Trying to help out an old guy

Warpspasm · Dec 27, 2014

I know an older gentleman who is looking for ways to get a little extra money in his pocket. He's in his late eighties and lives on a limited income. He picks up a lot of aluminum cans which he crushes and turns in for scrap. For the last few months I've been collecting spent brass from the range, which I find in the trash. He took about 10 pounds to the recycling place and they gave him something like $0.40 per pound. They told him they'd give him over a dollar per pound of the brass was de-primed. Is there a way he can remove the primers from a bunch of different calibers of brass without buying a press, a universal primer and a several shell holders? He doesn't have the money for that kind of thing. He's up to challenge as it gives him something to do, but hasn't figure out a way to do it yet. I suggested an ice pick or something similar and tapping them out. He said he tried that and couldn't knock them out. I think he also had a problem finding the indentation in the bottom of the case. Anyway.... any suggestions I can pass on to him would be appreciated.

WeaponsCollector · Dec 27, 2014

The "Lee Loader" hand loading kit comes with simple tools to remove primers but they cost around $20 which is a bit much for just punching out primers.
All you really need is a small punch like a nail with a narrow tip, a hammer, and something to set the case on that allows the primer to fall down when you knock it out. A regular vice would work.

antco · Dec 27, 2014

A vice, a long roll punch and a small hammer.

BeoBill · Dec 27, 2014

A vise, a wooden dowel with a finishing nail embedded in the end, and a hammer.

Mooseman · Dec 27, 2014

A long finishing nail and a hammer. A couple of scraps of wood with a small space between them.

Roadhawg · Dec 27, 2014

My suggestion is a hexagonal anvil, a Lee Universal Depriming Die Pin and a ball peen hammer.

Bolts Rock · Dec 27, 2014

http://leeprecision.com/case-conditioning-tools/

madmantrapper · Dec 27, 2014

I might have an old Lee something laying around here that will work. Let me look around tomorrow and see what I can come up with. I will donate it if I find something.

730dc · Dec 27, 2014

I would tell him to find a new scrap yard I'd have to check but i think scrap is a little but north of 2 or maybe $3 a pound without having to deprime

bmorewineguy · Dec 27, 2014

I had some military cases a while back that I couldn't deprime on the press because it kept pushing the rod out.

I took a piece of 2x4 and drilled a hole big enough to fit the case in about a 1/4 inch into the wood and then drilled a smaller hole (large enough for the primer to fall through) all the way through. I was able to set the case in the bigger hole and use an ice pick like thing to knock out the primer which fell through the smaller hole and into a trash can the 2x4 was set across. I would think that if you base the small hole on a little larger than a large rifle primer you should be okay.

Warpspasm · Dec 27, 2014

These are all great suggestions that I'll pass on.

Madmantrapper - that would be fantastic if you find something he could use.

rico903 · Dec 28, 2014

bmorewineguy said:
I had some military cases a while back that I couldn't deprime on the press because it kept pushing the rod out.

I took a piece of 2x4 and drilled a hole big enough to fit the case in about a 1/4 inch into the wood and then drilled a smaller hole (large enough for the primer to fall through) all the way through. I was able to set the case in the bigger hole and use an ice pick like thing to knock out the primer which fell through the smaller hole and into a trash can the 2x4 was set across. I would think that if you base the small hole on a little larger than a large rifle primer you should be okay.

This sounds like a cheap and effective idea. Maybe use a punch? I would suggest a Harvey Deprimer but they are $49 and could be to hard for his hands.
Also, I think Cont Arms told me they sell their brass for around $2.35/lb to a recycler so it sounds like he's getting hosed.

madmantrapper · Dec 28, 2014

I think Mid Atlantic in Arbutus is paying $3 deprimed, $2 primed.

Pinecone · Dec 28, 2014

http://leeprecision.com/decapper-base-22-caliber.html

$8

The .22 version works on most brass. They also have a .30 version. Not sure if the rod is longer.

I have decapped a LOT of mil brass with one of these.

1time · Dec 28, 2014

How about separating them by caliber and selling them. Seems much less time consuming and more profitable then de-priming and scrapping them.

Warpspasm · Dec 28, 2014

1time said:
How about separating them by caliber and selling them. Seems much less time consuming and more profitable then de-priming and scrapping them.

I thought about telling him that initially, but he really doesn't have a network of people to do that sort of thing. He's not a shooter. With MD Shooters I have the network but, I don't want to get involved to the point where I'm doing it.

byf43 · Dec 28, 2014

Bolts Rock said:
http://leeprecision.com/case-conditioning-tools/

^^^^^This.

Small decapper and base. Large decapper and base.

Set for everything. :thumbsup:

Blacksmith101 · Dec 28, 2014

Worth much more as sorted range pickup brass than scrap. He doesn't need a network just a note posted on the bulletin board at the range with a phone number or a mention in an appropriate place on a shooting forum with a phone number. He can always sell whatever remains for scrap. If he makes a little money he could buy some brass sorters from Midway to make the job easier.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/84...m-luger-40-smith-and-wesson-45-acp-3-bowl-set

+1 on the Lee decapper simple and easy.

duckslayer56 · Dec 29, 2014

Some brass can be worth a lot of money, especially with most of the ammo makers only producing the common calibers. If he has a bunch of uncommon hard to find brass, or brands like nosler, weatherby, or norma, some of that stuff can go for 50 cents to a dollar per case. I think selling the brass would be a lot more profitable and a bunch of good brass doesn't just get turned into scrap.

rico903 · Dec 30, 2014

duckslayer56 said:
Some brass can be worth a lot of money, especially with most of the ammo makers only producing the common calibers. If he has a bunch of uncommon hard to find brass, or brands like nosler, weatherby, or norma, some of that stuff can go for 50 cents to a dollar per case. I think selling the brass would be a lot more profitable and a bunch of good brass doesn't just get turned into scrap.

This, and some calibers bring a fair amount of money.

Trying to help out an old guy

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