need advise on brass cases

[HVACscott]

I have just "WON" a police range brass auction... i got involved when a friend said he was bidding and wanted to know if i wanted in so i can get some 9mm brass. i have been casting and reloading for 2+ years so I'm competent in 9mm (at least i think so). now i have all the 9mm i want and many extra, so i looking what to do next, most are 9mm (60%) 37000pcs but i have lots of .223 (35%) 17000pcs and have no use for them and I'm finding out don't know much about them.

I have learned what a crimped primer is and how to recognize them, that 223 and 556 are the same but different????

originally i just wanted to get 5000 9mm cases and was hopeful i could sell the rest and make enough to buy a 3006 for elk hunting. but both my ads are getting little traction so I'm $1000 in got 600 lbs of cases and looking for direction..... i looked around and seems like 9mm go for $55/1000 and 223 go for $65/1000, in a basic "cleaned" condition....im plugging through sorting and cleaning but I'm getting the vibe that wet cleaning with SS needles is not what people want.

MY QUETIONS

how best to clean brass that has set out in Utah weather for months
what is a realistic price point for 9mm and 223...not trying to kill it just want to move quantity without giving it away (need to make $1100 back... want $2100)
would selling mixed and dirty work?
finally, another guy in the "WIN" group is thinking of converting the 223 to 300 blackout...which he said go for $230/1000 but what's the demand and the liability????

any advice will be greatly appreciated.
thanks Scott

[Ford SD]

if Im buying range brass from someone
I will pay more for a brand of brass I like

I want sorted cases (one head stamp)500 or 1000 min , with a few extras thrown in

cleanish cases , so no badly tarnished cases , no sharp dings in the body or neck, Soft ding ok

I would rather pop my own primers than have it done for me ( if I see a case with a flatter primer than the norm, I will toss the case in the scrap bucket

300 blackout conversions are a lot of work unless you are set up to do it
Case mouth thickness is a problem ... I found if the 223/556 case mouth is thicker than .010-.011 it will not make good blackout cases
223 rp I like as they do not have crimped primers and necks are thinner as a rule

Some people do not like federal 308/ 3006 brass, I do :) , but I do not hot rod it Like some

some of the Mill spec case (3 dots) can have very thick necks if you convert them (ok for jacketed loads) but can be iffy for cast

[JimB..]

I don’t think it’s worth the trouble to clean them, in fact I won’t buy wet tumbled that hasn’t been deprimed, and for 223/556 crimped I’d rather have it dirty so I know that it is actually 1 time fired.

But then I don’t know how dirty your stuff is.

I actually think that the primer shortage has affected brass demand, so if I was in your spot I’d drop the 9mm to $35/k + shipping and sell it in MFRB quantities uncleaned. Boxes are free from the post office, also put the brass in their free tyvek envelopes, and use a lot of reinforced tape on the box.

Good luck!

[challenger_i]

Got a buddy with a cement mixer? :)
Seriously, those small cement mixers with the plastic drum work wonders when cleaning
a huge pile of brass.
As it is "Range Pick-up" material, I would start with a TSP tumble wash, then go to a citric acid tumble wash, then another TSP wash.
Inspect and separate out the "clean" cases from the "not-so-clean" cases, and run the NSC through the citric acid bath, again.
Once you are happy with the cleanliness, give them a tumble in walnut hulls.

[BMW Rider]

if I was in your spot I’d drop the 9mm to $35/k + shipping and sell it in MFRB quantities uncleaned. Boxes are free from the post office, also put the brass in their free tyvek envelopes, and use a lot of reinforced tape on the box.

Good luck!

This. My usual online brass vendor has in stock uncleaned 9mm for $34.99/K shipped. If you can let them go for under 0.03/ea delivered by the MFRB full, they may sell. Good luck with your sales!

[Half Dog]

This is just a tough time for our sport. Inflation and the high cost of shooting has many saving where they can. But, wet tumbling can cause primers to stick. Dry tumbling straight wall brass is a good thing and should add value to the brass. Don’t punch the primers, many want to see them. Be patient with your sale. The lower the price the faster it will sell. Good luck.

[trails4u]

With your .223 and 5.56, it does bring a premium, fully processed and in matched headstamps, on some other sites. You might explore some and try to cater what you're selling to the folks most interested in buying it.

