What do you do with spent primers?

[Demi-human]

Though not all do, my recycler takes it all as cartridge brass, thus, they all go in the same bucket.

Men toiled hard to wrench the metal from the Earth’s clutches, it shouldn’t be wasted!
Scrap that brass with the rest and get cash for more components!

 

[EMC45]

Throw them in the trash.

 

[FROGO207]

I routinely fill an old gallon antifreese container full each year. I cap it and take it to the recyclers along with my other scrap brass. Helps with the bottom line for sure.
**Do not mix in shotgun primers though they are not brass and the recycler will reject your primers.

 

[lightman]

I advertise them for sale once a year on April the First. Mixed once fired primers for sale-----cheap!

Really, I save them in jugs and sell them when I sell scrap brass and Zinc wheelweights.

 

[Reinz]

Years ago I mailed a 4 inch square box of them to a friend, just to jack with him. Ya know, one of those kind of buddies where you hack on each other.

He surprisingly never mentioned it.

 

[durachoke]

Do you need to clean them in order to recycle along with your brass? Right now I’ve started filling a jug full of bad brass and fired primers, but they are pretty darn dirty things.

 

[Walkalong]

Do you need to clean them in order to recycle along with your brass?

No

 

[Demi-human]

Do you need to clean them in order to recycle along with your brass? Right now I’ve started filling a jug full of bad brass and fired primers, but they are pretty darn dirty things.

Yes!

They require another tumbling with even smaller pins, to clean the primer’s pockets. The three holes around the anvil.
This gets them ready to be melted into new brass cases at the foundry.

I use Armor All Wash and Wax when I tumble. A little citric acid makes them really shine!

You may need to dry them...



(Just kidding. )

 

[durachoke]

You had me in the first half.

Yes!

They require another tumbling with even smaller pins, to clean the primer’s pockets. The three holes around the anvil.
This gets them ready to be melted into new brass cases at the foundry.

I use Armor All Wash and Wax when I tumble. A little citric acid makes them really shine!

You may need to dry them...



(Just kidding. )

 

[Random 8]

Spent 209 shotgun primers make fantastic slingshot ammo. Give a nice whistle when they fly. I also use them as aggregate when making quick-crete anchors.

 

[Jonesy814]

I fill empty powder canisters. I have a couple one pound jugs full and half the third. When I get a pile of brass together for recycling, they will go too

 

[Cokeman]

37 rows from the bottom, 17th from the left.



My Lee turret drops the spent primers into a half gallon milk jug that lives under the bench. When full, it's probably 10 pounds or more. It goes to the recycling center, and traded for lead.

yep, there it is.

I checked and it was spent. Must have been the lighting. We’re ok.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

The OP is definitely overthinking this "problem".

They are T-R-A-S-H; treat them as such.

 

[JonMorganHill]

I wouldn't call it overthinking. I'm new to reloading and had a basic question

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

The OP is definitely overthinking this "problem".

They are T-R-A-S-H; treat them as such.

They are not trash. They are scrap.

Scrap has value. Trash is garbage, and worthless.

 

[dh1633pm]

I put them in my town's recycle bin.

 

[durachoke]

How does a scrap yard decide whether to take it or not?

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

How does a scrap yard decide whether to take it or not?

Each yard has its own policy.

The yard I use will accept it as yellow brass, after passing a magnet over it. If any jump out and stick to the magnet, they will reject the entire batch.

And look sideways at you next time....

 

[blue32]

I took 63 pounds of mostly spent primers and split brass cases to the recycler last week and walked away with $73. It took 11 years to accumulate what was otherwise trash in a 5 gallon bucket but its worth saving considering the small footprint.

 

[dh1633pm]

So you made $6.63 a year for 11 years. I'll take it. I too have a brass bucket. I don't put primers in it.

 

[durachoke]

Something I’ll need to do and keep an eye on scrap prices. Thanks for the help.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

They are not trash. They are scrap.

Scrap has value. Trash is garbage, and worthless.

In my home they are trash and get thrown-out w/ the rest of the trash.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

They are not trash. They are scrap.

Scrap has value. Trash is garbage, and worthless.

Save 'em for the scrap man = money.
About 25,000 thousand in those two jars. The weight is surprising!

 

[Navy_Guns]

Wait, did Riomouse say he VACUUMS them up? I thought the residue from primers contained lead. So vacuuming them up blows lead dust everywhere and contaminates your vacuum. Am I wrong?

They contain lead styphnate (sp?)
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/lead-in-primers.138308/

 

[Walkalong]

We all have some lead dust in our reloading rooms. Gotta get things clean somehow, just don't suck start the vacuum cleaner.