[tacweapon]

I just went out to my local police range and picked up a bunch of spent casings. I have not counted or sorted it yet, but I was wondering what is the going price for spent once fired mixed headstamp casings

I have the following calibers

5.56

5.7

.243

.308

.357sig

9mm

.40S&W

.45ACP

I now that it depends on the condition of the casing but what is the average price for a casing in each of these calibers ?

[TX1911fan]

5.56, 9mm and 45 ACP is not worth anything, so if you just want to ship it to me, I'll dispose of it for you:)

Actually, if you look at the Reloading Components forum you'll see what other people generally charge. The rates on THR are pretty normal.

[3pairs12]

neither is 5.56 and .308 send those to me I'll "dispose" of them for you. Texas doesn't really need 5.56

[Soybomb]

.223 is about $50-70/k depending on the headstamp

9mm i look for about $25-30/k

[MarshallDodge]

Another reference for brass prices is gunbroker.com.

[tacweapon]

I just got done counting and I have

9mm-241
40S&W-682
45ACP-760
357Sig-2276
223/5.56-3082

They are all mixed headstamp picked up from the local outdoor police range, most of them are still fairly shiny but some of them are turning dark. They have not been cleaned or deprimered they just as they were when I picked them up.

How much could I expect to get from them if I sold them to a dealer or a person?

Thanks for the help

[ReloaderFred]

It will depend on condition. A lot of police agencies use reloaded ammunition for practice, since it's cheaper and they have to make their budgets go as far as they can.

The current scrap price for yellow brass in my area is $1.95 a pound. Count in your time for sorting it and add what you think is fair to the scrap price and that will give you an idea of what to expect. The price you get will depend a lot on the caliber and condition of the brass, and the demand for what you have in your area. A dealer isn't going to give you much, since he has to make a profit on it when he sells it, plus the time value of money while he has it in his inventory.

I've been selling it sorted by caliber for $3.50 a pound, plus shipping. I don't worry very much about the caliber, since I buy it by the pound from the Rod & Gun Club, but it's all mixed together when I get it, and about 30% is .22 rimfire, with some steel and aluminum mixed in, along with some sand.

Don't expect to get rich off your find. You'll discover that the time involved sometimes just isn't worth it.

I've got 5 five gallon buckets of .40 S&W brass in the garage right now that I'm trying to peddle. It might just go to the scrap dealer, just because I need the room.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[tacweapon]

I now that it is not reloaded before I asked the officer that is in charge of the range and he said that it should all be once fired brass that use factory ammo to train with, that if any of it has been reloaded it would be some of the hunting caliber rifle rounds that people have done on there own

[tacweapon]

Would it be fair to expect

9mm-$20
40S&W-$60
45ACP-$40
357Sig-$90
223/5.56 -$175

Right now I plan to sell it at the local gunshow tommorrow so I am not trying to sell it online

Are the prices above realistic for what I could get ?

Thanks for the help

[3pairs12]

If you sell it online would you give me first crack at .223 my dad reloads it and always looking for brass.

[tacweapon]

3pairs12 do you know what he usually pays for it

If I sell it online you can have first crack, but I do not plan to I plan to sell it at the gunshow tommorrow and use the money from it to buy more ammo I just want to know the going price so I do not get ripped of or go in there thinking I should get x amount and only be offered half that and get pissed at them

[3pairs12]

To tell you truth I have no idea what he pays for it. He is out of town until sunday. I think that rbernie a member reloads .223 he may be able to answer that. He responds to pm pretty quick and checks about once a day you may try that route.

[rbernie]

I normally pay about $55-$70 per thou of mixed-headstamp 223. I pay on the high end of that range for clean and guaranteed R-P headstamp 223 brass and on the lower end for uncleaned mixed-headstamp stuff. Shiping is normally done via USPS flat-rate boxes - it's the most economical way.

I need some 45ACP brass, so if you decide to stuff it into a USPS flat-rate large box and ship it - drop me a line.

[tacweapon]

rbernie if I dont sell it tommorrow I will send you a pm

the prices I listed above do you think I will get that out of the brass or do you think I will get less or more ?

[rbernie]

I'd probably drop the 9mm and 40S&W prices a bit, since they're easily gotten elsewhere, and drop the 223 price to $150. That should let you find a seller fairly easily, and not get ripped off in the process.

[tacweapon]

does this seem a little more realistic

9mm-241-$15
40S&W-682-$50
45ACP-760-$40
357Sig-2276-$90
223/5.56-3082-$150

[ReloaderFred]

I think you're being overly optimistic with your expectations. You'll get more for the 9mm per round than you will for the .40 brass. The .223 and .45 brass are in more demand than the others. The 357 Sig will go, if you find the right person who needs it. I was buying 357 Sig brass from Midway for $25.00 per thousand when they had it a few years ago. I was able to get 10,000 rounds for that price.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Otto]

I was buying 357 Sig brass from Midway for $25.00 per thousand when they had it a few years ago. I was able to get 10,000 rounds for that price.
I can still buy it for that price but it's nickel. Edit: Oops I called my guy and it's $32 for the Sig.
9mm I can buy for $16 a thousand. Edit: $14
40s&w $27 a thousand. Edit: $23

45acp $45 Winchester 1k
.223 WCC $40 1k

[radkoch]

I bought 1000 rounds all same headstamp guaranteed once fired .357 Sig for $40 per thousand shipped. If yours are mixed headstamp and unknown on times reloadsed you may want to offer them cheap on gunbroker or sell for scrap price.
Hope this helps

[evan price]

...redacted...

