What To Do With Berdan Primed Brass?

mmattockx

mmattockx

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I have a stock of surplus 8x57 ammo that is berdan primed. I have been keeping the brass as I shoot it, but is there really any point to it? I don't shoot a lot of 8x57 and have more boxer primed brass than I need for reloading. Should I save the berdan stuff and sell it on the EE, is there any demand for it? My plans at the moment are to just keep it, then sell it for scrap with the rest of my useless brass. Any ideas on a more useful approach?

Thanks,
Mark
 
There was a big youtube argument about a chap who drilled out Berdan primers and used boxer primers in steel cased 7.62X39 (of all calibers).

Safety and inovation make poor bedfellows sometimes.
 
You CAN convert the Berdan cases to use Boxer primers. Problem is that the Berdan primers tend to be .217" and the Boxer to which you are converting is a .210". So your primer-pockets are .007" too big.

You can make up a swage to shrink them down, displacing brass from the annulus into the pocket.

It's a nuisance but it can be done.

Too bad we can't get CCI or somebody to turn out a bunch of Berdan primers in .217" for most rifles, .199 for the 6.5x55 crowd, .177 for pistols and then the big quarter-inchers for all us .303 guys who have garages filled with expended .303 brass!

Not likely it will happen. We've been begging for .25 Stevens for the last 42 years now, and all they have given us is another 50 different .22s.
 
"...is there any demand for it?..." No. Make some drawer pulls and pitch the rest. You won't get enough money for the scrap value to pay for your gas to get to the scrap yard.
"...drilled out Berdan primers..." Doesn't work.
 
sunray said:
"...is there any demand for it?..." No. Make some drawer pulls and pitch the rest. You won't get enough money for the scrap value to pay for your gas to get to the scrap yard.
"...drilled out Berdan primers..." Doesn't work.
Click to expand...

So I guess I am a good little environmentalist as I recycle all my end of life brass (well I will when the bucket is full) .
 
I have a friend and we went to the scrap dealer's with his 5 kitty litter bucket's of spent brass.
Total of 176lbs.=$226.00

KEEP IT IN A BUCKET!!!!!
 
I got $70.00 for a box that fit easily on the back seat in my truck.

Sunray is so busy giving out bad info on CGN that he doesn't shoot enough to
get enough money for the scrap value to pay for your gas to get to the scrap yard.
Click to expand...

Also his vehicle gets bad gas milage...;):p
 
Depends how old the stuff is.
My own 7.5x55 GP11 all gets saved and reused
Decent brass in rare calibers get saved.
Steel cases, unless rare, bye bye.
 
diopter said:
Depends how old the stuff is.
My own 7.5x55 GP11 all gets saved and reused
Decent brass in rare calibers get saved.
Steel cases, unless rare, bye bye.
Click to expand...

Head stamp says FNM 71-6, so maybe early 70's? 8x57 is anything but rare and I have all the boxer primed brass I need at the moment for reloading.

I guess I will put it in the brass bucket at the range, I am fine with helping out funding with the scrap.

Thanks,
Mark
 
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