What to do with Unserviceable Brass?

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amprecon

amprecon

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While inspecting some .45acp brass I noticed that some of the rounds had a slight bulge near the base, obviously had been used too many times. I was about to throw them in the trash and thought that maybe they may be of some value or other use. Any ideas?
They were shot out of a Glock 21 using 7.0grs of Unique and 230gr. FMJ's.
 
Crush the bad ones with pliers.

Put them in a box and take them to the scrap metal recycler every year when you clean out the place.
Scrap brass is worth something in the salvage business. Make sure there are no live primers.
 
I think the last time I took my 5 gallon bucket of old brass to the scrap dealer I got $.29/pound.
 
In my neck of the woods, different Pro-gun groups will have a "Turn in your brass day". So people bring in the old brass and then the group has it melted down to make placard. In Michigan, a group call Brass Roots had people bring in their old brass to melt down to make a placard of the State of Michigan version of the 2nd Amendment. Then it was given to the state Capital building were it hangs in the main hall as you walk in. The thing is huge (2x3 feet)! It took a lot of brass to make it.:)
 
If you shoot a lot of Glock and the brass is otherwise servicable you could look into a roll sizer. Or figure out how to set the sizing die so it runs all the way down over the base to kill the bulge. Seems that is a Glock habit to bulge the base, oh well. Other than that, or A-merc, trash it. If somebody tries to give you A-merc brass or loaded ammo don't be their friend anymore, they've got it in for you.
 
Alternatives....

1. One can trim the heads off, drill out the primer holes and make grip screwhole liners....

2. Depending on caliber, the heads or main body area can be used as spacers in various devices.

3. I've turned the base into a peep sight on a couple rifles.

No, I am not Martha Stewart.....

Oh. Primers are made of brass as well as the casing. Scrap dealers may not know that, but they are. I think most scrap dealers are leery of live primers. And fired primers have a lot of crud in them. Life goes on.
 
How about mangled brass with a live primer in it. The "thing to do" used to be drop them in penetrating oil for a week and throw them out. Now, I'm hearing about guys who put them in WD40 for a month and the primer is still live!

I've got about 20 empty mangled cases with live primers (yeah, I know, I should have adjusted the belling after about 2). Anyway, I don't want to just toss them in the trash with the primer, so what does everyone do with them? The brass is too mangled to fit in a chamber to pop them off.
 
Part of many ranges' income is from the sale of brass. Any brass that I can't use any more is dumped into the brass buckets at the range: every little bit helps 'em.

All the ranges in my area also dispose of live rounds, and brass with damaged but live primers.
 
Brass Heads into Jewelry

I have had barrels of used brass and primers and my scrap yard has taken my primers as a magnet did not pick up any of them. I have also sold tire clips, brass valve stems the wound up in the tire weights bucket and even sold the slag off the top of my smelter for the metals that it contained.

I think you can make a statement by depriming your worn out brass and on your favorite calibers polishing the heads and cutting the heads off the cases and with the right sized small brass bolt to fit in the primrt pocket you can mount them on a belt, hat, shooting box, rifle stock or a necktie to show what your favorite calibers are. They could even screwed on a table top and varnished over. If fishing boat hatch covers can be varnished with sea shells on them as table tops and other things used on table tops why not the pretty brass heads of your ammo?

Guys would stop to read the calibers on your favorite shooting box, belt or hat.

If anyone has any of this manly art, you are welcome to post it here on this thread.

Have fun guys and live it up as life can be too short.

Paul Jones
The Reloading Specialist
Author of
"How To Live With And Love Your Progressive Reloader"
"Shooters Elbow and Doctor recommended exercises"
"Lead Poisoning Incidence. Prevention and Treatment"
 
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