So, you have some used shotgun shells laying around and you aren’t sure what exactly to do with them. A thought might have come by that you can sell these shotgun shells.
So, where to sell empty shotgun shells?
Shotgun shells can be sold in a variety of places, metal recyclers, and reloaders on eBay and other online stores. However, only the brass part is valuable. The brass can be sold at around $1.76 per pound typically and the price is variable when selling in online stores.
So, in this article, you will learn where to sell empty shotgun shells, how to sell them (removing the brass), precautions to take, cleaning the shells, and other uses for shotgun shells.
Let’s dive in.
You can sell your empty shotgun shells in a variety of places, including:
- Metal recyclers
- Recycling centers
- Shooting ranges
- Police departments
- Gun stores
- Capital Cartirage
- 2A warehouse
- X-Treme Bullets
- eBay stores
- Etsy
- Ballistic Products
- Cabela’s
Most of the time, you’ll need to separate the brass and throw out the steel shotgun shells. But, if you’re selling to someone who wants to make something, like jewelry or a handbag then you won’t need to do anything.
You will just need to collect a lot of shotgun shells. But, if you want to have a better chance at selling, then metal recyclers are your best bet.
You can also sell to a company with some sort of a brass credit system like 2A warehouse, capital cartirage, or X-Treme Bullets.
To sell to metal recyclers or brass credit systems, you’ll need to separate the brass from the plastic. We’ll dive into how to remove the plastic from the brass in the next section.
How to Sell Empty Shotgun Shells?
If you have a few hundred shotgun shells and don’t mind spending a few hours removing brass from plastic, then you can make some good money.
First, you’ll want to separate the brass and plastic. You can use a magnet for this. Brass doesn’t get attracted by magnets while steel does. You can also sell steel, but it’s much cheaper, so it may not be worth your time.
After separating the two, you’ll need the following materials:
- Two pliers
- A torch
- Patience
Once you have gathered the materials, you can follow these simple directions:
- Set the torch on low
- Grab a shotgun shell by the plastic with one plier
- Heat up the brass for 10-15 seconds
- Use the second plier to remove the brass off the plastic
- Repeat this for all other pieces of brass
You can see visual instructions here:
Precautions to Take
There are just a few simple precautions you have taken when removing brass hulls from the plastic. Depsite what the video above illustrates, you should:
- Be careful not to drop your torch
- Have a clean, non-flamable area
- Wear goggles or glasses in case something comes popping out fast
- Wear fireproof gloves to prevent burns
- Hold pliers correctly and don’t expose them to excessive heat
PrimeEligable
How to Clean Empty Shells
If you want to sell the shotgun shells as is or make something with them, you’ll need to clean your shotgun shells.
There are a few things you can do:
- Wipe the outside of your shells with Clorox or a wet cleaning cloth
- Wash the inside of the shell with water
- Dry it off
- Use a sharp point, like a toothpick to remove any dirt and grime
5 Uses for Empty Shotgun Shells
There are a variety of uses for empty shotgun shells that we can talk about right now.
Jewelry
There are a variety of different pieces of jewelry you can make with empty shotgun shells. These include bracelets, necklaces, rings, and other pieces of jewelry.
One popular way is to use wire to create a necklace or bracelet. Another option is to glue the shells together to create a unique piece of jewelry.
Light String and Garland
Garlands are a great decoration for any house and you can show your spirit with a shotgun shell garland!
To make it, you can attach empty shotgun shells to a length of twine or string using a hot glue gun. Hang the garland on a mantel, doorway, or anywhere else you‘d like to add a bit of country flair.
Handbag
A handbag may not be something you think of when you think of empty shotgun shells! But, Nancy Ziegler Nodelman successfully combined dozens of empty shotgun shells to make a stunning handbag.
Wall Art
If you have different color shells, you can combine them to make an image, or you would use brass to make a shape! You will need a board and some superglue.
Toothbrush Holder
You can even make a cup with shotgun shells! Maybe not a cup to drink out of, but to hold your toothbrush! All you need is some superglue and your shotgun shells.
Final Words
So, where to sell empty shotgun shells? Well, you can sell them in a variety of places including metal recyclers and online stores.
You will have the best chances at selling these empty shotgun shells are metal recycling places, and there are plenty of metal recycling places. police stations, gun stores, and shooting ranges often have a brass credit system of sorts.
But, that does require separating the brass from the plastic. If you’re down to do the work, then that’s great! You can make, potentially hundreds back with a few hours of solid labor. Happy prepping!
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