What do you do with spent .22 brass?
I have always disposed of my .22 brass. Is there any recycle value to saving it?
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Yup, recyclers will take it. 0 -
Some guys will take spent 22 brass and somehow, make .22 bullets (for .223 rifles) out of it. Not sure whats involved though. 0 -
I usually save a few shells to use as dummies to let down the firing pin of my rimfire guns (so they don't impact the chamber rim).
You can also use them like "snap caps", though you have to rotate them between dry fires and throw them away after a few dry fires. The problem with the commercially available plastic 22LR snap caps is that they get chewed up after a bunch of shots, and wear out reasonably quickly.
Yes. . .spent 22 shells are made of brass, and therefore do have some value as scrap metal. I have no idea how many hundreds/thousands of them you'd need to collect $1 in scrap fees, but the metal is there.
In terms of making them into .223 bullets, yes, that can be done.
There are dies that will effectively swage .22LR cases over pre-formed lead cores to create .223 bullets that can be loaded into any .223 platform gun (eg AR-15s).
I don't know all the details regarding manufacturers and costs, but there is at least one commercially available system out there that can do this. I *do* remember that its really only cost effective to do this if you are creating *LOTS* (ie thousands) of bullets.
Edit: Nice article on the topic from shooting times here:
http://www.shootingtimes.com/ammunition/st_223short_200711/
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I heard some boy scouts were collecting it at ranges for a fund raiser. I have started saving it with intention of scraping it. More money towards the next batch of ammo. 0 -
I saw some pretty neat craft work which utilized spent .22 brass and wood. The artist drilled holes in wood (cedar I think) and tapped in the .22 cases to make characters, scenes and such. 0 -
we were taught to always clean up after plinking. was always a pisser that you couldnt't find an '06 or 22-250 case in the grass but you'd always see plenty of 22 brass. we dump the 22 brass into the big 5 gallon holiday cookie cans. have yet to weigh the full ones but they feel mighty $$. 0 -
If you stick a match in them and smack them with a hammer, it'll sound at least as loud as a 22 short. 0 -
I usually just let it lie where it falls. Too hard to clean up .22 cases.
Any that are on the bench, I do sweep in to my scrap bucket and it (along with all my berdan primed brass) goes to the scrap yard.0 -
Seems like more bother than it's worth, but if I recall correctly, swaging .22 bullets don't need to be limited to .223. .224 are also possible; just depends on the dies. 0 -
With the price of .22 bullets today between .13 and .50 ea.or more, .22 jacketed and gas check bullet making might be worth another look.
Anyone know how heavy a .22 bullet can be made using 22lr casings?0
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