Lee PrecisionRotoMetals2Titan ReloadingMidSouth Shooters Supply
Inline FabricationReloading EverythingLoad DataRepackbox
Wideners
Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 41 to 53 of 53

Thread: Recycle spent primers

  1. #41
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Posts
    445
    I’ve accumulated 3lb coffee can. Was thinking about melting them into ingot but kind of afraid, I know for sure a few live one made it there.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  2. #42
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    2,659
    Quote Originally Posted by kayala View Post
    I’ve accumulated 3lb coffee can. Was thinking about melting them into ingot but kind of afraid, I know for sure a few live one made it there.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    You could do what folks do with berm scrap that might have missed live rounds: put them in an EMPTY cast iron pot with a weighted lid and heat over open flame until they're good and hot. I'd think any live primer would ignite well below brass melting temp, and the pot and lid would contain any kicked up debris. On you to decide how much of a risk to life and limb that represents.

  3. #43
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Plymouth County, IA
    Posts
    708
    Where I take my scrap metal, they won't take the shell cases with primers still in them. I guess I never asked or tried the spent primers by themselves, I have been just dumping them in with scrap steel. At the recycler, with CORVID going on, they don't let you inside where the sort/weigh it. I took to pile of copper and a few odds and ends in a couple months a ago and they only gave me lead price for my zinc WWs, better that steel (.14/lb), didn't have a lot, I recently sold about 50# here. The last time they only paid lead price from my misc brass (cases and copper jackets recovered from the reclaiming from my shooting back-stop) and the same type of copper they paid well for before, they called something different now and paid a fraction of the price. They have you pick-up your check after everything is gone and you have no idea what they are paying/calling your metal, until you read the check stub...tough to argue anything at that point. Not taking anything back there until things straighten out a little.

    Throw the spent primers in your recycle or scrap steel, not the landfill....too much going there already.
    Take a kid to the range, you'll both be glad you did.

  4. #44
    Boolit Master slim1836's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Burleson, TX
    Posts
    2,120
    I save mine for shotshell reloading when TSHTF. Don't have that much anyway but will be fun to mess with.

    Slim
    JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS JOINT.

  5. #45
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    1,035
    Quote Originally Posted by remy3424 View Post
    Where I take my scrap metal, they won't take the shell cases with primers still in them. I guess I never asked or tried the spent primers by themselves, I have been just dumping them in with scrap steel. At the recycler, with CORVID going on, they don't let you inside where the sort/weigh it. I took to pile of copper and a few odds and ends in a couple months a ago and they only gave me lead price for my zinc WWs, better that steel (.14/lb), didn't have a lot, I recently sold about 50# here. The last time they only paid lead price from my misc brass (cases and copper jackets recovered from the reclaiming from my shooting back-stop) and the same type of copper they paid well for before, they called something different now and paid a fraction of the price. They have you pick-up your check after everything is gone and you have no idea what they are paying/calling your metal, until you read the check stub...tough to argue anything at that point. Not taking anything back there until things straighten out a little.

    Throw the spent primers in your recycle or scrap steel, not the landfill....too much going there already.
    If not sorted well the local yard gives lowest price of what they think is in there.
    Example is wheel weights with steel clips get steel scrap price. The amount you bring in by weight is also a price changer.
    By the Ton price is always higher. Bring in 50# expect less.
    Depending who is working in the small "more precious" area of my local yard your haul will go through the magnet conveyor .
    I bring my jackets in separate and always get a decent price. They call it "dirty" copper and it gets about 1/2 to 2/3 the price of clean copper wire.

  6. #46
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    1,091
    Like others, spent primers go in with my scrap brass. I accumulate the scrap until I have another occasion to go to the metals recycler. The scrap is tested thoroughly for anything magnetic, and spent primers haven't been an issue in that regard.

    It is just as easy to dump spent primers into the box of recyclable brass as it is the trash, so why not?
    "There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
    ~Thorin Oakenshield

  7. #47
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    1,035
    Quote Originally Posted by Taterhead View Post
    Like others, spent primers go in with my scrap brass. I accumulate the scrap until I have another occasion to go to the metals recycler. The scrap is tested thoroughly for anything magnetic, and spent primers haven't been an issue in that regard.

    It is just as easy to dump spent primers into the box of recyclable brass as it is the trash, so why not?
    i let the scrap yard decide if its trash. Might as well get every penny if your going to the yard anyway. i was able to get .07/lb for my old stove and AC cases vs paying $15 each at the town dump. They came along for the ride one trip. paid for my morning coffee.

  8. #48
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    3,901
    Actually the shotshell primer cup is made from brass on quality primers such as REM.209, WW209, and fed. 209...all other shotshell primers have a steel cup. This has become a problem with some expensive guns having failed firing pins from the hard steel cups, which in some cases fracture, damaging the primers as well. Note that this is not the outside cup but the inner cup that the firing pin contacts.

  9. #49
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Posts
    38
    My scrap yard takes decapped primers along with brass cases as well.
    But unfortunately scrap yards are not allowed to sell the lead in Wisconsin.

  10. #50
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    East Coast
    Posts
    792
    I keep a small bucket under the bench for spent primers and damaged/berdan primed brass. I currently have 3 1/2, 5 gallon buckets waiting to go to the yard. I take how range brass so I end up with a fair amount of .22's also. It adds up!

  11. #51
    Boolit Master brassrat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    conn.
    Posts
    983
    I get around 80c/ lb for empty cases. A couple yrs ago they called my primers, virgin brass and gave double. Now they are kinda sucky and might go the unprimed case route, cause they can, being huge.

  12. #52
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    3,572
    when I worked at the scrap yard primers would get poured into the yellow brass bin, back then they paid right around $1.lb for clean yellow brass.
    price fluctuates almost daily with the current market value. if you have ever seen the huge electric smelting pots used at the large mills it would not matter too much if there were live primers in there or not. they melt tons of materials down at a time and the popping and splatter from the electric probes that go into the giant melting pots create an explosive atmosphere all by themselves, alloy engineers sample the alloy and add elements to make whatever the customers want for their applications.

  13. #53
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Pleasant Hope MO
    Posts
    2,225
    I just over 100 lb of spent primers and scrap brass for $1.90 per lb and my copper bullet jackets for $3.05 per lb.

    Now is a good time to sell.

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
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