Good Price for Mil Brass?

ReconJohn · November 28, 2009, 09:54 PM

There is a guy that is selling Military 5.56 NATO 1000 rds of semi-cleaned brass for $100. Im calling it semi-cleaned because its not bright and shiny but still has some junk on it. Probably just tumbled them to get most of the dirt off to check for cracks and dents. Is that worth it? He is guaranteeing no bertain primer ,major dents or cracks. So im taking that as being 1000 good reloadable pieces of brass.

Thanks for any input.

John

Alaskee · November 29, 2009, 12:01 AM

Scharch sells fully processed brass (cleaned, trimmed, primer crimp removed) for $119.
http://www.scharch.com/products.php?cat=9
You should be able to find uncleaned military .223 for about half that on e-bay, polished for slightly more.

Hommbs · November 29, 2009, 07:19 AM

Been a while since Ebay has allowed bullets and brass to be auctioned off there. Most gun forums like this one have a classified section with tha brass going for around $60-75 per thousand.

Uncle Buck · November 29, 2009, 09:07 AM

A good price or not? I would guess that depends on whether you really need the brass and are willing to pay that much for it. I have seen it offered here on TFL forum for less than that.
I have overpaid for primers

But I needed them and wanted them and had no more in stock.
I have overpaid for bullets, same reason as above. If you can afford the asking price and you trust the seller and you want them, then they are a good price.
If you do not need them and are willing to wait for a better deal to come along, then they are not such a great deal.

A formula that my buddy uses to buy used brass is:

Used brass price: $xx.xx per 1000

Scrap brass price: $xx.xx
How many cartridges does it take to make one pound of scrap brass:

New brass price: $xx.xx

Because the scrap metal market is always changing, he may pay less for the same type of brass that two months ago cost much more.

Just something to think about.

Alaskee · November 29, 2009, 06:08 PM

Sorry, when I wrote ebay, I meant Gunbroker.com. I've purchased several thousand .223 recently and paid between $40 for mixed headstamps to $67 per thousand for fully processed Lake City plus shipping. Other auctions are quite a bit more but aren't receiving any bids. If you wait and watch, deals can be had.

Farmland · November 29, 2009, 06:31 PM

The only thing I will add you may want to buy used brass that does not have a military crimp for the primer. Processing 1,000 pieces of brass with a military crimp can add extra work and can be a royal pain. Of course you can buy a Dillon or another tool to remove the crimp but still in the short run it is more work. I went through over a 1,000 rounds the hard way using a RCBS tool on my press to remove the military crimp. It just added a lot more time to processing the brass, something I really didn't like doing.

November 28, 2009, 09:54 PM	#1
ReconJohn Junior Member Join Date: November 28, 2009 Posts: 1	Good Price for Mil Brass? There is a guy that is selling Military 5.56 NATO 1000 rds of semi-cleaned brass for $100. Im calling it semi-cleaned because its not bright and shiny but still has some junk on it. Probably just tumbled them to get most of the dirt off to check for cracks and dents. Is that worth it? He is guaranteeing no bertain primer ,major dents or cracks. So im taking that as being 1000 good reloadable pieces of brass. Thanks for any input. John

November 29, 2009, 12:01 AM	#2
Alaskee Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2002 Location: Nelchina Alaska Posts: 131	Too High Scharch sells fully processed brass (cleaned, trimmed, primer crimp removed) for $119. http://www.scharch.com/products.php?cat=9 You should be able to find uncleaned military .223 for about half that on e-bay, polished for slightly more.

November 29, 2009, 09:07 AM	#4
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	A good price or not? I would guess that depends on whether you really need the brass and are willing to pay that much for it. I have seen it offered here on TFL forum for less than that. I have overpaid for primers But I needed them and wanted them and had no more in stock. I have overpaid for bullets, same reason as above. If you can afford the asking price and you trust the seller and you want them, then they are a good price. If you do not need them and are willing to wait for a better deal to come along, then they are not such a great deal. A formula that my buddy uses to buy used brass is: Used brass price: $xx.xx per 1000 Scrap brass price: $xx.xx How many cartridges does it take to make one pound of scrap brass: New brass price: $xx.xx Because the scrap metal market is always changing, he may pay less for the same type of brass that two months ago cost much more. Just something to think about. __________________ Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

November 29, 2009, 06:08 PM	#5
Alaskee Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2002 Location: Nelchina Alaska Posts: 131	Not ebay Sorry, when I wrote ebay, I meant Gunbroker.com. I've purchased several thousand .223 recently and paid between $40 for mixed headstamps to $67 per thousand for fully processed Lake City plus shipping. Other auctions are quite a bit more but aren't receiving any bids. If you wait and watch, deals can be had.

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November 29, 2009, 07:19 AM	#3
Hommbs Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2005 Location: La Puente, California Posts: 102	Been a while since Ebay has allowed bullets and brass to be auctioned off there. Most gun forums like this one have a classified section with tha brass going for around $60-75 per thousand.

November 29, 2009, 06:31 PM	#6
Farmland Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2009 Posts: 869	The only thing I will add you may want to buy used brass that does not have a military crimp for the primer. Processing 1,000 pieces of brass with a military crimp can add extra work and can be a royal pain. Of course you can buy a Dillon or another tool to remove the crimp but still in the short run it is more work. I went through over a 1,000 rounds the hard way using a RCBS tool on my press to remove the military crimp. It just added a lot more time to processing the brass, something I really didn't like doing.