Range brass - scrap metal?

[Mulehahn]

I went to visit a friend and we popped into his range for a fun day. It's a small town range, never busy kinda place. Anyways, we were shooting away and when it came time to clean up the brass (a lot of .22 was shot) I was told to just toss it away.

I was kinda taken back. At my range I pick up my rifle brass for reloading and just toss my pistol brass into the collection bin. I never enquired as to what happens to it. I just figured it was sold for scrap. Is that not what happens to it? Do you have to deprime it? Seems to me that, while you won't make a lot, a few months of range brass would certainly pay for the gas to take it in, even at today's prices, and be worth it.

[brass410]

our range was hosting the local LEO's traing shoots we were sending 1600lbs plus of brass for scrap twice a year to raise club funds, but there could'nt be any live rounds so it all had to be hand sorted (what a job) imagine sorting 35-40 5 gallon pails at a time, some live rounds got missed and the scrap yard would'nt take it anymore. Some of the members pick it up still and sort it and sell to other reloaders but there not a huge demand aroud here for it.

[6MT]

Range brass can be a gold mine!

[bat119]

I always disposed of my worn out brass at the range until I found out some were being sold by people picking out of the bucket, now I flatten the brass with vise grips before I toss into the recycle bin.

[brass410]

Originally Posted by bat119

I always disposed of my worn out brass at the range until I found out some were being sold by people picking out of the bucket, now I flatten the brass with vise grips before I toss into the recycle bin.

Thats to bad, cause lots of guys are swaging bullet jackets from these cases. With the costs of components and availiblility these "worn out" cases make excellent jackets for bullets ie 223 cases make jackets for my 375 H&H bullets 45 auto make wonderfull 45-70 jackets 40S&W make hard to find jacketed 44mag and the list goes on. One mans junk is anothers treasure. These are some of the more expensive to purchase. I make my own 45-70's for less than 10 cents a projectile vs 2.00plus each from the major makers. And I do it with dies I already have not thousand dollar custom sets.

[Battle Rat]

Originally Posted by bat119

I always disposed of my worn out brass at the range until I found out some were being sold by people picking out of the bucket, now I flatten the brass with vise grips before I toss into the recycle bin.

Why?
Its good to see someone else taking the initiative to repurpose something.

[tranq78]

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

Why?
Its good to see someone else taking the initiative to repurpose something.

I'm not the OP but I think he's doing it to prevent someone from re-selling it as "once fired" or reloading it thinking it's once fired. He makes sure the brass is unusable because he doesn't want anyone to get hurt.

I do the same with brass that I don't think is safe to reload anymore and then put it in the brass bucket at the range for recycling.

[bat119]

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

Why?
Its good to see someone else taking the initiative to repurpose something.

Why do you think I'm throwing out?

cracks, hard necks, blown primer pockets

I don't buy used brass or once fired unless I know it's history

A one eyed gunsmith once told me never mix or use brass you pick up.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=409843

I wonder where the seller got this brass from?

[Mulehahn]

Thanks, I never really thought about the unfired/failure to fire rounds. That could pose a problem. I will suggest to my friend to ask the range if they tried and the local scrap place refused or why they decided throwing out probably hundred of kilos a year was the best option. I am curious.

As for reloading, as others have said, I if I don't know the brass's history I won't fire it. But to each their own. I am not that familiar with what goes into swaging so I won't comment.