Greetings!

This is a challenge that all of us that reload tend to face. Personally, I don't want to advertise that I reload or have guns, and I was wondering how members here dispose of their empty powder containers!

Thanks for your advice!

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Judge control not gun control!

I put all of my reloading trash in a black trash bag and tie off the top so nothing can escape. Once it goes into the trash truck, no one will know which trash bag came from what business or residence.

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protocalldesign.com

I throw them in the trash along with used targets. Seeing used targets and powder containers should serve to warn people that the people that live here are armed and capable.

I don’t believe I have ever worried about this issue!

Lots of stuff goes into my trash: American Rifleman magazines, junk mail, spoiled food, pizza boxes, Macdonald carry out bags, dog poo, vacuum cleaner and dryer lint, whatever my granddaughter throws out (can’t tell you what’s in her trash: she’s very stealthy), Amazon packaging, and the occasional powder container that’s not old enough to sell.

If you want to paw through it, that’s ok with me as long as you don’t make a mess.

The only thing I might add, is to cut the powder containers apart. Why... so some other less than normal individual will not try to use them to hold other "stuff" like liquids and food... DOAH!

They get mixed in with everything else here too but I also use them for split cases and used primers and such.

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Some assembly required..

I too keep my reloading/shooting/guns quiet from neighbors, I never really bothered disposing of empty reloading containers or shooting trash in any "special" manner. We have a recycle barrel with a lid, for plastics and paper so no casual passers-by would see a powder or bullet container. The trash and recyclables are "not touched by human hands" as the trucks are one man auto loading and it goes into the truck, then to a transfer station and then to a landfill and not "handled" by anyone. So if someone is digging around in the trash or recyclables it's all anonymous trash...

Sometimes I'll keep my 1 lb powder bottles to refill from an 8 lb jug, less room on the bench...

I peel the labels off then throw them in my neighbor's recycling bin. I do keep a couple around for 8# to 1# refills.

Been a long time since I've seen anyone get out of a truck and dump the trash can into the truck. All seems automated now. Guy driving truck has no idea what he just dumped in the hopper while he's sitting in the truck.

I make ornaments out them for the man cave and christmas tree.

the older metal ones are nice.

1 pounders get cleaned and repurposed for storage, larger get recycled.

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SWHF #595

I've got 2 empty containers in my reloading room now (TiteGroup & Bullseye). I usually keep them, in case I need to empty from an 8 pounder. Otherwise I can throw them in the recycle container. I've never really thought much about it, as nobody would know where they came from anyway.

Maybe I've been doing it crudely for the last fifty-five years. I just throw the containers in the trash with other trash; no special or ritualistic procedures involved.

Since I do some of my shooting here on the homestead it's not a secret that I have a gun so I don't worry about an empty powder can. Larry

You animal you. I hope you at least peel the labels off.

I throw mine in the recycle bin and let the city worry about them.

To paraphrase Joseph Heller from the depths of CATCH-22: It ain't paranoia if they're really after you...

I'll 2nd (or 3rd?) the concept of unwieldy 4 & 8 lb. jugs.

Oh, gosh: what about the postman, ups and amazon? They must think Midway, USA is like Avon and I'm a Regional Director, or somethin'...?

Cheers!

P.S. At lease those labels actually come off in one piece!

How can ANYONE have over 2,500 posts and only 4 "likes"...?

Hades! You're gonna' double your total # of "likes" on this post only!

P.S. My current wife really liked the ritualistic procedures comment !

I just can't seem to get into obsessive behavior or paranoia regarding the disposal of powder cans, bottles, or jugs. I always thought they were simply trash and treated them accordingly.

As for the "likes"... I don't know how that happened. I never acknowledged a single "like". For years, only two likes were shown, then mysteriously, they doubled to four in the last couple of years or so. If I really like something, I choose to comment; a bit more meaningful as I see it.

Hmmm? Well I carry ours to the landfill whenever I am out and about. No one knows whats in my trash and thats all for the better. Boxes for TV's or anything like that goes right in the back of the truck for the landfill. As with others no one really knows what I have or do, and it is NONE of their business.

Mine go into the recycling bin, without a second thought.

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Only a cold warrior

I just throw them in the trash with the rest of the garbage.

If there was someone looking through my garbage, I'd have to find a better neighborhood.

Mine all go in our recycle bin.

How many empties do you generate?

