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Thread: Where is all the brass going?

  1. #1
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    Where is all the brass going?

    Went up to the local range today to pick up some 22mag for jackets. Not a one! Even 22lr was in short supply. People picking them up for the scrap value, or is swaging becoming more popular?

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    I don’t think folks are going to the range much because of the ammo shortage. I noticed this fall that the number of people and amount of brass at the range dropped. I’m glad I stocked up on reloading supplies when things were good so this really isn’t affecting me but if it goes well into next year it will.

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    Brass Trader SafetyJoe's Avatar
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    Yeah, not many people are shooting these days. Even 22lr because if you look at the prices online you'll see those 500 rd bulk packs for sale at above $200 which is nuts if you ask me. Right now it looks like steel cased 7.62x39 and 12ga birdshot is the cheapest ammo you can buy. It costs less than 22lr or 9mm. I'm also glad I stocked up a couple years ago on 22lr bulk packs, primers, powder, lead and bullet molds. The ammo and reloading components shortage lasted almost 2 years after the Sandy Hook school shooting. I sure hope this one doesn't last that long.

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    People definitely are not shooting as much due to lack of supply and cost when you can find it. Also the price and availability of reloadable brass will make it scarce on the ground. There already has been a bill introduced into the new Congress for ammo registration and licensing ( whatever that means). With the makeup of Congress and the new President, you will see a bevy of gun laws, especially after the next high visibility shooting incident. I hope I am wrong but this shortage will be like nothing we have seen in the past.

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    This is an unusual situation. The double whammy. I'm old enough to live through a few other rough times. The pandemic makes this particularly rough. The run on TP, etc. I've been going to the range for a number of months and been the only person there shooting. I don't need brass after collecting for 40 years. I just pick up my own brass. During one dry spell in the past I took to shooting my pellet rifle. Just shooting holes in paper after all. I recently watched a YouTube video of a guy rebuilding spent primers. Don't think I would go there or need to. But interesting on how folks continue to shoot with no components available.

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    I’m looking into getting an air soft pistol similar to my carry gun just so that I can still get some trigger time in.

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    Shooting had slowed down some around here but now its pretty much at a complete stop. They were paying the high prices but now theres not any ammo, at any price.

  8. #8
    Brass Trader SafetyJoe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lightman View Post
    Shooting had slowed down some around here but now its pretty much at a complete stop. They were paying the high prices but now theres not any ammo, at any price.
    I think a lot of people are holding off on shooting the ammo they have for a little while. Something like the " wait and see " mentality. People just don't know what's going to happen, but they have a feeling it wont be good so they aren't shooting up their ammo just for fun anymore. I still see a few people going to the ranges, but they are either reloaders or people just sighting in their rifle with a few rounds. Last year when the lockdowns started and several of the local shooting ranges around here shut down I had a bunch of business cards made that says on one side " I pay top dollar for reloadable brass cartridge casings " and on the back it says " Much more than scrap value paid in cash " along with my email address. I started passing them out to friends, people I saw at the shooting ranges and I pinned them up on the bulletin boards at my local gun stores. It turned out to work pretty good. I've had several people contact me that had been saving brass for a while thinking they might get into reloading, but changed their mind and wanted to sell the brass to me. So there's an idea for anyone else out there that's been having a problem picking up brass at ranges or in case you're just tired of bending over a lot to pick up brass yourself. You can essentially have other people do it for you and then you just buy the brass off them for more than they could sell the brass elsewhere and less than you could buy the brass elsewhere so everyone is happy and your back doesn't hurt as much.
    Last edited by SafetyJoe; 01-20-2021 at 04:53 PM.

  9. #9
    Brass Trader Pacomdiver's Avatar
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    they havent slowed down at my local club range, i pickup 250-500 cases a week off the ground, mainly 223 and 9mm but a decent amount of other cals too. even the ground looks like gold (theres so much 22s on the ground) when driving up to the range in the sunlight. yesterday i got over 2" in a 5 gal bucket worth and have had days ive gotten 6 plus inches worth

  10. #10
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    I knew it, Pacomdiver has all the brass

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    Brass Trader Pacomdiver's Avatar
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    just what i dont send to washington state, LOL

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    I also think that with ammo prices where they are, if you can even find any, shooters are just not willing to part with their ammo. I'm sure they are wondering, if they shoot what they have on hand, what will replacement ammo cost? If they can even find any... I go to an indoor range this time of year and I'm concerned how they will stay in business. There is no ammo to sell. I find myself there alone on the member side. One or two, maybe on the public side. Reading some articles, many say it will be another year before things return to "normal". GunBroker prices are through the roof. So how will this range stay open? I see a time when employees get laid off. When I go in, many are just sitting around or cleaning display cases... I'm afraid they will have to raise range fees, then even fewer will come in... As a member, I'm locked in, but in a few months it will be time to renew. In the past they used to give you a break on your membership fee to renew. I bet that has gone by the way side...

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pacomdiver View Post
    just what i dont send to washington state, LOL
    Talking about Mr Sage?

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    No, to me

  15. #15
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    Ahh, lol, ok.

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    At least you can still find brass at a reasonable price if you hunt the web. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about powder and primers.

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    We have a sporting goods store near me that gets primers in off and on and they are selling them at regular pricing but limiting to 500.

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    There is a gun show around me this weekend. I am hoping I can find some primers there.

  19. #19
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    Unfortunately our gun shows have been off for a year now and gun shops, especially one’s that stock anything are far and few between here in Central NYS.

  20. #20
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    Went to two ranges this last week, they had a small amount of ammunition...? So I wasn't the only one shooting. Didn't really make any difference in the brass buckets. At least half were shooting 22lr. Two other positions were people I actually knew. They asked about my reloading and left me their brass. Some 9mm and 40S&W. Not much. They shot one box and left... I then visited a Murdoch's to pick up some clays, I had hoped they might have some shotgun ammo. But no luck. But while there, in another isle. I noticed a few guys looking at some 9mm ammo. Personal defense rounds, over $1 per round. Behind them were some 5.56 boxes of 50. So in addition to the clays I picked up two of those. One of the guys thought things would return to normal this summer. I've been reading, 2022... But this last week has me wondering???

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check