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Thread: Recycle spent primers

  1. #21
    Boolit Master

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    I've got a coffee can I working on filling. When I get enough, I'm going to make a shiny brass doorstop...

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    I used spent primers to fill the suede shooting bags I made (inside an inner bag of heavy plastic). The rest went with the scrap cartridge brass to the recyclers. IIRC, I got a bit less per pound for the jugs of primers than the cartridge brass. Everything got run past magnets to take out the steel (none in my case: I don't reload shot shells and the brass is what I've shot up myself, and I screen the steel out of my brass before loading it.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    i have a local yard thats with in my daily travels so small batches are not a big deal so lunch money is fine. Right now scrap is low.
    April 2019 I cashed in my junk "ammo brass" and primers.
    Ammo brass was $1.79/lb spent primers where .85¢/lb. He was glad I had them sorted. He ran the primers down a small belt that went under a magnet. Over 1lb stuck to the magnet. 6lbs of primers fell into the bin.
    They turn the magnet off and switch out the bin. Cool set up. This place does not like to sell scrap back unless you want to pay$$$
    If the right guys are there you can often trade this for that.
    They sort all the good stuff for themselves.

    One thing to watch for is lots of yards around here give price per ton. Smaller amounts get less. This small yard gives per pound price when you call if you have a ton you need to ask for better price. They all play games, learn a few tricks of the game and its fun.
    Last edited by mac1911; 07-12-2020 at 07:52 AM.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercreek Farmer View Post
    I've got a coffee can I working on filling. When I get enough, I'm going to make a shiny brass doorstop...
    I figure the time i get another can full i might have a furnace hot enough to smelt them down and do something with the alloy?

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    Scrapyards in my area are jumpy cuz one found ordnance from a local military base in the scrap heap. The hard way. It wasn't small arms ammo but they had to shut down while EOD did their sweep and found more. They're being overcautious? I know I'd be.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdfoxinc View Post
    Saving mine to reload after TETOWAWKI.
    Are we there yet?

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy sparkyv's Avatar
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    That's what I do. No issues,.
    Quote Originally Posted by BigAlofPa. View Post
    I put them in the bucket with scrap brass.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master


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    " As long as there is no steel mixed in there it should be fine."

    Aren't the anvils in each primer steel?
    Micah 6:8
    He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

    "I don't have hobbies - I'm developing a robust post-apocalyptic skill set"
    I may be discharged and retired but I'm sure I did not renounce the oath that I solemnly swore!

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by William Yanda View Post
    " As long as there is no steel mixed in there it should be fine."

    Aren't the anvils in each primer steel?
    I'm pretty sure the outer cup, the part that contacts the primer pocket, is steel. The anvil may also be, but I don't think there is enough steel in that anvil to attract a magnet, and a magnet will pick up the bases of some brass based hulls, if it contacts the bases flat.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Primers for rifle and pistol are the same brass as the case, including the anvils. This I read in a 30 year old NRA publication on ammunition making by George Frost, and I can confirm from personal inspection and testing that they look like brass and are non magnetic.

    Shotgun primers, per the same publication, are all copper or brass plated steel nowadays (30 years ago), though older styles shot shells did have brass anvils.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master
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    I find the primers from some factory steel cased pistol ammo have a brass cup and steel anvil so I don't put them in the brass I want to sell.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    You got me there: I've never decapped or reloaded a steel case.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master

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    Mine goes in with the scrap brass when it goes to the scrap yard.
    They pay the same price for them as the brass.

  14. #34
    Boolit Bub gifbohane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dale2242 View Post
    Mine goes in with the scrap brass when it goes to the scrap yard.
    They pay the same price for them as the brass.
    I took about 50 pounds of brass to the scrap yard last summer and after paying for gas I netted about $12.00 If I cannot do better than that next time I will just dump it or sell it on this site.

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy
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    Having taken thousands to the scrap yard we have learned that...

    The anvils in the rifle and handgun primers are brass, the cups are semi magnetic and the scrap will not take them as brass.

    Shotgun primer are plated steel and go in the pile of mixed steel and iron along with the rifle and handgun primers.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master
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    It strikes me as odd that a scrapyard might refuse decapped primers as not being brass but will pay for undecapped cases.
    Last edited by kevin c; 07-14-2020 at 02:48 PM. Reason: Fixed a word

  17. #37
    Boolit Master
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    My scrap yard takes decapped primers along with brass cases.

    Don
    NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
    NRA Life Member

  18. #38
    Boolit Grand Master
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    ALL of mine go in the garbage can. Not worth hauling to the yard for the very few $$ you MIGHT possibly get!

    banger

  19. #39
    Boolit Master


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    Scrappers around me won't take cartridge brass unless it's been deprimed and primers aren't even in play.
    “Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”
    ― Mark Twain
    W8SOB

  20. #40
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by bangerjim View Post
    ALL of mine go in the garbage can. Not worth hauling to the yard for the very few $$ you MIGHT possibly get!

    banger
    Ah,but banger, you enter the scrap yard with brass and leave with lead.

    Don
    NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
    NRA Life Member

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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