Disposing of old brass cases

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15 years 10 months ago #1137 by Hank in Arkansas
Disposing of old brass cases was created by Hank in Arkansas
I just ran into an interesting problem. I've been reloading for years, so I've amassed a box full of old brass cases that are no longer safe to reload. Yesterday I took them by a metal recycling place. The manager said he couldn't take them. He explained that recently an employee there was working on some scrap metal and detonated a mortar or artillery shell. How it got there is still under investigation, but the boss instituted a firm policy: if it goes bang, ever went bang or looks like it might go bang, they won't take it. No exceptions even for old brass cases. By the way, the guy I talked to is a reloader, so he knew the cases were inert. Nevertheless, what the boss says goes! I left with my box of brass. Is this a general issue around the country? Just what do other reloaders do with tired old brass that shouldn't be reloaded? I don't want to dump it in the local range brass bin, because I'm afraid someone will take it for reloading. Any thoughts?

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15 years 10 months ago #1144 by crux
Replied by crux on topic Re:Disposing of old brass cases
A bit of an extreme policy but I suppose I can understand the approach from a liability / safety perspective. In that situation I'd look to see if any other recyclers might be available in other towns I might be traveling to within the year, and see if I can't find a drop off. Next bet might be talking to the city and see if they have a recommendation. Mashing them with a hammer before chucking in a bucket would at least help prevent them from being scavanged for reloads.

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15 years 10 months ago #1145 by Hank in Arkansas
Replied by Hank in Arkansas on topic Re:Disposing of old brass cases
Good ideas. I doubt I'll hammer the brass, because there's just too much. But I will be looking for other recyclers.

I've learned more about the incident. Seems the employee had a military shell of some sort, and was trying to cut it with either a torch or a tool. Anyway, it went off and he was DRT (dead right there). Tragedy! The police are still investigating, trying to figure out where it came from. In the old days, most men had some military experience, and would have recognized it as dangerous, but nowadays, most men wouldn't know an artillery shell from a truck axle. Having said that, though, I remember guys in the 50's and 60's who blew themselves up trying to disarm ordnance they found lying on ranges. A few years back a US soldier got killed trying to disarm something with his Leatherman; no, he was not EOD, just gutsy.

Thanks again.

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15 years 10 months ago #1149 by crux
Replied by crux on topic Re:Disposing of old brass cases
Wow, those cases are just amazing. Cases of the gene pool working itself out perhaps. One of the soundest pieces of advice I was once told in a particular area was "If it's man made, and you didn't put it there, don't touch it, especially if it looks like a golf ball."

A fair point though, people can end up so insulated about these things that they have no idea what danger their in.

Haven't tried recycling here, but now I'm curious what the local outlook is on spent brass.

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