The Gun Counter

The "problem" was a .50 cal. ammo canful of miscellaneous "reloads" in .223/5.56 in odd lots, mixed everything and uncertain "parentage" accumulated over time from estates and rifle purchases etc. Being NOT about to shoot the stuff I pulled it all down a couple days ago, saved the projectiles, scattered the propellant on the back field as fertilizer, and was faced with about 300 primed cases (mixed headstamps, who knows how many firings). Scrapyards won't accept live primers and I won't even try to decap stuff like that. Having a lot of .22 caliber airgun pellets and having tried a successful idea years ago I thumbed some Beeman pellets into a few, put an empty mag in one of my 5.56 AR's and set up behind the shop on the bench. The empty mag helps get 'em in the chamber easily and 'pop' off they go into a nice 1-1/2" tight group at 20 yards. Bore scrubbed right away with soapy patches then Hoppes, blew out the gas tube and rinsed and oiled the bolt. lots of fun and I can scrap the brass...

how much does scrap brass even go for?

The value of the brass isn't the issue; I just don't want live primers going in the trash, don't want to fool around oiling 'em to then go in a landfill, and would much rather have a little fun with an AR. I have a tool for rolling cannelures into bullets and cases; I'm going to roll cannelures into the case necks at the shoulder/neck area to prevent the pells going in too far.