[Winger Ed.]

Like gasoline- the market fluctuates.
Do a little research and see what others charge for that size brass in what condition.
List it as once fired from a Police range and what brand most or all of it is.
That'll help to confirm it really is all once fired.
Go about 10-15% under the going rate for the market and it'll sell.

[BK7saum]

i also will not buy wet tumbled cases with primers intact. Too much chance of corroded promer pockets and stuck primers. i am not paying for someone to do something halfway that i am going to repeat when i pop out the primers.

[HVACscott]

Got a buddy with a cement mixer? :)
Seriously, those small cement mixers with the plastic drum work wonders when cleaning
a huge pile of brass.
As it is "Range Pick-up" material, I would start with a TSP tumble wash, then go to a citric acid tumble wash, then another TSP wash.
Inspect and separate out the "clean" cases from the "not-so-clean" cases, and run the NSC through the citric acid bath, again.
Once you are happy with the cleanliness, give them a tumble in walnut hulls.

one of us is cleaning with a cement mixer not sure what his process is.
exactly what is citric acid bath? where do you get citric acid? do you leave them in to soak?

[HVACscott]

thanks all for the advise actually
makes it easier for me NOT to clean and spend my time sorting head stamp.
I went in knowing it may take months to move the quantity i have, and without having any experience with 223 and NO equipment for them all the 223 info is gratefully received.

[WRideout]

one of us is cleaning with a cement mixer not sure what his process is.
exactly what is citric acid bath? where do you get citric acid? do you leave them in to soak?

I bought a jar of citric acid from Wally World in the canning section. It is also the acid found in lemons; lemon juice is one alternative. If you check the labels on soft drinks, many of them have a good percentage of citric acid in the ingredients. Coke or equivalent may have citric or phosphoric acid in it.

Wayne

[challenger_i]

one of us is cleaning with a cement mixer not sure what his process is.
exactly what is citric acid bath? where do you get citric acid? do you leave them in to soak?

There is a VERY long sticky on using citric acid that has a wonderful amount of information. It is worth the read.

I generally run my citric acid bath for about 30-45 minutes, then rinse and inspect. Anything that didn't clean up
to my satisfaction gets another run.
Do be advised: some brass manufacturer's wares do not take kindly to the citric acid bath (CBC is one): they start showing
copper-colored patches after a very short period of bath. I have not had this issue with the Name Brands, or military brass.

[243winxb]

Scrap prices is what they are worth. 9 & 223/556. $1.80 Per pound.

[HVACscott]

Scrap prices is what they are worth. 9 & 223/556. $1.80 Per pound.

that's depressing to hear.

[nicholst55]

I bought a jar of citric acid from Wally World in the canning section. It is also the acid found in lemons; lemon juice is one alternative. If you check the labels on soft drinks, many of them have a good percentage of citric acid in the ingredients. Coke or equivalent may have citric or phosphoric acid in it.

Wayne

While this is certainly true, I just ordered a 6-LB bag of citric acid for $32 and change from Amazon. If you're going to be using a lot of it, don't screw around with little packets of Lemi-Shine or similar, IMHO.

And unfortunately, both 9mm and .223 brass are so prevalent that it has little value. If you're buying primers at current market prices, you can buy 9mm Ball ammo for less than what you can load it for, especially if you're buying jacketed bullets. JHP defense ammo is another matter, but it currently isn't cost-effective to load 9mm FMJ.

[kevin c]

It helps to find the right market.

The biggest individual consumers of 9mm and 223 brass I know are action pistol and three gun shooters. They go through thousands of pistol and hundreds of rifle rounds each month, and nearly all reload their own ammo for cost savings and tailored loads. See if there’s a club near you and advertise there.

Caliber specific cleaned brass, culled of unreloadable cases (which includes not only damaged brass but also certain head stamps that have bad reloadability reps) is what they want. Sorted by head stamp, wet pin cleaned and decapped command a premium, but are not required. Once fired is definitely preferred. Most want to buy from an established vendor, so, as a new guy only selling on the short term you may have to undercut the going rates (check the vendors forums here and especially at the Brian Enos forums where a lot of action shooters hang out). Even so, I calculate that you can make your money back and have something left over to put towards that new rifle, though, as pointed out, you’ll have to be patient.