Scrap value? Cartridge vs yellow brass?

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sjmjax

sjmjax

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Curious. I’ve been following scrap values for brass for some time.

Locally cartridge brass is quoted significantly less valuable than generic “yellow” brass.

No explanation as to why the price difference. It’s basically the same 70/30 brass just a different forming process generally.

Do you see significant price differences locally and do you have any good explanation for the difference?
 
Cartridge brass is "Alpha brass". It is priced lower than common yellow brass because cartridge brass is considered to be a mixed alloy because of the primers. If you simply ask this at the scrap yard this is what they should tell you.
 
I haven't sold any brass in a couple of years; I generally wait until I have at least 80-100 pounds. Scrap yard policy and prices vary a lot. Where I go, they call everything "yellow brass" - cases, primers, bronze brushes, copper bullets, brass wool, small pieces of copper pipe, etc.
 
As others have stated, spent brass contains primers that need to be removed, toxic chemicals to be separated and disposed of and is a giant hassle for a scrap yard.

When I started out and did not reload, I'd sell the used brass for scrap. The scrap metal place I used had a pretty good business going with the NYPD and was known to buy tons of spent 38 special cartridges. I went there one time and they told me they no longer buy brass shells due to the fact that some of them contained live rounds (from the PD) or so I was told. After that I would sell the empties to a local commercial reloader who would trade me live ammo for spent brass - obviously NOT a 1 for 1 deal. His commercial reloads were absolutely the dirtiest, worst ammo I have ever shot in my life and after a few trades I stopped going there and bought my own reloading equipment.
 
Depends on who's buying. One place was paying 1.70/pd for yellow brass. more for red brass. Cartridge brass was considered yellow.
Found another place that classified brass as either clean or dirty. Cartridge brass was considered clean, primers or not, and they paid $2/pd. Guess where I take it.

John
 
Depends on who's buying.
Click to expand...

Yep. I teach my students to save their spent primers and then turn them in to the scrap yard for cash. Personally, I have sold my primers for the going rate for cartridge brass.

Don
 
Don't know the going rates for scrap here, but somebody is buying. Otherwise we wouldn't have sketchy dudes hanging around the gravel pits and impromptu "ranges" up in the National Forest. The polite ones wait until you finish shooting.
 
The place I go locally calls cartridge brass "dirty" regardless of whether you deprime it or not. But by the time I bring it to them it really is dirty. I only recycle split, corroded, or crushed cartridge brass, or if the primer pocket won't hold a primer.
 
USSR said:
Yep. I teach my students to save their spent primers and then turn them in to the scrap yard for cash. Personally, I have sold my primers for the going rate for cartridge brass.

Don
Click to expand...
Precisely. Primers are all brass and have intrinsic scrap value. The scrap yard that gives a lesser rate for fired cartridges with the primers intact are scamming you. There are no more "hazardous" substances in spent primers than there are in the fired brass cases.
 
sjmjax said:
Curious. I’ve been following scrap values for brass for some time.

Locally cartridge brass is quoted significantly less valuable than generic “yellow” brass.

No explanation as to why the price difference. It’s basically the same 70/30 brass just a different forming process generally.

Do you see significant price differences locally and do you have any good explanation for the difference?
Click to expand...
Because if the smelters were to take that as brass the ammo would have to go through a special process similar to fast food assembly belt toaster but much longer to burn all the powder and set off the primers. Its costly.
 
Martyk said:
Precisely. Primers are all brass and have intrinsic scrap value. The scrap yard that gives a lesser rate for fired cartridges with the primers intact are scamming you. There are no more "hazardous" substances in spent primers than there are in the fired brass cases.
Click to expand...
The big smelters couldn't care less about what you just said. Its the gun shop equivalent of "oh its not loaded" as the counter guy pops a round out of the chamber.

The only way they would accept the brass as safe is if THEY process it and "burn" it. There is a couple of other brass processors that have their own burn lines for this but they are a few and far between.
 
lihpster said:
Don't know the going rates for scrap here, but somebody is buying. Otherwise we wouldn't have sketchy dudes hanging around the gravel pits and impromptu "ranges" up in the National Forest. The polite ones wait until you finish shooting.
Click to expand...

There's NEVER any brass in the barrels at my club, and I've even had to stop one guy from snagging my empties while I was still shooting!
 
