Opinion on purchasing brass

WookieRookie · January 6, 2011, 11:32 AM

Good morning guys,
I need some advice/an opinion. I currently have only about 1000 brass in rotation (9mm), and have loaded every case I have. I am looking to purchase once fired brass. I see some really good deals on gunbroker.com, but was curious if anyone has any good/bad experiences with purchasing one fired brass from someone else? Are some headstamps better than others? Every case I have loaded so far as been winchester brass. Thanks for the help!

golfnutrlv · January 6, 2011, 11:37 AM

It's kind of a personal preference if you ask me. I like to look at the brass I buy personally. I usually pick it up at the local gun show, or trade locally with other shooters.

I have never bought once fired brass through an online brass seller, such as oncefiredbrass.com, etc.

As for headstamps in 9mm, I try to stick to Federal, PMC, Winchester, and Hornady. For no other reason than they seem to reload easily. Not saying there are not other good ones out there, but these are the ones I have spent time on.

WookieRookie · January 6, 2011, 11:53 AM

What would you consider a fair price for once fired brass?

gregjc9 · January 6, 2011, 12:09 PM

When I was starting out reloading I bought some brass off Gunbroker, the deals were ok. Also bought some from brassman.com, and others online. I know there's frequently brass for sale here, prices seem to be pretty good.

4runnerman · January 6, 2011, 12:12 PM

I have once fired 9MM. sold 2000 in last 2 days so i would need to count again to see how many i have left if your intrested

Dr. Strangelove · January 6, 2011, 12:23 PM

I would have a hard time believing that the brass was actually "once fired" unless I shot it or watched it being shot myself. Much like used cars and women, you can never be sure of the actual mileage unless you put on yourself..

Personally, I pick up all the 9mm I want at my gun club pistol range. The vast majority probably is once fired, but for 9mm, I just don't care. I inspect each case, measure for length, etc. 9mm is so common that I just toss the case if it looks the slightest bit out of whack.

4runnerman · January 6, 2011, 12:40 PM

Dr Strangelove- I have to agree with you. I think out of all the people i know that shoot 9MM none reload.So i would go even higher on my estamates, I would say 99% of 9MM brass you pick up is once fired.

WookieRookie · January 6, 2011, 01:28 PM

4runnerman, I would be interested. Problem at my local indoor range, they are real strict on brass. If it's on the floor, incan grab it. But they sweep after every shooter, and take the brass away I'm sure to resell.

DiscoRacing · January 6, 2011, 01:43 PM

look in the buy/sell section here.. .there are a couple good fellas that sell brass here... which I consider fair prices.

4runnerman · January 6, 2011, 02:00 PM

My local range does the same thing.You can pick up yours off floor,but in front of line is theirs(which is a good idea) I could see someone wondering out in front of fireing line to get his brass. As Disco said there are a lot of people selling brass in here,and sorry to say for cheaper than me too.

Doodlebugger45 · January 6, 2011, 02:07 PM

I've had mixed results buying used brass online. For my revolvers, it''s not quite as critical as the rifles. But still, it's not always so great. Mostly I need 44 mag and 45 LC brass. Turns out that there isn't a whole lot of good used brass for sale in those calibers. And then you find out that mixed headstamps can be a pain. Especially for .44 mag, where I want a consistent crimp. Turns out that Remington brass is much softer or thinner than any others and behaves differently. The length is also variable, so my crimps are not as consistent and I don't want to trim brass for revolvers.

For my .454 Casull and .480 Rugers I don't even try to buy used brass. Same goes for all my rifles. I prefer to start out with new brass made by the same maker for a given rifle cartridge so that I can control things better. I bought a batch of once fired .270 WSM brass one time. The brass itself was in good shape but I found out that Federal brass for that cartridge was a lot different than Winchester brass. I'm not saying it was better or worse, but different for sure. I had to use different adjustments for sizing and seating using that brass. For rifles, just as most of my revolvers, I rarely find any good used brass for .243 or 7 MM mag or any of my WSM calibers.

If I was shooting a lot of 9 mm or .223 or something like that, I probably wouldn't worry about it much. Or if I stumbled across a cache of good Starline .45 LC brass, I would grab in a hurry, but that doesn't happen very often. Im stuck with buying a bag or two of whatever I need the most when I can find it.

AlaskaMike · January 6, 2011, 02:16 PM

9mm brass is so common at the ranges I shoot at, couldn't you do some scrounging where you shoot? I know some ranges don't allow people to scavenge brass, so that may not be an option for you.

wwmkwood · January 6, 2011, 02:49 PM

Offer to buy the brass from your range, our range sells it at the same rate they would get from the scrap dealer. Separate what you load and sell what you don't. Don't ask how long it takes to sort 200lbs.