[tacweapon]

Thanks for the help everyone I sold all of it today out at the gun show for $ 252.00

[ReloaderFred]

Now you know for sure what it's worth........

Fred

[rondog]

FWIW - I can buy all the .45's I want from a feller for $35/1000. I've got close to 15,000 of 'em now, don't really need any more until I get those filled up.

[ReloaderFred]

That's a really good price for .45 brass, especially if it's once fired. The market has been quite a bit above that price.

Fred

[rondog]

That's a really good price for .45 brass, especially if it's once fired. The market has been quite a bit above that price.

Fred

I agree, and it's tempting to buy more, but I've got buckets full sitting around now. What I NEED is bullets and primers.

[ReloaderFred]

Bullet and primer prices just keep rising. We did a group buy and got Federal primers for $122.00 a case, and Magtech for $118.00 a case, delivered, last month.

The Berry's 185 grain RNHB bullets that I like the best for casual shooting in the .45 acp have gone through the roof. Even though I have a wholesale account with them, the last ones cost me $135.00 per thousand, delivered. I'm casting more and more of what I need these days.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[rondog]

I've been buying 230gr. LRN's from a guy in Phoenix for $35/1000, but haven't actually tried any yet. They look great, just like any other's I've bought. He's a very small-timer, doing it for extra cash, and he's swamped.

I've often wondered if I could make a living doing it, with the right equipment. I wonder what all it would take to do mass-production.....

[ReloaderFred]

A whole bunch of small bullet casting companies have folded in the past couple of years due to the rising cost of lead. They used to be able to buy it for about .50 cents a pound, alloyed, but now it's running them about $1.75 a pound, or more, for alloyed bullet metal. People balk at paying the increased prices for the finished product and won't buy, so there hasn't been any profit in it for a lot of them.

There is a shot producer in Medford, OR, Northwest Shot. He was telling us that the raw materials were costing him $32.25 for 25 pounds at the nearest smelter, which is in Portland. He has to transport it to Medford, a distance of roughly 275 miles, then convert it into shot, and try to make a profit. He decided to only deal in reclaimed shot, which he trades to the clubs at 50 pounds of new shot for each 105 pounds of reclaimed shot. He then sells new shot for around $28.00 per bag, wholesale, which is less than he can buy the raw materials for.

If someone had access to an unlimited supply of wheelweights, and could get their customers to accept the softer alloy (which I prefer anyway), then it might pay.

The other downside is the cost of the casting equipment. A new Magma casting machine, which most of them use, cost $11,350.00, plus about $900.00 per set of molds (it takes 8 double cavity molds per set). The automatic bullet sizer/lubricator is $7,950.00, plus $40.00 per sizing die. These prices don't include shipping, which will be substantial for the casting machine.

I've seen a few used machines on the auction sites, but they go high and some of them have been used pretty hard.

As you can see, making a profit at bullet making can take some time and effort. I know of one person who went into it full time, but dealing with the environmental agency in the state he lives in was enough to make him quit after just a couple of years. That and dealing with people who thought cast bullets were jacketed and constantly complained when they got some leading from driving them too hard.

I view casting as more for my needs than as a commercial venture. I do cast some obsolete bullets for a friend who is in the business of providing those calibers. In fact, I spent yesterday afternoon casting him some bullets that he couldn't get anywhere else. We trade for the bullets, since he also is a gun dealer. When I get enough credit built up from casting, I end up with another gun for my collection. It's a win/win situation.

The bottom line is, I wouldn't cast commercially at this time. It takes too much initial investment and the time involved can be very demanding. And dealing with the public is also a problem, and will only get worse, due to the internet and unreasonable expectations.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[scrat]

you need to collect more at the range to make it worth wild though. I mean if you really wanted to sell range bras you need to stock up like crazy. All calibers too. I wouldnt do anything for a couple hundred shells. the cost of shipping and the price alone makes it not worth it. Unless you have about 500 or more then it gets to be worth it.

[Remo-99]

Fred
A whole bunch of small bullet casting companies have folded in the past couple of years due to the rising cost of lead. They used to be able to buy it for about .50 cents a pound, alloyed, but now it's running them about $1.75 a pound, or more, for alloyed bullet metal.
Although Lead prices (base metal spot prices) have risen quite a bit in the last couple of years, from around $1,000 per ton, to peak at just under $4,000/t, but has settled around $2,000/t atm.
It's alloying metals like Tin, whose prices have not yet settled and continue to rise. 2-3 years ago Tin was around $6,000 per ton, today it's at $22,000/t and still rising. It even shot passed the Nickel price resently.

Bottom line is the harder you want those lead bullets, the more % of tin and other alloying metals, it's gonna contain.

[elkhuntingfool]

I pay a guy locally here about $3/lb for brass - any type of brass. Obviously the number of brass per pound will vary. I've seen it a lot more expensive locally here - but this guy takes good care of me.