Who wants almost 14,000 pounds of brass?

[Mark W.]

I for one never said it couldn't be profitable. Buying 100 shares of Facebook stock will most likely be quite profitable. BUT you have to have the money to buy it. And when this started out talking about a 150.00 bid I wanted to add that its not just the cost of the bid you have to think about. Its all the costs that you will have to come up with before you make any profit and WAY before you make enough profit to recoupe your inital investment. Not to mention your labor.

 

[AMProducts]

I feel the need to point out that 350K rounds of anything sounds like a heck of a lot, but it really isn't. I'm putting together an RFP for 2 million rounds, even that is a drop in the bucket. CCI alone produces something like 2 billion rounds of .22LR ammo every year, LCAAP and general dynamics produce about another 1.6 billion rounds of small caliber ammunition (<30mm) for the military. 14Klbs is about 1/4 of what your average truck can carry in terms of weight, no idea on volume. I imagine you could ship out a bunch of cardboard gaylords and have the stuff dumped in those and loaded onto a truck 2 high, I guess it would probably be about 7-8 pallets full.

 

[deadshot2]

Not to mention your labor.

Processing labor could be real cheap. Just rent a piece of property near the base and hire a bunch of laborers that hang out in front of Home Depot every morning. The main source of more labor is just a few miles down the road

 

[jdub75]

No wonder most reloaded stuff is almost as much as new...

 

[Gunner3456]

I'm still puzzling about 3 things. First, why would anyone go over the mountains? I'd go right down I-5 to LA, through Riverside to I-10. Isn't it only about an extra 50 miles?

Second, if I wanted it badly enough, what's two trips with an equipment trailer and pickup?

Third, whoever buys it has to ship it, and if it's a scrap dealer, what do they do about 300,000 crimped primers?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

No wonder most reloaded stuff is almost as much as new...

There is a lot of pressure from private reloaders who are serious shooters and save a lot of sheckels repeatedly reloading each case. Me, I would love 20 to 40 K of that brass

 

[Gunner3456]

How about this auction?

Link

 

[Mark W.]

I'm still puzzling about 3 things. First, why would anyone go over the mountains? I'd go right down I-5 to LA, through Riverside to I-10. Isn't it only about an extra 50 miles?

Second, if I wanted it badly enough, what's two trips with an equipment trailer and pickup?

Third, whoever buys it has to ship it, and if it's a scrap dealer, what do they do about 300,000 crimped primers?

They melt it. If the primers are not brass then they will melt at a different temp then the brass. I'm sure the Chinese can figure it out.

No matter what route you would take my point is the same. It will cost you more then the bid to have this brass in your possession. Thinking you can afford a 2000.00bid and then finding out you need another 2000.00 to have it in your hands is a valid point.

 

[Gunner3456]

But sometimes it can be profitable if you do ALL the math. For example, 350,000 pieces of brass selling for anywhere in the range of $0.10 to .$0.17 per piece (depending on amount of clean/process) can yield $35,000 to almost $60,000 of revenue. Subtract a "buck a pound" and whatever you want for freight and processing, there's still money to be made if someone wants to. Even at local scrap prices one can sell it HERE for over $20,000 and just keep the good pieces for themselves.

It all depends on whether one wants to do the work.

It's all moot anyway because it will either go to the smelter or Brass outlets like Cheyenne Brass. Funny how THEY think it's profitable.

Good thinking. Now, if a guy just wants the hassle, LOL.

They melt it. If the primers are not brass then they will melt at a different temp then the brass. I'm sure the Chinese can figure it out.

I'm thinking it's worth a lot more as cases than it is as scrap.

No matter what route you would take my point is the same. It will cost you more then the bid to have this brass in your possession. Thinking you can afford a 2000.00bid and then finding out you need another 2000.00 to have it in your hands is a valid point.

Maybe some of us aren't worried about the money. Maybe we might just want the cases. If so, going down I-5 is a lot easier drive especially with heavy equipment. I'm going to check the GVW of my trailer and truck combined. I'm really close but probably a bit shy, which means I'd have to wait for another auction. I might be willing to go to Florida if the high bid on that other auction I linked in post #28 doesn't go too high. I know I can carry that.

Truck freight looks hard to me because they are picky about what you have open-topped to load into.

 

[slingshot1943]

I've got a 6'x10' military trailer that is rated at 13,000 lbs. I believe it and my Dodge dually could do it in one trip.

 

[Gunner3456]

I've got a 6'x10' military trailer that is rated at 13,000 lbs. I believe it and my Dodge dually could do it in one trip.

Is that 13k gross? If so you have to subtract the weight of the trailer. I also have to subtract some from my truck's capacity when a trailer is putting tongue weight on. I also need to look up the towing capacity because I've forgotten. I'll have to do the math, but I think the brass is a bit heavy.

 

[deadshot2]

Truck freight looks hard to me because they are picky about what you have open-topped to load into.