Sid · January 6, 2011, 02:56 PM

Here are the prices that I pay for once fired brass. I get this at a local indoor range which requires shooters to purchase their brass at the range. So it really is once fired. They charge $10 per thousand for .38 special and 9mm, and $25 per thousand for .45 ACP. Since the 9mm is so cheap I don't bother to pick it up after shooting it at my club. I buy a large quantity at a time and just keep it in my garage until I need it. That way I don't have to run back and forth to buy more.

NWPilgrim · January 6, 2011, 03:01 PM

I've never bought used pistol brass as it seems to accumulate on its own from my own factory purchases and pick ups at gravel pits and ranges. I have about 3,400 of 9mm.

I wouldn't care how many times pistol brass was shot. Most of it, especially in 9mm, will be once fired, and very little will be fired more than a few times. Pistol brass can easily get 15-20 firings if not pushed to the limits of pressure all the time. I shoot all cases until I see signs of failure, usually case mouth crack.

I have bought used rifle brass for plinking since I am going to trim and full length size in an X-die anyway. It has all been good condition. Here are the sources I have used, but forum sources would be good too.

New 9mm brass is about $130-$150 per thousand, and once fired is about $40-$60 per thousand. That is a great deal. You get 95% of the case life for 1/3 the price.

http://store.brassmanbrass.com/servl...red/Categories

http://www.scharch.com/products.php?cat=75

http://oncefiredbrass.com/search.aspx?manufacturer=10

Mustangpalmer91 · January 6, 2011, 03:03 PM

I bought almost 2000 rounds of 40 S&W from Spacecoast on here I am very happy with it.

howlnmad · January 6, 2011, 04:46 PM

There's nothing wrong with buying used brass. I am particular with brass for defense loads though. But for straight walled pistol brass for plinking, I load em til I lose em or they split. I buy used rifle brass too but that gets a little bit more attention.
If you go to the for sale or trade section, birdzman has some good prices: 9mm and 40 cal for $30 a 1000 and 38 spl for $40 a 1000.

WookieRookie · January 6, 2011, 05:01 PM

Thanks guys. Really appreciate the replies

BigJimP · January 6, 2011, 05:22 PM

Where are you located .... I'd be willing to give you at least 10,000 if you were in my area and can pick it up ...../but I don't want to fuss with shipping it ...

Drop me a private note if you want it .....its all picked up off the floor at my local range ( and I have way more than I will ever need ...)...

WESHOOT2 · January 6, 2011, 10:36 PM

Not THAT expensive to buy new.

IME it's not the charge in the case, it's the (big) chamber it gets fired in that tires out brass.

Best new? IMI.
Can't find IMI? Try Winchester.
Or Starline.
Or others.

FrankenMauser · January 6, 2011, 10:53 PM

It all depends where you're buying the brass. There are some places I wouldn't hesitate to buy from (many online merchants that have been around several years), and some places I would do my best to avoid (most of the gunbroker listings).

If possible, check the sales history and ratings of anyone you're buying from (gunbroker / auction arms, especially). I've only seen it once, but have heard plenty of stories where the "once-fired" brass was actually some one's old "thoroughly thrashed, and ready for the trash" brass.

Also, don't forget to check the merchant feedback section on these forums.

farmerboy · January 6, 2011, 11:05 PM

I also have some 9 once fired brass. pm if you're interested and we'll talk. get alot of it but dont reload for it. Just 10's, 40's and revolvers...

TheBigO · January 6, 2011, 11:21 PM

I have bought from here- www.tjconevera.com They also have good bullet/brass packages. Evertime its like three days out, cleaned, deprimed, ready to size and reload.

engineermike · January 6, 2011, 11:23 PM

I just shoot pistol brass until I lose it or it fails. So far I lose it before it fails. I have bought some off this site, if you pm me I'll tell you who, but not what I paid for it. I will tell you I would buy from this individual again as I was very happy with the brass I received.

Mike

maillemaker · January 7, 2011, 02:14 PM

I just bought 1000 rounds of once-fired 9mm R-P brass for $40, plus $10.50 shipping.

It's my first time buying brass.

Steve

January 6, 2011, 11:32 AM	#1
WookieRookie Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2010 Posts: 105	Opinion on purchasing brass Good morning guys, I need some advice/an opinion. I currently have only about 1000 brass in rotation (9mm), and have loaded every case I have. I am looking to purchase once fired brass. I see some really good deals on gunbroker.com, but was curious if anyone has any good/bad experiences with purchasing one fired brass from someone else? Are some headstamps better than others? Every case I have loaded so far as been winchester brass. Thanks for the help!

