.22LR recycling?

[Blackbeard]

I know nobody would reload .22LR brass, but is the brass recyclable? Can it be melted down and formed into new brass? If so, is anyone doing it?

 

[Atla]

Um, that sounds extremely complicated.

Just save it, turn it in for recycling, take the money and buy new ammo. Do that for all your non-reloadable ammo.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

There is a set up to use it to swag onto lead wire (cores) to create new 5.56/.223 bullets.

Check Midway, they may have it. Not cheap though, my brother looked into it and sent me the info in the past, not sure if he ended up doing it or not.

 

[Vaarok]

Brass is selling pretty high for scrap, so saving up enough might pay off, but the only real USE for it besides recycling is you can buy special tools to use it for making your own jacketed bullet jackets.

 

[Blackbeard]

Brass is selling pretty high for scrap, so saving up enough might pay off, but the only real USE for it besides recycling is you can buy special tools to use it for making your own jacketed bullet jackets.

Thanks, that's what I meant. I didn't know if scrap metal dealers would buy spent brass. Or if eco-freaks at the recycling center would go crazy if you tried to bring them your used "bullets".

 

[BRASSM]

.22 LR Cases

Back many, many moons ago I looked into getting into swaging expended .22LR cases, into .22 CF jackets. Well back then it wasn't cost effective. No the price of metal, expecially cuperous metals has skyrocketed [due to the India and PRC incease in consumption]. Now I think that it is worth the effort. Corbin is the manufacturer of swaging dies. The dies represent a high initial investment, but if well cared for they will outlast you. and I don't see .22LR ammo disappearing anytime soon (even if Hillary gets in). In addition to the dies you will need a core cutter to precisely cut the lead wire. And use pure soft lead wire, DO NOT USE anything harder. You also have to keep the dies clean and free of all grit and use the proper lubricant, I prefer wire drawing lub.
By the way it is possble to reload .22LR cases, but I really think you want to keep all ten of your fingers.

 

[fingerbanger]

I have scrapped many things, at many places, i have never once run into an eco freak at a scrap yard. most of these places deal with some of the worst people society has to offer ie.. crackheads that will steal the copper off a plumbers truck for money to buy drugs. trust me they won't give a rat's keaster about your spent shells. if anything maybe the junkies will give you a wide birth as you leave with cash in hand. if your lucky

 

[theotherwaldo]

I have collected and recycled:
Newsprint, cardboard, slick magazines, tin, steel, structural iron, auto machinery steel/aluminum, radiators, batteries, plumber's copper and brass, lead, cedar, redwood, oak, scrap silver, and scrap gold.

I have never recycled cartridge brass. There's just too many interesting things that can be done with this stuff.

 

[mp510]

Put it in a bucket and sell it to the local scrap yard. There is some that won't accept it, but many do.

trust me they won't give a rat's keaster about your spent shells.

Those that don't accept it usually experienced rounds cooking off on them in the past when processing the brass.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Voice of experience...

I have a friend who was in the recycling business. As to

Those that don't accept it usually experienced rounds cooking off on them in the past when processing the brass.

When they got used cartridge cases, according to my recycler friend, they would ALWAYS "fire and pop" them, with a torch flame. They'd invariably cook off a live round or 2. It was considered SOP.

So, from the horse's mouth, recyclers expect to deal with live rounds in the brass occasionally. Those that won't accept the brass, just don't want to deal with it.

I regard this as the recyclers' problem, not mine. My brass never has live rounds in it so it's not a problem for me.

BTW, my friend got out of the business due to other factors; his leaving had nothing to do with empty cartridge cases.

ETA--AFAIK, .22 rimfire brass is just like any other brass as far as the scrap dealer is concerned. It just takes longer to accumulate enough of it to be worth a trip to the scrap yard.

 

[Thor Bloodax]

Scrap yards in Macon (Middle georgia) will NOT take cartridge brass, even if it is melted down. They say it is a "safety" issue and don't even want to discuss it any further.

 

[Feanaro]

Suffice it to say that enough scrap dealers take cartridge brass that metalprices.com has a price quote just for scrap cartridges.

 

[Mauserguy]

I believe that Jack Speer got started making bullets during WWII using 22 shells as jackets. It worked so well for him, he built a bullet empire.
Mauserguy

 

[dewage83]

from what i've HEARD (dont know for sure) its the primers and the left over powder that create troubles when melting down the cartridge brass. they are either toxic or combustable cant remember but that probably why some wont deal with it but im sure you can find a scrap yard that will