Picking up range brass.

AL45

New member
I have a couple of places where I pick up brass left behind by shooters. Most of the brass I pick up is not calibers that I reload, so I thought about selling it to the local gun shop, but he was only going to pay $1.00 a pound, when I can get $1.50 at a recycler. Seems wrong to send good brass off to be melted down, but if I'm going to take the time to pick it up, I want as much as I can get for it. Have you heard of any places that will buy it in lots of 50 for pistol and lots of 20 for rifle?
 
usualy not in lots that small. i used to do the same thing. pick up lots of 9,308, 45, 40 and 223 brass. kept what i wanted and sell of the extra. throw it on the local classified adds. 223 and 9mm usually sell by the 1000. the 45 i sold 500 at a time. rifle calibers i sold by lots of 100. aint alot of money but it helped paid for a couple gallons of gas to get to the range.
 
couple of options

1. What he said ^^^^

2. The forums on here can be a great way to unload brass as someone is always looking for more brass (especially in these times). Trades can often be a great thing if someone is offering calibers that you do reload for.

3. A lot of smaller ammunition companies that offer reloads will allow you to send them brass to offset the cost of your order. I order from freedommunitions.com and I know they offer a "Brass Credit Program." The only downside is that you need quite bit of brass to send in to offset the cost of postage that is on you to send them in.
 
Melting it down is a waste, just starts the manufacturing process all over again for no reason, and is wasteful of energy and time. Sack it up and market it, maybe to forum members, a yard sale, post a note at the range.
 
I usually trade it off to friends, but that is only in cartridges that my friends have. The rest I leave for someone who might need it for their reloading. Im not in the business of picking up brass and selling it.
 
what is the etiquette for picking up range brass, do they mind in general, if there is no one in the next lane should you pick up the brass in that lane also or just the brass in front of and around your lane?
 
Ask them. Some folks collect brass some don't. Those that don't collect brass usually like having someone else clean up for them.
 
Up to a few years ago, I would pick up brass that others left behind at a public outdoor range. At that time my LGS woud buy the brass. He would pay either $1, $1.50, or $2 for a block of 50, depending on caliber. He would then sell it to reloading companies. I paid for all or most of several guns that way. But I flooded the market and he quit doing it.
 
That's how I get all my brass. I have 2 five gallon buckets of 45acp, 1 five each of .40, 38spl. and 9mm.
It took me a long time accumulate that brass, I'm keeping it!
 
Keep in mind the range may have a policy against it. From the range I frequent:
- As a reminder, if ammo is bought here, then the brass stays here! (Help us keep ammo costs down!!) If you bring your own ammo, you may keep ONLY YOUR brass from the ammo that you brought in.
 
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