retired brass

[Kevatc]

I have somewhere along the lines of 1500 5.56 brass I am going to retire. Aside from just filling the county landfill is there something else I can do with it? Is it something that can be recycled into new brass?

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[BANE]

Scrap it. Get some of your money back.

 

[jimwsea]

Do you have to take the primers out before going to the scrapyard?

 

[BANE]

If there all spent then no..
I don't anyway.

 

[Jamie6.5]

Just curious, but why are you retiring it?
Split necks? Loose primer pockets?

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[deadshot2]

Do you have to take the primers out before going to the scrapyard?

I certainly don't. Primers are brass, just like the cases and enough of them add up to some serious weight. Even if there are some live primers in the mix, no big deal. When the brass is melted down there are so many other things that pop off the process is well shielded.

I even include the primers from the press catch bin. Just mix in with the other brass so you don't have to explain that they may be "silver" but they're still brass to the recycle yard.

 

[HappyRoman]

In Portland, all the scrap places will take spent brass amd primes, was about 2$/#. Call them first check prices on yellow brass.
Quantum Resources, Metro metals, Cal-bag, Schnitzers..
In Salem Area, Cherryhill metal

my .02c

 

[Jamie6.5]

In Salem Area, Cherryhill metal

Cherry City Metals.
Cherry City Metals <--Link

 

[jbett98]

Speaking of scrap brass, I have an old utility trailer that my neighbors use to dump all of their scrap junk into. I sort through everything at my leisure and then haul it down to Metro Metals.
Last week I received a check for over $480.00. Most of that was from old house wiring and the brass fixtures on a remodel job down the street.
Free money for little effort, not part of the household budget and all goes towards my main interests (guns / ammo).

 

[Mark W.]

Speaking of scrap brass, I have an old utility trailer that my neighbors use to dump all of their scrap junk into. I sort through everything at my leisure and then haul it down to Metro Metals.
Last week I received a check for over $480.00. Most of that was from old house wiring and the brass fixtures on a remodel job down the street.
Free money for little effort, not part of the household budget and all goes towards my main interests (guns / ammo).

I used to have a buddy that worked for Industrial Welding in Albany where they have the gas plant. They used to collect up all the old valves and torches and fittings etc. and once a year go up to Portland to the recycler. They made a BUNCH of money but then they had almost a small pickup load each time.

 

[Kevatc]

Just curious, but why are you retiring it?
Split necks? Loose primer pockets?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Ever now and then I get a split case. Some of the brass is at least 10 years old or better so some has probably been cycled 10-12 times. I just don't want a case head seperation or anything happening that could ruin my day because the brass has outlived it's safe life.

 

[deadshot2]

Ever now and then I get a split case. Some of the brass is at least 10 years old or better so some has probably been cycled 10-12 times. I just don't want a case head seperation or anything happening that could ruin my day because the brass has outlived it's safe life.

If you want to "rejuvenate" this brass here are a couple of tips--

Take a paper clip, straighten out, then bend about a 1/8" "L" on the end. Cut the tip with some diagonal pliers so it's sharp. Run this "tool" into the case and see if a groove is forming in the case wall. Check carefully just above the case head and along the case wall as you pull the tool out. If no "groove", move on to the next step.

Anneal the cases. Quick and easy way is to mount a deep, impact type, socket, that a case will just slip into, in a cordless drill. The socket should end about 1/2" or so below the shoulder. Heat the case neck and shoulder area with the tip of the inner flame cone until the case just starts to glow a dull red while running the drill at a medium speed. This is best done in a darkened room. As soon as the case neck starts to glow this real dull red then tip the drill so the case drops into a metal pan (the case will be hot enough on the neck to burn a counter top). Repeat this a few times, counting the seconds it takes to reach the dull red glow. Then just put a case in the socket, hole in flame while turning with drill, count the same number of seconds, and repeat.

I can do several hundred cases per hour once I reach my "rhythm". Annealing will give these cases new life and prevent most, if not all, neck splits. You'll also notice a more uniform seating pressure which will also contribute to accuracy. More even neck tension.

I don't ever throw a case away unless it has the groove inside, has a loose primer pocket, or has already split the neck.

I'm not Amish but I subscribe to their philosophy of "Use it up". Leaves more money for Powder, Primers, and Bullets

 

[Kevatc]

If you want to "rejuvenate" this brass here are a couple of tips--

Take a paper clip, straighten out, then bend about a 1/8" "L" on the end. Cut the tip with some diagonal pliers so it's sharp. Run this "tool" into the case and see if a groove is forming in the case wall. Check carefully just above the case head and along the case wall as you pull the tool out. If no "groove", move on to the next step.