A couple of years ago I took around 2500 rounds of 44 Mag brass for recycling. I retire my brass after 10 loadings, some had small splits at the end. A lot didn't. Some over 30 years old, some even older but those hadn't been shot much. One of the employees grabbed the 5 gal drum, emptied it out to get rid of the other kind of brass that was mixed in. I asked why he did that and he said because it was a bit different kind of brass that had to be separated. He held it like it was gold. He took off with it as he would a treasure. A month later I saw a lot of (150) once fired 44 mag brass up for auction not that far away from the recycle place. They weren't clean or once fired, I bet they were mine.

Rick
44 mag brass.webp
 
In my area, as long as I separate all the aluminum and steel and loaded rounds out of the brass, it's all considered "cartridge brass", which is the same as yellow brass. The last trip two months ago netted me $3.27 a pound, and that included a coffee can half full of spent primers. If your scrap dealer will take the spent primers, don't mix shotshell primers in with them, as they're a combination of steel and brass.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
One of my range buddies tipped me off about the high prices for range brass lately. Reminded me about the 5 buckets of old brass that's been out in the barn for years. 255 pounds=over $750 cash at 2.95 per#.
 
I currently belong top two different gun clubs. One is a beautiful, high end indoor public range that I joined with yearly membership and the other is a private outdoor club. Over the last year or so I have met many many people who are not interested in reloading and gladly let me take their once shot brass. I am to the point now where I don't even take it anymore. Between what I have accumulated and brought home from the ranges, I am good to go.

A few years ago I was running low on 45 acp brass because all of mine had been reloaded so many times it was wearing out - but people have given me enough once shot brass that I now have plenty for the long haul.
 
90% of the brass that I pick up at my fish and game club range is either 9mm Luger or .223. Most of the latter is crimped. All of it goes into my recycle bucket. Last trip to the scrap yard payed $3/lb. It pays for primers. :)
Occasionally, I'll find some good .308, 300 BO or 5.7 x28. It's mostly left by younger shooters who are into semis and don't reload.
I rarely find good revolver brass like .357, 44 mag or 45 Colt.

John
 
Now I just have to get myself into "reloading mode". I don't really like to do it - I do it more because I have enough components for the long haul and I shoot too much and too often to pay retail. Because I bought components at the right time, a box of fifty 38 specials run me just over $5 and a box of 45 acp runs around $7 bucks. Where I REALY save is on the 45 Colt, 45-70, 38-55 and 357 magnum. I also load around 1K of 9mm but only do that because I have the components - not really to save much.

I typically will load up 10K - 15K over a week and then cover the press for another year. I call it "binge reloading" - lol. Works for me.
 
chief38 said:
As others have stated, spent brass contains primers that need to be removed, toxic chemicals to be separated and disposed of and is a giant hassle for a scrap yard.

When I started out and did not reload, I'd sell the used brass for scrap. The scrap metal place I used had a pretty good business going with the NYPD and was known to buy tons of spent 38 special cartridges. I went there one time and they told me they no longer buy brass shells due to the fact that some of them contained live rounds (from the PD) or so I was told. After that I would sell the empties to a local commercial reloader who would trade me live ammo for spent brass - obviously NOT a 1 for 1 deal. His commercial reloads were absolutely the dirtiest, worst ammo I have ever shot in my life and after a few trades I stopped going there and bought my own reloading equipment.
Click to expand...
I'm sure they weren't kidding about the live ammo. Our local PD contacted our store to see if we would be interested in the brass from their range. We said sure and they brought in multiple tubs full, one of the guys who brought it said there was "probably some live rounds in there" and the scrap yard they had dealt with previously didn't want it anymore. Said it was about two years worth of range sweepings.

Took us a while to sort through it all, even recruited some of our kids and spouses to help. Ended up with several hundred rounds of 40 cal, 9mm and 223/5.56 along with various other calibers (guess from officers personal guns) along with a ton of fired brass. Bagged up the good brass and sold it, found another scrap yard that would take all the damaged brass and came out pretty good on the deal.
 
Appreciate the comments.

I’ve asked at the local scrap yards why they discount cartridge brass. But, it’s been tough getting to anyone in authority.

I don’t “buy” the dirty or primer issue some have suggested. The primers are brass of the same or similar composition.

Dirty or contaminated? Certainly no worse than most of what I see in their yards.

If I get any better explanation, I’ll post my results.
 
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