Government surplus brass

Yellowfin · September 19, 2007, 02:55 PM

Has anyone used brass from US Military that is sold in bulk? I'm looking at some auctions for ridiculous amounts of .223, .308, and 9mm that's available in my area. What might I need to know other than needing to bring a hand truck with me? What might a lot of say 500 lbs of .223 go for?

CrustyFN · September 19, 2007, 03:52 PM

I don't have any experience with it my self but in other threads I have read that machinegun brass is a real pain to work with.
Rusty

Don H · September 19, 2007, 09:14 PM

I don't think I've ever seen a lot as small as 500 pounds. Those I've seen are usually several tons. Make sure the brass hasn't been run through a "popper" to cook off any unfired rounds - heated brass is useless for reloading.

Mach II Sailor · September 20, 2007, 09:24 AM

check with your local scrap dealer and have him alert you to any ammo brass buys, our county range "owns" all brass not picked up or left in buckets, once a month, or when ever they get few hundred pounds, they sell the brass to a scrap dealer.., $1.35 a lb.

swmike · September 20, 2007, 11:44 AM

Military Brass reloading can become a lifetime hobby or a career.

All too often it is removed from the range with a bobcat loader along with dirt, mud, grass, etc. This makes cleaning a required first step. Then sort it to eliminate all the bent and damaged cases. Check the case heads for oversize with a gauge. (I have recieved a lot with the heads oversized or damaged by extractors and they won't fit in a case gauge)

Tumble in walnut shell to take off the "crust" that washing didn't touch.

De-Cap and swage primer pockets.

Check Case length and trim/chamfer as necessary.

NOW you are ready to reload.

With civilian brass a greater percentage will be useable and you don't have to swage primer pockets.

IMtheNRA · September 27, 2007, 02:22 AM

I don't think you'll be able to buy only 500 lbs. Usually, the brass is sold in truck loads, or 44,000 lbs in a lot, and it is processed by a machine that smashes the cases to make them impossible to reload.

Thesenator · September 27, 2007, 05:45 AM

Thats not true. I've checked the auctions and they specifically state that destruction or mutilation is not required. There may be a restriction on sending it overseas, but plenty of it is sold in the US.
I've used alot of once fired military brass for reloading. Where do you think the stuff sold by Bartlet, Hi=Tech and others comes from?

Gov.org is not going to process the stuff anymore than they have to, and crushing the stuff takes time and money.

Cheepshot · September 27, 2007, 04:50 PM

How did you find out about the auction?

rwilson452 · September 27, 2007, 05:27 PM

There might be a little confusion. the military is required to require that Ammo be "demilled". that is to say rendered inactive. I lot of surplus 30-06 was disposed of some years back. The company that bought it. pulled the bullets, dumped the powder and primers. Then reassembled it using the original cases and bullets. they reamed the primer pockets. Good Lake City brass. As I recall, it retailed for around $6 or 7 a box of 20. cheaper by the case. It didn't last long. here is no requirement to crush brass as yet. Be advised that a lot of it has been fired full auto and can be rather beat up.

Thesenator · September 29, 2007, 05:17 AM

Cheepshot, here is a link to auctions.

Register then log in. You can search by state or by item description.

Be advised, Large lots of cartridge brass usually go for tens of thousands of dollars....there are some heavy hitters that bid these auctions and unless you are prepared you can't compete.

http://www.govliquidation.com/index.html

Cheepshot · September 29, 2007, 08:12 AM

The smallest lot I saw was 20,000 lbs!

gandog56 · September 29, 2007, 05:17 PM

Saw one auction for 360 lbs. of 9mm. Jeezo pete, I just traded a guy 3300 empty 9mm cases and that only weighed 33 lbs. That would keep me in 9mm for a century!

September 19, 2007, 02:55 PM	#1
Yellowfin Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2007 Location: Lancaster Co, PA Posts: 2,311	Government surplus brass Has anyone used brass from US Military that is sold in bulk? I'm looking at some auctions for ridiculous amounts of .223, .308, and 9mm that's available in my area. What might I need to know other than needing to bring a hand truck with me? What might a lot of say 500 lbs of .223 go for?

