How much can I sell .45ACP Brass For?

Amsdorf · August 24, 2012, 04:02 PM

OK, listen, I know I should be reloading. I know. I truly do know.

But....at this point it is not going to happen.

So, guys, can you tell me how much I can realistically expect to be able to sell my once-fired .45ACP brass for?

Thanks.

SL1 · August 24, 2012, 04:13 PM

To see what you can sell any gun-related thing for, check with Gunbroker.com. Here is a link to their reloading supplies part of the site.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Reloading-Supplies/BI.aspx

As you can read, somebody has 6 bids on 500 .45 ACP once-fired cases, and the high bid is $21. Watch what things actually sell for, and you will get an idea of how much you can ask. Dirty, mixed headstamp brass with unkown origin off a comercial range floor is not going to get the best price. Brass that you fired yourself from factory new ammo will get more money. If you deprime and clean the brass (especially if you tumble it wet with stainless pins) will get you a little more. But, DON'T SIZE the brass, as that will make a lot of guys pass it up, because they don't know how you sized it and would prefer to do that their own way.

SL1

Amsdorf · August 24, 2012, 04:17 PM

Great, thanks, just the info I'm looking for.

I would be selling once fired, same lot/type, but not cleaned, etc.

medalguy · August 24, 2012, 11:31 PM

I actually prefer uncleaned, un-messed-with brass. That way, I can see exactly what the brass looked like when it was picked up. Believe me, you can hide a lot of defects with nice steel-pin tumbled brass that looks like brand new.

SL1 · August 25, 2012, 07:25 AM

Actually, I found brass that has been thoroughly cleaned allows me to inspect it much better than dirty brass. The dirt can hide pits, hairline cracks, and all sorts of penetrating corrosion. And, surface corrosion that will vanish with a light cleaning can make perfectly useable brass look pretty bad.

If you can clean it yourself, then you can buy dirty brass a little cheaper.

But, a lot of guys buying brass don't have good cleaning equipment. So, a seller can usually attract more buyers with cleaned brass.

SL1

Amsdorf · August 25, 2012, 11:27 AM

How much does a brass cleaner cost?

And this might be a way for me to stealthily slip into reloading, under the radar.

David Bachelder · August 25, 2012, 11:51 AM

Scrap yellow brass is up. Currently $2.20/lb. Last time I sod it the price was $1.30/lb.

Scrap prices will vary with collection companies, you may not get the quoted price in your area.

If you can't sell your brass for at least $2.20/lb (or whatever your local scrap yard is paying) then selling it as once fired is loosing money.

45ACP brass is very common.

FloridaVeteran · August 25, 2012, 12:45 PM

Amsdorf - you need four things to clean large quantities of brass with very little fuss, bother or interaction, though it takes some unattended time (note that there are competing brands for all of this stuff):

1. A tumbler. I use the Lyman Turbo 1200 PRO Sifter Case Tumbler, which is about $47 at MidwayUSA right now. This is your biggest expense. Wish I had an old Redding.

A bag of Frankford Arsenal (or other) walnut hull cleaning media (do not use corn cob, even though it is cheaper - walnut hull will last you a good long time)

A bottle of Frankford Arsenal (or other) brass case polish.

A way to separate the shells from the media. I use an RCBS rotary case and media separator because I don’t mix calibers in a session and it eliminates almost all of the dust. And I can hide stuff in it when I'm not using it. Downside is that it is bulky. For under $10 you can buy a Frankford Arsenal Standard Media Separator and just shake it over any clean bucket. Folks who clean different calibers or rifle and handgun at the same time often use a different method, involving multiple sifters, that you probably don't care about.

If you can find a buddy who already reloads, you can increment yourself into the process a little at a time. But you are on the right track in that your buddy probably is not going to want to sit around waiting for your brass to clean up at his place.

Don P · August 25, 2012, 01:09 PM

Down here prices that I have seen are $25 for 1k of 9 mm, $35 per 1k of 40 S&W, and $45 per 1 k of 45 acp. All brass is once fired, not cleaned and not deprimed. Prices use to be $20,$30,$40

August 24, 2012, 04:02 PM	#1
Amsdorf Junior member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Saint Louis, Missouri Posts: 849	How much can I sell .45ACP Brass For? OK, listen, I know I should be reloading. I know. I truly do know. But....at this point it is not going to happen. So, guys, can you tell me how much I can realistically expect to be able to sell my once-fired .45ACP brass for? Thanks.

