Disposing of unusable ammo

[Hal H.]

I have a box of 41 magnum that came with a handgun purchase. They are loaded way to hot based of the info the reloaded wrote on the box. I don't want to throw them in the trash and the local police are not interested without me signing away my first-born. Any ideas?

 

[Rubone]

Dismantle them and re-use or give away the components...

 

[Onomea]

I don't know much about .41 mag revolvers, but perhaps there is a model out there designed to handle much higher than SAAMI pressures. If so, locate an owner and offer for free if he pays shipping.

On the other hand, a prudent man would not accept hot reloads from an unknown reloader.

Hmm.

I see you are in LA. Do you ever get out in the ocean or have friends who fish from boats in the ocean? Heave ho in deep water.

---

I like Rubone's response above better if you know how to dismantle or have a friend who does.

 

[Rustywrench]

With the cost of reloading components. I myself would find someone that has a 41, and reloads, as they would more than likely be happy to have the brass and bullets to pull and reuse. And, understand not shooting unknown reloads. I have given unknown reloads away to friends, with intention of pulling, and not shooting.

 

[Shibadog]

A cheap kinetic bullet puller will solve the issue.

 

[2500]

Agreed, disassemble and re use components

 

[stansdds]

Dismantle the rounds, just takes a kinetic bullet puller and some time.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

I don't have a 41 but I do have a bullet puller. I'd pull the bullets, dump the powder, leave the primers in and bag everything.
Then take the components to my range with a note so whoever wants them can have them.


Rick

 

[Reloader Fred]

If you don't have a bullet puller, but do have a .41 Magnum firearm, you can pull the bullets on your press with pliers, but it will ruin the bullets. You just run them up in your press and use a cut off 12 ga. shotgun shell to protect the threads on your press by slitting the plastic hull and bending it over. Grasp the bullet with the pliers and cushion them against the plastic hull and withdraw the ram. Now you've got primed brass for reloading safely, once it's sized again without a decapping pin in place.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[greenwellg]

I have rolled surplus ammo with my hands until the bullet came out easy and saved the powder and projectiles. Steel cased 7.62X54R. Reloaded with my boxer primed brass.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

I have rolled surplus ammo with my hands until the bullet came out easy and saved the powder and projectiles. Steel cased 7.62X54R. Reloaded with my boxer primed brass.

How long did it take to get one bullet out and how many did you have to roll?

Rick

 

[IAM Rand]

go out and spend $16 on a bullet puller/hammer. You can use it for multiple calibers for future stuff.

Just out of curiosity, what is the recipe that you are so afraid of? You said it was listed.

 

[greenwellg]

880. it was several pounds of powder. Looked like IMR 4895. I had an inertia bullet puller but it was something I could do in air conditioning while watching TV. My computer sits on an old piece of laminate flooring between the armrests on my recliner. A few seconds for each one. I used to have strong hands, could cut a framing nail in half with a pair of Channelock side cutter pliers. Arthritis now makes it much harder closing in on 75. Kept the wife from overheating

How long did it take to get one bullet out and how many did you have to roll?

 

[stansdds]

880. it was several pounds of powder. Looked like IMR 4895. I had an inertia bullet puller but it was something I could do in air conditioning while watching TV. My computer sits on an old piece of laminate flooring between the armrests on my recliner. A few seconds for each one. I used to have strong hands, could cut a framing nail in half with a pair of Channelock side cutter pliers. Arthritis now makes it much harder closing in on 75. Kept the wife from overheating

Happy wife, happy life!

 

[oneeyedpete]

I have rolled surplus ammo with my hands until the bullet came out easy and saved the powder and projectiles. Steel cased 7.62X54R. Reloaded with my boxer primed brass.

I have done the same on thousands of surplus Russian ammo with an inertia bullet puller. You must have mighty strong hands! My surplus Russian ammo had heavy sealer between the bullet and the case. BTW, that powder was indeed a copy of H4895. I reloaded using load data for H4895 and it worked perfectly.

 

[Denverd0n]

Every county that I've ever lived in has had some sort of hazardous waste dump available to the public. Sometimes, depending on what you are dumping, there's a small charge, but it is always extremely reasonable. I'm sure there is something like this where you live.

That's if you don't feel like taking any of the above suggestions.

 

[SASFixer]

I have a box of 41 magnum that came with a handgun purchase. They are loaded way to hot based of the info the reloaded wrote on the box. I don't want to throw them in the trash and the local police are not interested without me signing away my first-born. Any ideas?

pull the bullets, throw away the powder, melt the bullets down and recast.

 

[glenwolde]

Take them to your local shooting range. They dispose of live ammo all the time. Anybody that reloads .41 would gladly take them off your hands. Ask any local shops that sell reloading supplies.

 

[SweetMK]

. Do you ever get out in the ocean or have friends who fish from boats in the ocean? Heave ho in deep water.

