Recycling spent .22 "brass"?

[Kernopelli]

Gotta question...has anyone ever recycled spent .22 caliber casings? I found online that they were often to as "brass"...but don't know if they are just using this as the generic term for casings. Even some manufacturers referred to their casings as brass. So I'm curious if they are usually true brass like many center fire cartridges often are or if they are commonly made of other nonmetallic metal? I know, I know...it would take a boat load to amount to anything but I've got a dingy full anyway. I have about 40lbs of clean spents and at least another 150lbs of dirty .....was going to run the 40lbs by the recyclers and see what he says about them but thought I might pick some minds here before making the trip.

 

[k0ua]

They are brass, and if you have that much of them, it will be worth some money. Many years ago, there was a swaging machine for making centerfire rifle bullets out of 22 brass by adding lead for a core. I though that was where this thread was going when I saw the header.
James K0UA

 

[DiverDarrell]

Yep you still can make .224 centerfire projectiles from .22lr brass, expensive kit but cool none the less

 

[Kernopelli]

Thanks. I saw reference to the swagging machine online for making centerfires when I was researching this subject and based some of my belief they were actually brass upon that.

 

[clemsonfor]

Funny what you forget i read or heard about that somewhere? The .22 brass to bullet thing.

 

[MossRoad]

That sounds like an interesting use for the .22s. Anyone got a link to more info?

 

[Car Doc]

I asked my scrap yard about that once and they said no because it is explosive related.

I have a drawer clear full of junk centerfire pistol cases by my loader that I wanted to do something with they told me if it was melted first they would happily take it as yellow brass. ymmv

 

[om21braz]

That sounds like an interesting use for the .22s. Anyone got a link to more info?

That is how Speer began making bullets.
Speer Bullets - Our History

 

[Kernopelli]

Well, took my clean .22 brass to the recyclers today and they were glad to get them for $1.80 lbs. I'm going to get the rest cleaned and treat the boys and myself to a new Kel Tec PMR-30 that Jeff Quinn turned me on to.:thumbsup:

 

[schmism]

you can swage .22 brass into .223 bullets.

see YouTube - ammosmith's Channel

for all the details.