Anneal the cases. Quick and easy way is to mount a deep, impact type, socket, that a case will just slip into, in a cordless drill. The socket should end about 1/2" or so below the shoulder. Heat the case neck and shoulder area with the tip of the inner flame cone until the case just starts to glow a dull red while running the drill at a medium speed. This is best done in a darkened room. As soon as the case neck starts to glow this real dull red then tip the drill so the case drops into a metal pan (the case will be hot enough on the neck to burn a counter top). Repeat this a few times, counting the seconds it takes to reach the dull red glow. Then just put a case in the socket, hole in flame while turning with drill, count the same number of seconds, and repeat.

I can do several hundred cases per hour once I reach my "rhythm". Annealing will give these cases new life and prevent most, if not all, neck splits. You'll also notice a more uniform seating pressure which will also contribute to accuracy. More even neck tension.

I don't ever throw a case away unless it has the groove inside, has a loose primer pocket, or has already split the neck.

I'm not Amish but I subscribe to their philosophy of "Use it up". Leaves more money for Powder, Primers, and Bullets

Thanks. Maybe I'll try this someday. Right now it just sounds like one more step in an a reloading process that is tedious enough as it is.

 

[deadshot2]

Thanks. Maybe I'll try this someday. Right now it just sounds like one more step in an a reloading process that is tedious enough as it is.

Yes, but it would make it so you didn't need to "break in" some new brass either by buying or picking up and processing.

I usually do all my "inspecting" while watching TV at night with the wife. Even anneal at the bar in the Kitchen where I can still see the TV and say "yes dear" at the appropriate times

 

[Kevatc]

Yes, but it would make it so you didn't need to "break in" some new brass either by buying or picking up and processing. I usually do all my "inspecting" while watching TV at night with the wife. Even anneal at the bar in the Kitchen where I can still see the TV and say "yes dear" at the appropriate times

You are a wise man!

Little confused by the blue part. Breaking in new brass? Picking up and processing???? I guess I am tired because I'm not understanding what you're saying. Sorry!

 

[deadshot2]

You are a wise man!

Little confused by the blue part. Breaking in new brass? Picking up and processing???? I guess I am tired because I'm not understanding what you're saying. Sorry!

Do you adjust your loads for different headstamped brass? If so, you probably have already worked up a load for this brass (thus "broken in"). You already have it so you don't need to pick up any more range brass or buy new. It's probably trimmed to proper length (or close) and has any primer pocket swaging or reaming done.

 

[Modly]

We keep all of our scrap brass in a giant container for recycling. In addition to damaged brass, we also pick up spent .22 shells while we hit up the range as well (It may not sound like a wise use of time, but with a tarp, and a few rakes, we pick up tons of it).

It adds up, and becomes money for primers.

Now, your situation could possibly be different if your brass isn't too screwed up. If it's only neck issues, you might be able to sell it to converters that make .300 blackout brass.

Anyways, your scrap value is about ~$35 on the brass.

 

[AMProducts]

Spending a bunch of time sorting "good" from "bad" when it comes to .223 is largely a pointless exercise, going to any range a few times and asking other people if you can have their brass will usually replace 1500 rounds with zero expense and is a lot less elbow grease, and generally yields better results than picking through it with a paperclip. Now if this was .338 lapua, .43 mauser, or 50-95 brass, then by all means. However, if this were the case, you probably don't have 1500 pcs of it

 

[mjbskwim]

Throw it in the fire pit.Keeps the heat up and burns everything better.

 

[Kevatc]

Spending a bunch of time sorting "good" from "bad" when it comes to .223 is largely a pointless exercise, going to any range a few times and asking other people if you can have their brass will usually replace 1500 rounds with zero expense and is a lot less elbow grease, and generally yields better results than picking through it with a paperclip. Now if this was .338 lapua, .43 mauser, or 50-95 brass, then by all means. However, if this were the case, you probably don't have 1500 pcs of it

Using this post as an example, does anyone shoot 223 brass until it splits at the case neck? I have around 3000 multi-fired brass 1/2 of which I was going to retire after shooting it one last time and the other I was going to reuse one last time.

Deadshot: your post #16 made me laugh. In addition to the 3k+ in multi-fired brass I also have 5-6k one-to-twice fired brass. I have no idea on headstamps nor am I going to adjust my loading based on headstamps. I keep my loads below max to make sure I am making allowances for differences in brass dimensions.