August 25, 2012, 11:51 AM	#7
David Bachelder Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Location: Trinity, Texas Posts: 636	Scrap yellow brass is up. Currently $2.20/lb. Last time I sod it the price was $1.30/lb. Scrap prices will vary with collection companies, you may not get the quoted price in your area. If you can't sell your brass for at least $2.20/lb (or whatever your local scrap yard is paying) then selling it as once fired is loosing money. 45ACP brass is very common. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, Texas I load, 9mm Luger, 38 and 40 S&W, 38 Special, 357Magnum, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 223, 300 AAC, 243 and 30-06

August 25, 2012, 12:45 PM	#8
FloridaVeteran Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2012 Location: Central Florida Posts: 399	Cleaning brass Amsdorf - you need four things to clean large quantities of brass with very little fuss, bother or interaction, though it takes some unattended time (note that there are competing brands for all of this stuff): 1. A tumbler. I use the Lyman Turbo 1200 PRO Sifter Case Tumbler, which is about $47 at MidwayUSA right now. This is your biggest expense. Wish I had an old Redding. A bag of Frankford Arsenal (or other) walnut hull cleaning media (do not use corn cob, even though it is cheaper - walnut hull will last you a good long time) A bottle of Frankford Arsenal (or other) brass case polish. A way to separate the shells from the media. I use an RCBS rotary case and media separator because I don’t mix calibers in a session and it eliminates almost all of the dust. And I can hide stuff in it when I'm not using it. Downside is that it is bulky. For under $10 you can buy a Frankford Arsenal Standard Media Separator and just shake it over any clean bucket. Folks who clean different calibers or rifle and handgun at the same time often use a different method, involving multiple sifters, that you probably don't care about. If you can find a buddy who already reloads, you can increment yourself into the process a little at a time. But you are on the right track in that your buddy probably is not going to want to sit around waiting for your brass to clean up at his place.

August 25, 2012, 01:09 PM	#9
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	Down here prices that I have seen are $25 for 1k of 9 mm, $35 per 1k of 40 S&W, and $45 per 1 k of 45 acp. All brass is once fired, not cleaned and not deprimed. Prices use to be $20,$30,$40 __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

August 24, 2012, 04:13 PM	#2
SL1 Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2007 Posts: 2,001	To see what you can sell any gun-related thing for, check with Gunbroker.com. Here is a link to their reloading supplies part of the site. http://www.gunbroker.com/Reloading-Supplies/BI.aspx As you can read, somebody has 6 bids on 500 .45 ACP once-fired cases, and the high bid is $21. Watch what things actually sell for, and you will get an idea of how much you can ask. Dirty, mixed headstamp brass with unkown origin off a comercial range floor is not going to get the best price. Brass that you fired yourself from factory new ammo will get more money. If you deprime and clean the brass (especially if you tumble it wet with stainless pins) will get you a little more. But, DON'T SIZE the brass, as that will make a lot of guys pass it up, because they don't know how you sized it and would prefer to do that their own way. SL1

August 24, 2012, 04:17 PM	#3
Amsdorf Junior member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Saint Louis, Missouri Posts: 849	Great, thanks, just the info I'm looking for. I would be selling once fired, same lot/type, but not cleaned, etc.

August 24, 2012, 11:31 PM	#4
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	I actually prefer uncleaned, un-messed-with brass. That way, I can see exactly what the brass looked like when it was picked up. Believe me, you can hide a lot of defects with nice steel-pin tumbled brass that looks like brand new.

August 25, 2012, 07:25 AM	#5
SL1 Senior Member Join Date: November 8, 2007 Posts: 2,001	Actually, I found brass that has been thoroughly cleaned allows me to inspect it much better than dirty brass. The dirt can hide pits, hairline cracks, and all sorts of penetrating corrosion. And, surface corrosion that will vanish with a light cleaning can make perfectly useable brass look pretty bad. If you can clean it yourself, then you can buy dirty brass a little cheaper. But, a lot of guys buying brass don't have good cleaning equipment. So, a seller can usually attract more buyers with cleaned brass. SL1

August 25, 2012, 11:27 AM	#6
Amsdorf Junior member Join Date: July 24, 2011 Location: Saint Louis, Missouri Posts: 849	How much does a brass cleaner cost? And this might be a way for me to stealthily slip into reloading, under the radar.