What to do with my brass

[AirborneMosinFan]

I shoot a few different rifles vz52 7.62x45, mosin nagant 7.62x54, 7mm Mauser and 7.7x58 jap I pick up my brass and I wonder what I should do with it.

[JACK308]

on a different fourm a guy took it to the scrap yard and made some decent change!

[egor20]

First time posting on the reloading site.

Put what you have on the WTS/WTT forum, I'm sure you'll get some offers.

[hAkron]

Well, since you asked this question in the reloading forum, I am obligated to suggest that you may want to start reloading that brass. You first step is to buy a decent reloading manual (Lyman, Speer, Hornady, etc.) and read up on the basics of what's involved.

[dahermit]

on a different fourm a guy took it to the scrap yard and made some decent change!

Junk yard is worse case scenario. Why would a person on a hand loading site even suggest such a thing?
Relatively scarce cases are more valuable to hand loaders than they would be at junk prices. Offer them for sale if you are absolutely sure you will never develop an interest in hand loading. You will make hand loaders looking for such cases very happy.

[Gunplummer]

Every couple years I take a 5 gallon bucket or two to the scrap recycle place. It goes for less than solid brass, so you should wait till you have a bucket full before you go. Why would I do this? Because I have reloaded and fired more rounds than any one that would ask such a silly question. I fire old berdan primed cases, I fire cases that are finally to the point of unsafe to reload, I check once fired brass and find cracked shoulders and necks, I check new brass I buy and have actually found defects in the head area and primer pockets. I discard these cases and would not think of selling them to someone.

[Smokey Joe]

Junk yard is worse case scenario. Why would a person on a hand loading site even suggest such a thing?

Because for honest-to-gosh scrap brass, Berdan-primed, bent, or part of a lot of brass that's been reloaded to its safe limit of times, and for cartridges where everybody that wants any already has a good supply (.223 comes to mind here) it's better to get SOME money for the brass, than to throw it into a landfill. That's why.

[spacecoast]

for cartridges where everybody that wants any already has a good supply (.223 comes to mind here) it's better to get SOME money for the brass, than to throw it into a landfill. That's why.

I'm sure there are plenty here who would be willing to pay postage to get a box full of empty brass cases, even common ones. I agree with dahermit that recycling is not a good use, why melt down and completely remake a perfectly good case that could be used as-is for 20 or 30 more cycles?

[dahermit]

I'm sure there are plenty here who would be willing to pay postage to get a box full of empty brass cases, even common ones. I agree with dahermit that recycling is not a good use, why melt down and completely remake a perfectly good case that could be used as-is for 20 or 30 more cycles?

Because they were assuming Berdan cases, I was assuming Boxer primers. Nevertheless, I have sold "scrap" brass to re-cyclers, and currently have a brass salvage box next to my hand loading bench...for split, cracked, or otherwise unloadable cases.
I had a mental picture of Norma, Boxer primed, once fired cases being sold for scrap prices.
As a mater of fact, none of the non-cartridge brass (also, steel, aluminum and copper), I run across goes into holding bins for eventual sale to junk yards. It makes no sense to throw away anything you can get money for.

[dahermit]

...Why would I do this? Because I have reloaded and fired more rounds than any one that would ask such a silly question...

Another assumption? I though we just demonstrated the problem with assumptions. I suspect that I have hand loaded (hand loading is a better term than "reloading" because almost all of my cases start with new, unloaded brass, not from factory rounds), more rounds, and have been doing longer than 95% of the posters here...perhaps even you.

[Smokey Joe]

I had a mental picture of Norma, Boxer primed, once fired cases being sold for scrap prices.

My Scots/Yankee soul cringes at the very thought!!

[Sport45]

He mentioned 7.7x58 Jap. Is that even available in berdan primed brass? Throwing away some money with those, I'll wager.

[jimbob86]

part of a lot of brass that's been reloaded to its safe limit of times,

Anneal it, and use for powder puff loads.

[Savage32-20]

1. You could make wooden signs and use the cases as the letters.

2. You could put keychain rings on the primer end, put a bullet in the other end and sell them as keychains at the local swap meet

3. Put a primer in them, put a bullet in them (no powder) and sell them to your stalker/bomber looking neighbor (think of the lives you'll save when he goes on a shooting spree and none of the bullets work).

4. Repave your driveway and use them in the concrete for "effect" - this will let everyone know that a true "redneck" lives here.

5. weld/solder them into a new gate, screen door, or fence for somewhere on your property.

6. Glue push-pins into the neck and use them on bulletin boards. (for pretty purposes make sure you leave the primer in)

7. skip the lincoln logs and building blox for christmas and give your cleaned cases to your children. They can use them to build all sorts of things.

8. DON'T try to make your wife a shell case necklace (although you could for a swap meet and sell them) she will most likely go looking for the live ammo and the gun to show you what she thinks of it.

9. Put them in front of your neighbors drive way (a few at a time), happen to walk by one morning when he is outside in the area and start picking them up. When he questions it tell him you found them there and ask (wonderingly) where they came from. Doing this to a real Gladys Kravitz in your neighborhood and you'll have hours of enjoyment watching the results.

10. Give them to web designers and type setters - they like to use "bullets" in their text to highlight specific points.

[rdmallory]

Top Brass

This Exchange Program is for any Caliber of yellow Brass
For every pound of YELLOW Brass you send us you will receive a $2.25
CREDIT per pound toward any of our products! Prices are subject to market conditions, and may change at anytime.
This equals approximately $31.5 a thousand for .223's
You do not need to sort your brass by caliber, we will gladly accept any caliber! It does not matter if the casings are crushed, or bent.

[medalguy]

I shoot on public land and find all kinds of brass there. My procedure is to pick up everything I can, and then separate it by steel case/brass case with a magnet. Some of your brass, especially from comblock nations may be steel cases and copper plated. Toss that. Then separate by primer type. Berdan primed brass, with 2 holes in the bottom of the case, are for most purposes, not reloadable. That goes into the scrap bucket.

Now we are left with usable, reloadable brass. Check for worn-out brass, which also goes in the scrap bucket, and all that's left is good, valuable brass. You can reload it, sell it to a reloader for his use, or just scrap it if no one wants it, which is unlikely. About once a year I take my scrap bucket, which includes all expended primers, and sell it for scrap. I take home a nice pocket full of cash.

[AirborneMosinFan]

4. Repave your driveway and use them in the concrete for "effect" - this will let everyone know that a true "redneck" lives here.