January 6, 2011, 11:37 AM	#2
golfnutrlv Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2008 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 1,347	It's kind of a personal preference if you ask me. I like to look at the brass I buy personally. I usually pick it up at the local gun show, or trade locally with other shooters. I have never bought once fired brass through an online brass seller, such as oncefiredbrass.com, etc. As for headstamps in 9mm, I try to stick to Federal, PMC, Winchester, and Hornady. For no other reason than they seem to reload easily. Not saying there are not other good ones out there, but these are the ones I have spent time on. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ VIGILIA PRETIUM LIBERTATIS "The price of liberty is vigilance" America is at an awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.

January 6, 2011, 12:09 PM	#4
gregjc9 Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2008 Location: Northern Va Posts: 501	When I was starting out reloading I bought some brass off Gunbroker, the deals were ok. Also bought some from brassman.com, and others online. I know there's frequently brass for sale here, prices seem to be pretty good. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ Greg

January 6, 2011, 12:12 PM	#5
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	I have once fired 9MM. sold 2000 in last 2 days so i would need to count again to see how many i have left if your intrested __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional

January 6, 2011, 12:40 PM	#7
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	Dr Strangelove- I have to agree with you. I think out of all the people i know that shoot 9MM none reload.So i would go even higher on my estamates, I would say 99% of 9MM brass you pick up is once fired. __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional

January 6, 2011, 11:53 AM	#3
WookieRookie Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2010 Posts: 105	What would you consider a fair price for once fired brass?

January 6, 2011, 12:23 PM	#6
Dr. Strangelove Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2008 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 1,436	I would have a hard time believing that the brass was actually "once fired" unless I shot it or watched it being shot myself. Much like used cars and women, you can never be sure of the actual mileage unless you put on yourself.. Personally, I pick up all the 9mm I want at my gun club pistol range. The vast majority probably is once fired, but for 9mm, I just don't care. I inspect each case, measure for length, etc. 9mm is so common that I just toss the case if it looks the slightest bit out of whack.

January 6, 2011, 01:28 PM	#8
WookieRookie Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2010 Posts: 105	4runnerman, I would be interested. Problem at my local indoor range, they are real strict on brass. If it's on the floor, incan grab it. But they sweep after every shooter, and take the brass away I'm sure to resell.

January 6, 2011, 01:43 PM	#9
DiscoRacing Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2008 Location: milton, wv Posts: 3,640	look in the buy/sell section here.. .there are a couple good fellas that sell brass here... which I consider fair prices. __________________ Desert Eagle Alliance Group Launcher Extraordinaire ______ ----Get Busy Live'n.....Or....Get Busy Die'n......Red -------They call me Dr. Bob,,,, I have a PhD in S&W

January 6, 2011, 02:00 PM	#10
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	My local range does the same thing.You can pick up yours off floor,but in front of line is theirs(which is a good idea) I could see someone wondering out in front of fireing line to get his brass. As Disco said there are a lot of people selling brass in here,and sorry to say for cheaper than me too. __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional

January 6, 2011, 02:07 PM	#11
Doodlebugger45 Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,717	I've had mixed results buying used brass online. For my revolvers, it''s not quite as critical as the rifles. But still, it's not always so great. Mostly I need 44 mag and 45 LC brass. Turns out that there isn't a whole lot of good used brass for sale in those calibers. And then you find out that mixed headstamps can be a pain. Especially for .44 mag, where I want a consistent crimp. Turns out that Remington brass is much softer or thinner than any others and behaves differently. The length is also variable, so my crimps are not as consistent and I don't want to trim brass for revolvers. For my .454 Casull and .480 Rugers I don't even try to buy used brass. Same goes for all my rifles. I prefer to start out with new brass made by the same maker for a given rifle cartridge so that I can control things better. I bought a batch of once fired .270 WSM brass one time. The brass itself was in good shape but I found out that Federal brass for that cartridge was a lot different than Winchester brass. I'm not saying it was better or worse, but different for sure. I had to use different adjustments for sizing and seating using that brass. For rifles, just as most of my revolvers, I rarely find any good used brass for .243 or 7 MM mag or any of my WSM calibers. If I was shooting a lot of 9 mm or .223 or something like that, I probably wouldn't worry about it much. Or if I stumbled across a cache of good Starline .45 LC brass, I would grab in a hurry, but that doesn't happen very often. Im stuck with buying a bag or two of whatever I need the most when I can find it.

January 6, 2011, 02:16 PM	#12
AlaskaMike Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Posts: 941	9mm brass is so common at the ranges I shoot at, couldn't you do some scrounging where you shoot? I know some ranges don't allow people to scavenge brass, so that may not be an option for you.