I peel off the label if I can. If it comes off nice I'll stick it on the bin of the media separator. If I had some other place to stick'em I would.

I just toss the empty container with the lid off in the trash.

I've only used up one so far, so not a problem.

Plastic , metal and cardboard containers go in the recycling bin. It's still legal to reload in Louisiana for the moment .

The neighbors haven't started going through my trash yet looking for evidence of my criminal reloading activities ... when they do I will have to start driving to other states , Mississippi or Texas , and disposing the "evidence" there . Removing labels and cutting up containers into small pieces helps in disposal .
(the above paragraph is irony...I don't really do this)
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

You guys all missed my first thought... put them on eBay as “collectibles!”

You mean to say that no one saves them for the County Haz Mat recycling day and wait in line for 3 hours to dispose of them properly?
Take them to the range put on the berm an shoot them.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Recycling bin for me; not worrying much about it.

I'll bet a dollar to a hole in a doughnut that there are people that do that. Larry

I’m pretty discreet about being a gun owner in our neighborhood. But I toss powder jugs, bullet and primer boxes in the regular trash.

Mine go to my range. Get shot full of holes. Then into the house hold trash bags that get picked by a big "squish em" truck.

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S&W Accumulator

I recycle all my reloading containers........................ into heat in the shop! The neighbors all know I'm a gun owner after a hundred rounds of 44 mags go off in my back yard! Country living is great!
jcelect

Empty powder bottles get treated like any other empty bottles.

I reuse them for popcorn (popped). Come in handy for certain threads.

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Formerly Model520Fan

What about all those empty primer boxes? You can't just throw them in the trash. The primers explode. Now you have powder residue mixed with priming compound ! ! !

This is contaminated plastic -- it can't be recycled !

It must be a slow day living on their block, not much happening in the real world of paranoia and perfection. I guess living in New Jersey is just really different. An empty pistol primer box means you have an illegal, immoral unregistered handgun?

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S&WHF 366

A little too tin foil hat for me....never thought about it. But I do double back from the trips to the gun shop to make sure I’m not being followed.

The government has been watching me, they’ll keep the neighbors out of my trash. All those Form 4473’s over the years...those who want to know already do.

This is what I do with the labels.

I don't do this for any other reason than I thought the labels were kinda neat and thought they would display nicely.

Maybe its from buying performance car parts that came with decals. They came with everything and lots of guy put them on a toolbox or shop bathroom doors.

If I had a door or cabinet I would have stuck them on it too. I couldnt bring myself to stick them on the safe...

I REMOVE THE LABELS USING A HEATGUN. THAN CHUCK THEM INTO THE REGULAR TRASH. JP

Plastic recycling bin

And horror of horrors, I throw empty ammo boxes in the trash or recycling, for everyone to see!

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Only a cold warrior

I see lots of paranormia here..........Lots!

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S&W Accumulator

I can’t say I ever put powder containers on my worry list! I never cared if the guys in the black helicopters saw them. I figured the agents in the shrubs already had me covered.

My dad loved empty IMR cans. He would dip them in some kind of acetone based solvent that would take it bare. Then he would use to contain different solvents and oils liberated from 55gal drums at work.

Its not like i throw a dozen in the trash a week. Dont over think it.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

We have no recycle bin and trash trucks come around with men riding on the back who empty the cans in the back of the truck. After reading the above posts, am I living in a time warp or maybe it's just semi-rural northeast Texas?

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Where we go one, we go all

Is it the CV-19 or what? I’m amazed at some of the things that people make an issue out of. Everyday they use credit cards, ATMs and other forms of electronic files of personal information. Everything from banks to medical files. Nothing is secret anymore, so don’t waste time worrying about empty powder containers. The other day on one of the gun forums a guy was worried about what to do with spent primers. Should he throw them away or take them to scrap yard and sell them for scrap? You got to be kidding. I’m 70 and stoved up but if I get to this point I hope kids put me away.

Well since the Covid I'm more concerned about the proliferation of empty scotch bottles in my trash.

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Forum consigliere

Lots of obsessive behavior and paranoia nowadays. I told my wife if she ever sees me waxing guns, trying to remove carbon rings from cylinder faces, diagramming sentences, or doing any other form of busy work, to take me before a mental health court judge.

A Hodgdon 1 lb container will hold 250 rounds of loaded 9mm.