A USN boat lost some ammo in the James River (Virginia)
Over 20 or 30 years later, a fisherman snagged some of the 50 cal ammo in a fishing net,,

He gave a friend a couple rounds,,

That guy wanted to make sure the ammo was safe for his son to display in his room
The guy put a round in a shop vise, and hit the primer with a hammer and center punch.

The round exploded,, like it was factory fresh,,
He ended up with a small piece of brass imbedded in his face, 1/4" from his eye.

The other rounds were placed in a burn barrel,, pop-pop,,,

You could always do what Bruce Willis did in the movie "RED",,
except, outdoors, at a distance,,

 

[Lance Boyle]

If the load data is on the box and it's above current max I'd break it down and probably if the powder was one I thought appropriate, I'd simply reduce the load to where I like it in the current range of suggested loads.

That is assuming that the powder actually appears to be what the box says. Lord knows what's on the box could have been two loads ago with some people.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

A USN boat lost some ammo in the James River (Virginia)
Over 20 or 30 years later, a fisherman snagged some of the 50 cal ammo in a fishing net,,

He gave a friend a couple rounds,,

That guy wanted to make sure the ammo was safe for his son to display in his room
The guy put a round in a shop vise, and hit the primer with a hammer and center punch.

The round exploded,, like it was factory fresh,,
He ended up with a small piece of brass imbedded in his face, 1/4" from his eye.

The other rounds were placed in a burn barrel,, pop-pop,,,

You could always do what Bruce Willis did in the movie "RED",,
except, outdoors, at a distance,,

My father did the same thing when he came home from the Philippines after World War ll. He said that the primer went up through his two middle fingers. It didn't do much damage and I could never see any thing wrong. I assume the bullet was already removed before that because I still have it today. I never asked him to tell me the entire story. Damn.

Rick

 

[HARLEY0]

I have a box of 41 magnum that came with a handgun purchase. They are loaded way to hot based of the info the reloaded wrote on the box. I don't want to throw them in the trash and the local police are not interested without me signing away my first-born. Any ideas?

If you reload - Pull them apart and reload them! If not give them to someone else who does reload and tell them that they are for components only!

 

[ol777gunnerz]

If you usr a Kinetic puller & the bullets are seated so tight they do not want to come out, stick the bullet in an ice cube for 15-20 seconds & they will come out much easier, toss the powder.

 

[REParker]

The guy put a round in a shop vise, and hit the primer with a hammer and center punch.

Another Darwin Awards Candidate!

 

[greenwellg]

I used to be able to take a bathroom scale and squeeze it to 220 pounds, when I weighed 150 at age 30 with a 29 inch waist and 6 feet tall. Ever play Foosball? A friend of mine and I used to keep a table for hours with the opponents paying the quarter. On a glass top "German" table I hit the ball so hard it went in the goal came out the other end and went back in the same goal for the second time. It wasn't really a "hit" more of a sling without impact. That was 50 years ago when I owned the 59 Corvette in the picture thread here (random photos). The real secret to Foosball was to not let your man go up high enough for the ball to come back below him. No more than 45 degrees in either direction. Even if they blocked your shot many times it would go back UNDER their man and go in the goal anyway.

 

[glenwolde]

A USN boat lost some ammo in the James River (Virginia)
Over 20 or 30 years later, a fisherman snagged some of the 50 cal ammo in a fishing net,,

He gave a friend a couple rounds,,

That guy wanted to make sure the ammo was safe for his son to display in his room
The guy put a round in a shop vise, and hit the primer with a hammer and center punch.

The round exploded,, like it was factory fresh,,
He ended up with a small piece of brass imbedded in his face, 1/4" from his eye.

The other rounds were placed in a burn barrel,, pop-pop,,,

You could always do what Bruce Willis did in the movie "RED",,
except, outdoors, at a distance,,

Well that was a silly way to test it!

 

[wxl]

California is stupid.

Most police will pick up ammo willingly no questions asked. Preferable to ammo going to wrong hands.

One time I was being transferred to Jamaica and later Australia on job. Family were last night in motel, household going to storage. Called police, came to motel, transferred trunk full several cans of military 5.56 , 7.62 (308 & 30-06), 45acp, 50cal military. They thanked me and left.

I was a platoon leader in National Guard, responsible for picking up requisitions for ammo for battalion annual qualifications. Not allowed to store excess or unused ammo at armory due regulations. Usually handed metal boxes to NCOs but lots wound up going home.

Shame as I sure would have used alot 10 years later when I transferred back stateside.

 

[Hal H.]

Thanks guys. Yes, I tried to pull the bullets with a puller and even pliers. They won't budge. I think that I'll end up finding a dumpster behind a building somewhere and accidentally drop them in.

 

[Hal H.]

I will also ask the shooting range first…

 

[billybob44]

With the cost of reloading components. I myself would find someone that has a 41, and reloads, as they would more than likely be happy to have the brass and bullets to pull and reuse. And, understand not shooting unknown reloads. I have given unknown reloads away to friends, with intention of pulling, and not shooting.

^^^This..
I would also have new owner sign (In front of a Notary) a libel waiver before they changed hands...Just me...Bill.