January 6, 2011, 02:49 PM	#13
wwmkwood Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 110	Offer to buy the brass from your range, our range sells it at the same rate they would get from the scrap dealer. Separate what you load and sell what you don't. Don't ask how long it takes to sort 200lbs.

January 6, 2011, 02:56 PM	#14
Sid Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2009 Posts: 362	Here are the prices that I pay for once fired brass. I get this at a local indoor range which requires shooters to purchase their brass at the range. So it really is once fired. They charge $10 per thousand for .38 special and 9mm, and $25 per thousand for .45 ACP. Since the 9mm is so cheap I don't bother to pick it up after shooting it at my club. I buy a large quantity at a time and just keep it in my garage until I need it. That way I don't have to run back and forth to buy more.

January 6, 2011, 03:01 PM	#15
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	I've never bought used pistol brass as it seems to accumulate on its own from my own factory purchases and pick ups at gravel pits and ranges. I have about 3,400 of 9mm. I wouldn't care how many times pistol brass was shot. Most of it, especially in 9mm, will be once fired, and very little will be fired more than a few times. Pistol brass can easily get 15-20 firings if not pushed to the limits of pressure all the time. I shoot all cases until I see signs of failure, usually case mouth crack. I have bought used rifle brass for plinking since I am going to trim and full length size in an X-die anyway. It has all been good condition. Here are the sources I have used, but forum sources would be good too. New 9mm brass is about $130-$150 per thousand, and once fired is about $40-$60 per thousand. That is a great deal. You get 95% of the case life for 1/3 the price. http://store.brassmanbrass.com/servl...red/Categories http://www.scharch.com/products.php?cat=75 http://oncefiredbrass.com/search.aspx?manufacturer=10 __________________ "The ultimate authority ... resides in the people alone. ... The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation ... forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition." - James Madison

January 6, 2011, 03:03 PM	#16
Mustangpalmer91 Junior member Join Date: December 19, 2010 Location: Scranton, PA Posts: 69	I bought almost 2000 rounds of 40 S&W from Spacecoast on here I am very happy with it.

January 6, 2011, 04:46 PM	#17
howlnmad Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2009 Location: Harriman Tn Posts: 424	There's nothing wrong with buying used brass. I am particular with brass for defense loads though. But for straight walled pistol brass for plinking, I load em til I lose em or they split. I buy used rifle brass too but that gets a little bit more attention. If you go to the for sale or trade section, birdzman has some good prices: 9mm and 40 cal for $30 a 1000 and 38 spl for $40 a 1000.

January 6, 2011, 05:01 PM	#18
WookieRookie Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2010 Posts: 105	Thanks guys. Really appreciate the replies

January 6, 2011, 05:22 PM	#19
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Where are you located .... I'd be willing to give you at least 10,000 if you were in my area and can pick it up ...../but I don't want to fuss with shipping it ... Drop me a private note if you want it .....its all picked up off the floor at my local range ( and I have way more than I will ever need ...)...

January 6, 2011, 10:36 PM	#20
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	case for cases Not THAT expensive to buy new. IME it's not the charge in the case, it's the (big) chamber it gets fired in that tires out brass. Best new? IMI. Can't find IMI? Try Winchester. Or Starline. Or others. __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

January 6, 2011, 10:53 PM	#21
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	It all depends where you're buying the brass. There are some places I wouldn't hesitate to buy from (many online merchants that have been around several years), and some places I would do my best to avoid (most of the gunbroker listings). If possible, check the sales history and ratings of anyone you're buying from (gunbroker / auction arms, especially). I've only seen it once, but have heard plenty of stories where the "once-fired" brass was actually some one's old "thoroughly thrashed, and ready for the trash" brass. Also, don't forget to check the merchant feedback section on these forums. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

January 6, 2011, 11:05 PM	#22
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	I also have some 9 once fired brass. pm if you're interested and we'll talk. get alot of it but dont reload for it. Just 10's, 40's and revolvers...

January 6, 2011, 11:21 PM	#23
TheBigO Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2010 Location: Bellingham Posts: 122	I have bought from here- www.tjconevera.com They also have good bullet/brass packages. Evertime its like three days out, cleaned, deprimed, ready to size and reload.

January 6, 2011, 11:23 PM	#24
engineermike Junior member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Oklahaoma City Posts: 538	I just shoot pistol brass until I lose it or it fails. So far I lose it before it fails. I have bought some off this site, if you pm me I'll tell you who, but not what I paid for it. I will tell you I would buy from this individual again as I was very happy with the brass I received. Mike

January 7, 2011, 02:14 PM	#25
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	I just bought 1000 rounds of once-fired 9mm R-P brass for $40, plus $10.50 shipping. It's my first time buying brass. Steve