Range scrap question

[mlarkin_09]

I have a quick question for you guys that melt down indoor range lead.
Do you guys pick the copper jackets out before you melt them down or do you just skim them off the top of the melt.

Im trying to figure out what most scrap yards prefer. The copper jackets that i pick out of the scrap look alot nicer than just melting it all down and skimming the jackets off the top. However the latter is way eaiser.


Also I noticed that some of the jackets will stick to a magnet ??
are some of the bullet mfg's making copper plated steel jackets? This range is a pistol only range if that makes much difference.

[thenaaks]

i just skim 'em off. the scrap price difference between clean copper and #2 copper is not great enough to justify all the time spent picking through. at least not around here.

[DukeInFlorida]

I can't get the local scrap yard here in Maine to take the jackets at all. I just skimmed them.

[KYCaster]

The indoor range I've been dealing with switched from selling Black Hills ammo to Wolf with steel jackets, so there's much more steel in their scrap now.

I can't imagine trying to pick out the jackets by hand.

I doubt you'll find anybody who'll pay copper prices for your jackets since many of them are brass and aluminum.

The local recyclers will pay shreaded steel price (~$15/ton) whether I separate it or not. Another place a bit farther away will pay half of yellow brass price if I separate the steel. Either way I'm not making any where near minimum wage on it, but I'd rather do that than send it to the land fill.

Jerry

[44fanatic]

I think there is allot of lead stuck to the jackets. Just went through 6 buckets of indoor range scrap and skimmed off 2 buckets of jackets. Gonna see what the recycler will give for them today and see if I can pick up some WWs.

[ErikT]

I just skim them off. I've found a heck of a lot of lead will stick to the jackets, and the recyclers give me the same low price whether the jackets look good or not.

Erik.

[evan price]

I just skim them off, and get almost all the lead off of them by scooping in small lots and tapping the scoop on the pot to shake the lead out. They wind up with no more than a very thin layer of lead, like what you'd see after cleaning a plumbing joint on copper pipe. I have gotten #2 copper or else copper turnings price for the jackets, AFTER I use a magnet and get the steel jackets out.

[clodhopper]

I skim, shake over the melt, then dump them on a 1/4" screen over a metal bucket
The lead that falls into the bucket goes back into the pot.
Most jackets are guilding metal, there are some copper bullets and shotgun slugs.
If someone will give you copper prices for jackets, good for you.
Last time I got dirty brass price for jackets 37 cents per pound and $2.50 for copper bullets.

[sagacious]

I just skim them off. I've found a heck of a lot of lead will stick to the jackets, and the recyclers give me the same low price whether the jackets look good or not.

Erik.
Flux with wax before skimming off the jackets. That will reduce the amount of lead that adheres to them. It will bead-up and run off.