Best Brass Option for Non-Reloaders?

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  • Bapak2ja

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    Dec 17, 2009
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    Fort Wayne
    I do not reload. It requires a precision, detail orientation, and competence that is beyond me. Just not something I want to do.

    So what do I do with my brass? I have been saving it up, planning to send it in to Freedom Munitions for brass credit. I ran the math and determined that I had to get at least $0.85/lb net to break even after shipping. This did not account for the higher purchase price of Freedom ammo, though.

    I did the research and found that I could by plinker ammo for up to $1.50 cheaper via Wikiarms sources than I could at Freedom. This pushed me to find an alternative use for the once-fired brass. So I contacted local scrap metal buyers. Ding! Ding! Ding! I found a winner here in the Fort.

    Metal X will pay $0.97/lb for clean brass, less if it is dirty. Either way, without the cost of shipping the brass ($18.85 to ship 35lbs), I get $0.12/lb more. Definitely the way to go.

    Here is a link to the Metal X website for details. https://iscrapapp.com/yards/us-indiana-fort-wayne-metalx/?whats_this=1

    Thought the :ingo:ers in the Fort might be interested.
     

    gregkl

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    Apr 8, 2012
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    Bloomington
    I don't know how many casings are in a lb. but you could sell it here on INGO. Lot's of people are looking for brass.
     

    bocefus78

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    Apr 9, 2014
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    Hamilton Co.
    Separate it by caliber and sell it here. Price it low and it will sell very fast and for much more $ than selling per pound mixed. You can get a count based on weight per caliber if you google search.

    BTW, priced low (per 1k cases) means around $20-9mm & .40, $40 for .45, .380, and .223, $80 .308

    Those prices will make it move fast. If I needed brass, I'd buy all you had at those prices with no haggling.
     

    gregkl

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    Apr 8, 2012
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    Separate it by caliber and sell it here. Price it low and it will sell very fast and for much more $ than selling per pound mixed. You can get a count based on weight per caliber if you google search.

    BTW, priced low (per 1k cases) means around $20-9mm & .40, $40 for .45, .380, and .223, $80 .308

    Those prices will make it move fast. If I needed brass, I'd buy all you had at those prices with no haggling.

    Yup, I'd buy the 9mm and .223. .38/.357 also, oh and .44!
     

    Bapak2ja

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    Dec 17, 2009
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    Fort Wayne
    I was paid $37.40 for 34lbs. of brass this morning. No hassle with shipping, sorting, or delivery. Just drive in on the way home from the gym, have the guy weigh it, take the receipt to the office, walk away with cash in hand. Pretty simple.

    I noticed folks who are interested in reloading, who commented here, are a bit distant from the Fort. It would take a bit of extra work and cost to get it to you, but it could be done. I have talked to some folks on here about it, but it never resulted in a sale. I carried this brass to several gun shows—two in Auburn and two in the Fort at least. Made a good sale of the .223 and the .38SPL, but could not find a buyer for the 9mm, the .380, nor the .357mag. The one vendor that did show interest in the 9mm told me he only purchased 9mm spent brass that was "washed." I figured if I had to wash it I might as well reload it myself, which I do not want to do.

    I would be happy to sell it to you folks, and I would like the additional cash of a higher price, but how much do I really gain by doing the extra work of sorting and storing separately, advertising, finding a buyer, packaging, and incurring the extra cost of shipping? If someone in New Haven or Huntertown, or even Roanoke, wants to meet at Walmart for a sale, I would be happy to do it. But after over a year of collecting, storing, and researching this, I think $37 in the hand is a pretty good deal.

    Woobie, hit the critical issue—"If you are wiling to hassle with the logistics". It does get to be a hassle. Don't forget, it takes a bit of time to get 1,000 rounds of spent brass in any caliber.

    Anyway, thanks for the advice. If anyone in the Fort wants to some quick cash in the pocket, here is an option. Y'all have a good day.
     

    Broom_jm

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    Dec 10, 2009
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    The next time you have a pile of brass, sell it to someone with the motivation to clean, sort and sell. You'll come out ahead and the brass will be put to good use.
     

    1775usmarine

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    Feb 15, 2013
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    JMO but I would of tried to put the brass up for sale here for the INGO community, even if you made it where the buyer paid ship.
     

    Mgderf

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    May 30, 2009
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    I take brand new brass, and old brass, to the recycling place on a routine basis.
    Bright, shiny, and clean. I get top dollar for that stuff.
    Some of the "dirty" brass gets a little less, but it mostly brings the same price. Brass is brass...

    I reload all I can, but that's not the brass I'm talking about.

    I do a fair amount of plumbing repair. Replacing faucets, tubs, showers...
    I take home unused brass compression ferals almost weekly. Brass valve bodies and drains, faucets, aluminum shower door rails, screen doors...
    I also take home a fair amount of copper, stainless steel, aluminum, and about any other scrap metal besides plain steel.

    Now and again I'll run a load of scrap to the yard and put $50, or $150 in my pocket.
    I make a lot of scrap yard runs just a day or two before a gun show.
     

    1775usmarine

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    I've got scrap brass from reloading that I cut too short, the tension is gone, or the primer pockets are loose. I wouldn't want anyone else to get one of those and hurt themselves.
     

    Sniper 79

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    Oct 7, 2012
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    I sort out all the high dollar rifle brass and sell it at gun shows or on here. The rest gets scrapped. Doesn't matter if its clean or dirty I been getting a $1.05 per pound from local metal buyer. It got as high as a $1.25 last summer. A 5gal bucket is for sure worth a hundred dollar bill. Couple that with old screen doors and whatever else is laying around on garbage day and I can hand load for the cost of my time.:cool:
     

    VERT

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    Jan 4, 2009
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    Seymour
    Hearing a story about reloadable brass going to the recycler makes me :(. I reload 9mm, 45 and 38 spl. The rest I sort out and give away. Except .380, I hate .380 brass because no matter how much sorting I do it still ends up in my making it to the second station on my press. By that time it already cost me a primer.
     

    VERT

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    I googled how much 9mm brass in a pound. Looks like scrap price is roughly about a penny each. Dirty 9mm sorted is only worth about 2 cents. So I can see the OPs point about sorting. But it still makes me sad to see brass get destroyed that can be reused. There might come the day we want that back. I can remember when all reloading components were in short supply.
     

    VERT

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    I googled how much 9mm brass in a pound. Looks like scrap price is roughly about a penny each. Dirty 9mm sorted is only worth about 2 cents. So I can see the OPs point about sorting. But it still makes me sad to see brass get destroyed that can be reused. There might come the day we want that back. I can remember when all reloading components were in short supply. Also more and more bargain ammo is steel cased, so who knows reloaded cases might become harder to get in the future.
     

    1775usmarine

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    It seems if the Op lists here there is a boatload of potential buyers. I would even imagine some local.
     

    AngryRooster

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    Apr 27, 2008
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    Outside the coup
    Agree, it's a shame to see it destroyed. Put it up for sale. I've driven to Kokomo from Randolph county several times to buy brass and visit a friend. I've got family up by Ft. Wayne I could visit. Also had this posted for several months as well. If I'd seen it I most likely would have bought all you had to offer, picked up or paid shipping.

    https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/want-buy/426642-357-mag-brass.html
     
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