Why not just go bid and if it's successful, put the product in a bunch of USPS Flat Rate Boxes, stuffed as full as possible, and just mail it all to yourself I wonder how many large Flat Rate boxes it would take

BTW, that's how I get my bullets. I not only get a heavy Flat Rate box of bullets, I get a bonus "Scowl" from my Postal Person. Those medium boxes with several thousand 9mm bullets weigh close to 50#.

 

[Gunner3456]

Why not just go bid and if it's successful, put the product in a bunch of USPS Flat Rate Boxes, stuffed as full as possible, and just mail it all to yourself I wonder how many large Flat Rate boxes it would take

BTW, that's how I get my bullets. I not only get a heavy Flat Rate box of bullets, I get a bonus "Scowl" from my Postal Person. Those medium boxes with several thousand 9mm bullets weigh close to 50#.

LOL. When I was casting bullets, I'd buy 50# of lead on ebay and priority mail at $15 was the cheapest way to mail it.

Remember, the seller is demanding certain, specific shipping requirements. They are requiring an open top container(s) that they can dump into. That's my issue with a freight truck. How are we to provide the flatbed driver with solid open top containers of the correct size to accept the load? He may have tarps and straps, but... ?? The auction does tell how many cubic feet are involved.

Now, with that auction in Florida which I like best, LINK the items are already in 50 gallon drums and 5 gallon pails. That's not going to make a good load either, unless I took my truck and trailer. I'm sure not strong enough to stack them.

"11,475 lbs (approx) Brass expended cartridge cases to include: (3,480)lbs 5.56 mm casings, (4,750)lbs 7.62 mm casings, (1,985)lbs 9mm casings, (1,260)lbs mixed 9mm and 5.56mm. Certified inert by the government. Stored in (23)50gallon barrels, (4)5gallon buckets which are included in the weight and sale. Mutilation not required. GL will provide tail gate loading."

Now, if I was going to get loose stuff to be dumped as in the OP auction, I'd build a strong plywood box on both the truck and trailer, tie it down really well with rope and trucker's hitches or straps, and then let them dump into the box(es) right through the ropes or straps.

 

[mjbskwim]

I'll guarantee you the peeps in Florida can out bid you,that's a lot of shipping $$ to the NW.But I would like that lot.

I would guess there are folks near buy these places that buy and process the brass in these auctions,and can use your transfer $$ toward the bid

 

[Gunner3456]

I'll guarantee you the peeps in Florida can out bid you,that's a lot of shipping $$ to the NW.But I would like that lot.

I would guess there are folks near buy these places that buy and process the brass in these auctions,and can use your transfer $$ toward the bid

Could be. The only way to know is to do the shipping/hauling math, figure out what your top bid would then be, and make the bid. Some auctions go way low, and others so high I can't believe it. That's true even on ebay.

A couple of years ago I bought an ebay Harley that was about 30 miles S of Norfolk, VA, right on the Atlantic Ocean. The seller had lots of great feedback and was a longtime member. The bike was something I had hunted all over for, so I bought it.

I wanted to see the bike before I paid for it, and shipping wasn't a great option so I took off with my bike trailer to get it. I drove about 6,300 miles round trip in less than 5 days, no kidding. About 120 hours elapsed time. I was putting in 18 - 20 hour shifts, sleeping in the truck all but 2 nights when I got a motel about 2:00 in the morning so I could shower and get a little more sleep. You can roll along on 90 in Montana and Wyoming doing 80 mph and get passed by 18 wheelers. The speed limit is 75 for everyone. (Or was then.) Most states have better speed limits than we do, and I was rolling.

I wouldn't hesitate for one minute to go to Florida if the price was right and if I could carry that load (which I now don't think I can even at 11,500#.)

 

[deadshot2]

Remember, the seller is demanding certain, specific shipping requirements. They are requiring an open top container(s) that they can dump into. That's my issue with a freight truck. How are we to provide the flatbed driver with solid open top containers of the correct size to accept the load? He may have tarps and straps, but... ?? The auction does tell how many cubic feet are involved.

When faced with this kind of problem in the past I'd just contact a local truck owner, preferably a "dumper". He'd pick up the bulk cargo and take it to a location where I could transfer the bulk cargo to a box van in "tubs" or as AM Products stated fill Gaylord cargo boxes. A rental bobcat will make short work of it. A lot of times I solved my problems with a $100 bill and a bottle of "Adult Beverage".

It all boils down to how bad you want something to happen and how creative you can get.

 

[WR Cartridge Company]

I have been in on these auctions...be prepared for a 50-60k bill on that delivered, including auction fees and freight...every one of the bigger reloaders want it....

 

[Mark W.]

Well there you go all done and the final bid was only $33,720.00 cheap and easy. Now add your shipping and labor and and and and I'm sure the profit margin is amazing.

 

[deadshot2]

Someone thought it would be profitable.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

In the near future I will have $250 to $500 for such an auction (5.56/7.62) if anyone wants to do a group buy and has a way to get it here cheep