Case/Brass Shortage?

[Esq.]

If I live to be 100 I will not run out of brass. For 10 years I had as a client the Range Master of the Regional LEO range. About every 2-3 months I would acquire 2-3 buckets of once fired, dropped on concrete range brass. 9mm, .40, .45, .223, .308 and even a bit of .38 Spl. from time to time. I have 3 15 gallon plastic drums full of 9mm brass and more than that in .223 and .308.....I have no idea how much that is, but it's a lot....I quit taking the 9mm after a short bit and told him I only needed the other, less common stuff. There are several state and local agencies that use that range including a 300 man department....Fortunately I have access to a fork lift and have stacked the drums on pallets in a corner of a shed so they take up less space.

[RHINOWSO]

Brass doesn't seem that heavy, until you go to ship it... I would post something on a bulletin board at your local club.

Use those USPS Priority mail boxes with no weight limit. I sent 2 buddies getting into 300BLK one each of 5.56 brass to convert.

[Ron3]

It 2018/19 I gave away about 500-1000 once fired cases of EACH .38 spl, .357 mag, .44 spl and .44 Russian. (S&w 8-shot .357 and moon clips really got me burning revolver ammo)

I had only saved them for a couple months thinking I might start reloading. Decided not to reload at that time and gave the casings I'd saved away.

Not only did they not sell, I couldn't give them away! It became work just to give them away it seemed and I nearly trashed them. Left hundreds in bags at the range for any lucky schmoe.

I've started saving the cases again, wondering if I should be buying new cases if one day i do start reloading.

[Black_Sheep]

No shortage here, I saved brass for 20 + years with the intention of someday reloading. Once I began reloading, friends and family save their.38 and .45 brass for me and I pick up all the 5.56 and .223 range brass I could ever want or need. Primers and projectiles are a different story, there’s none to be found anywhere...

[Bimmer]

Left hundreds in bags at the range for any lucky schmoe.

I've started saving the cases again, wondering if I should be buying new cases if one day i do start reloading.

Some lucky schmuck probably took those cases to the recycling center and cashed in the brass...

My local club does this when the brass bucket (a 20-gallon drum) is full. Really.

... wondering if I should be buying new cases if one day i do start reloading.

I generally don't/won't buy new cases, simply because they're usually lying around for free, and they last almost forever.

Exceptions:

1. When I reamed my S&W 610 to 10mm Mag, I needed cases to start loading for it...

2. Same with .38 Short Colt, to produce puffy loads for revolvers chambered in .38Spl.

3. Same with .45 Long Colt and .30 Mauser... I had some once-fired cases, but not enough.

4. I like nickel cases, and once-fired nickel .40 cases are dirt cheap, so I bought several thousand.

[markm]

I generally don't/won't buy new cases, simply because they're usually lying around for free, and they last almost forever.

Buying any brass (except for precision rifle or oddball caliber) is nuts. Like you say... it's free to pick up.

[Bimmer]

Buying any brass (except for precision rifle or oddball caliber) is nuts. Like you say... it's free to pick up.

This discussion reminds of when I used to brew my own beer...

There were some nuts who would actually buy special bottles to bottle their own beer.

Of course, most of us knew better ways to acquire empty beer bottles!

[Leaveammoforme]

I hold on to whatever I happen to pick up at the range. Have bags with a few pieces each of rando calibers that I don't reload. Maybe they will be handy one day, maybe not.

I had a 7wsm before I started reloading. Kept the brass knowing I would probably reload one day. Sold the rifle and the 600 or so brass just sat in a bag to collect dust.

A few years later I saw a WTB 7wsm brass ad that was offering something like over a buck per case. Of course, I couldn't find the brass. I think it somehow made its way to the trash during a move

Still have 6 live rounds though, come on big money.

[Ron3]

Some lucky schmuck probably took those cases to the recycling center and cashed in the brass...

My local club does this when the brass bucket (a 20-gallon drum) is full. Really.




I generally don't/won't buy new cases, simply because they're usually lying around for free, and they last almost forever.

Exceptions:

1. When I reamed my S&W 610 to 10mm Mag, I needed cases to start loading for it...

2. Same with .38 Short Colt, to produce puffy loads for revolvers chambered in .38Spl.

3. Same with .45 Long Colt and .30 Mauser... I had some once-fired cases, but not enough.

4. I like nickel cases, and once-fired nickel .40 cases are dirt cheap, so I bought several thousand.

I called a recycling place and it wasn't worth about 1.5 hrs round trip and gas for $25-$35. IIRC. Have to save a bunch to make driving to the recycling worth it.

[Ron3]

Buying any brass (except for precision rifle or oddball caliber) is nuts. Like you say... it's free to pick up.

Well that's good to know! I just need more .32 mag brass then. I'm good on the other calibers I'm interested in.

Now I just need reloading equipment, More space, and all the consumables. 😬