September 19, 2007, 03:52 PM	#2
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	I don't have any experience with it my self but in other threads I have read that machinegun brass is a real pain to work with. Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

September 20, 2007, 11:44 AM	#5
swmike Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Marysville, WA Posts: 670	Military Brass reloading can become a lifetime hobby or a career. All too often it is removed from the range with a bobcat loader along with dirt, mud, grass, etc. This makes cleaning a required first step. Then sort it to eliminate all the bent and damaged cases. Check the case heads for oversize with a gauge. (I have recieved a lot with the heads oversized or damaged by extractors and they won't fit in a case gauge) Tumble in walnut shell to take off the "crust" that washing didn't touch. De-Cap and swage primer pockets. Check Case length and trim/chamfer as necessary. NOW you are ready to reload. With civilian brass a greater percentage will be useable and you don't have to swage primer pockets. __________________ My definition of Gun Control--- A steady grip and hitting your target. "In God we trust, all others are suspects." "If I shoot all the ammo I am carrying, either I won't need any more, or more won't be of any help". ____________________________________________

September 27, 2007, 04:50 PM	#8
Cheepshot Junior Member Join Date: September 18, 2007 Posts: 14	Where? How did you find out about the auction?

September 29, 2007, 08:12 AM	#11
Cheepshot Junior Member Join Date: September 18, 2007 Posts: 14	Wow The smallest lot I saw was 20,000 lbs!

September 19, 2007, 09:14 PM	#3
Don H Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2000 Location: SLC,Utah Posts: 2,704	I don't think I've ever seen a lot as small as 500 pounds. Those I've seen are usually several tons. Make sure the brass hasn't been run through a "popper" to cook off any unfired rounds - heated brass is useless for reloading.

September 20, 2007, 09:24 AM	#4
Mach II Sailor Junior member Join Date: March 22, 2007 Posts: 480	check with your local scrap dealer and have him alert you to any ammo brass buys, our county range "owns" all brass not picked up or left in buckets, once a month, or when ever they get few hundred pounds, they sell the brass to a scrap dealer.., $1.35 a lb.

September 27, 2007, 02:22 AM	#6
IMtheNRA Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2001 Posts: 298	I don't think you'll be able to buy only 500 lbs. Usually, the brass is sold in truck loads, or 44,000 lbs in a lot, and it is processed by a machine that smashes the cases to make them impossible to reload.

September 27, 2007, 05:45 AM	#7
Thesenator Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Posts: 126	Thats not true. I've checked the auctions and they specifically state that destruction or mutilation is not required. There may be a restriction on sending it overseas, but plenty of it is sold in the US. I've used alot of once fired military brass for reloading. Where do you think the stuff sold by Bartlet, Hi=Tech and others comes from? Gov.org is not going to process the stuff anymore than they have to, and crushing the stuff takes time and money.

September 27, 2007, 05:27 PM	#9
rwilson452 Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Tioga co. PA Posts: 2,647	There might be a little confusion. the military is required to require that Ammo be "demilled". that is to say rendered inactive. I lot of surplus 30-06 was disposed of some years back. The company that bought it. pulled the bullets, dumped the powder and primers. Then reassembled it using the original cases and bullets. they reamed the primer pockets. Good Lake City brass. As I recall, it retailed for around $6 or 7 a box of 20. cheaper by the case. It didn't last long. here is no requirement to crush brass as yet. Be advised that a lot of it has been fired full auto and can be rather beat up.

September 29, 2007, 05:17 AM	#10
Thesenator Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Posts: 126	Cheepshot, here is a link to auctions. Register then log in. You can search by state or by item description. Be advised, Large lots of cartridge brass usually go for tens of thousands of dollars....there are some heavy hitters that bid these auctions and unless you are prepared you can't compete. http://www.govliquidation.com/index.html

September 29, 2007, 05:17 PM	#12
gandog56 Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2006 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 979	Saw one auction for 360 lbs. of 9mm. Jeezo pete, I just traded a guy 3300 empty 9mm cases and that only weighed 33 lbs. That would keep me in 9mm for a century! __________________ Some people think I'm paranoid because I have guns. If I have guns, what do I have to be paranoid about?