lb for $33.78 and $5.00 shipping. Shipping is free for orders over $50.00.

https://www.zoro.com/zoro-select-bla...40/i/G1695775/

[Mr_Sheesh]

Zoro shipping is $5 under $50, also; Not a bad shipping price at all. And they carry many, many things, they're IIRC a division of McMaster-Carr.

[DukeInFlorida]

A couple of the scrap yards near Daytona employ "felons". Technically, cartridge brass meets the exact same definition as loaded ammo by the ATF, and felons are not allowed to have loaded ammo, or guns, in their possession. So, those scrappers won't accept any cartridge brass or primers. They are just following federal laws regarding employment of felons.

I've found a scrapper 14 miles west of Daytona which does accept cartridge brass and primers. There, I generally trade for lead, usually Linotype, if they have it on the property.

The scrapper, when I lived in Maine, required that I separate the nickel plated from the plain brass. Got a lesser amt per pound for the nickle plated (actually better reloadable brass). Te scrapper I use here in Florida allows mixed brass. Current price is a mere $.90 a pound.

So you know,cartridge brass is also called 70/30 cartridge brass. It's 70% copper,and 30% zinc.

[Wild Bill 7]

Ft. Myers still won't take them. I have about 40 pounds of them right now. Last time I took some scrap metal to Garden Street recyclers they refused the spent primers which was about a year ago. I may try making some snake shot shells with them when I have some extra time to experiment.

[Kraschenbirn]

All three recyclers/scrapyards within 30 miles of here won't take primers and don't pay enough for cartridge brass to make the trip worth my time. Same three recyclers won't sell scrap lead, saying that it's "a hazardous material" and they're not allowed to (re)sell it.

Bill

[Drm50]

I put mine in the trash. How many primers to the pound? Not something I worry about or want to store and have under foot.

[DukeInFlorida]

I mix ALL brass materials together in buckets: cases, primers, and any other brass scrap I find. They just accept it all that way. Just bringing primers in might get them worried about live primers. Best to dilute that impact with cases, etc, in the mix. I don't sort anything. They weigh my buckets, subtract the weight of the plastic bucket, and dump the contents of my buckets into 55 gallon barrels. I'm out in 15 minutes with cash in my hand.

[DukeInFlorida]

There is a division of Grainger, called, "Drill Spot". Used to buy 50 pound bags of corn cob from them, $25 DELIVERED and always got them next day {as good as Amazon ever has been}. HOWEVER, their price for that same bag is now like $99, plus anther $10 for shipping. YIKES!

But, I now very much prefer the harder and less easy to break down into dust crushed walnut shells. This I get from Pet Store supply shop (Zilla Brand) or Harbor Freight (25 pound box, large or small granules). About a buck a pound, either way. Get the small sized granules.

I was on Zoro.com a few days ago and saw that they had corn cob media 40 lb for $33.78 and $5.00 shipping. Shipping is free for orders over $50.00.

https://www.zoro.com/zoro-select-bla...40/i/G1695775/

[richhodg66]

I spread them all over my workshop floor by accidentally knocking the priming holding tube on my press from time to time. I'm extremely consistent at doing that.

This is my method as well.

Dad made some nice range bags with suede and filled them with spent primers, worked great.

I'm keeping mine to eventually scrap.

[lightman]

There is a division of Grainger, called, "Drill Spot". Used to buy 50 pound bags of corn cob from them, $25 DELIVERED and always got them next day {as good as Amazon ever has been}. HOWEVER, their price for that same bag is now like $99, plus anther $10 for shipping. YIKES!

But, I now very much prefer the harder and less easy to break down into dust crushed walnut shells. This I get from Pet Store supply shop (Zilla Brand) or Harbor Freight (25 pound box, large or small granules). About a buck a pound, either way. Get the small sized granules.

I miss "Drill Spot" and those prices. But, the last time I ordered from them I messed up my order (duh) and they sent two bags of media, and I just kept the second one. So, I'm good for a while.