Marketplace/Non-Ferrous Brass/Brass Shell Casings

Non-Ferrous Brass

Brass Shell Casings

Grade: Lace/LadyHigh Tier

Fired brass ammunition casings with/without primers

Market Price EstimateUpdated Daily

$2,750/ MT

+125 (4.8%)vs yesterday

Verified specifications & market data

Overview Specifications Price Calculator Logistics & Handling Compliance

Chemical Composition

Elemental breakdown by percentage weight.

Standard composition limits

Values represent maximum allowed percentage unless otherwise noted.

Physical Properties

Material form, density, and contamination specifications.

Fired ammunition casings from shooting ranges, military training, civilian shooting sports; post-firing condition with combustion residue; established ammunition recycling stream; safety-critical material

Acceptable Inclusions

Gunpowder residue and combustion byproducts
Fired primer residue (copper/brass/steel)
Dirt and dust from shooting range environment
Corrosion from storage and age
Brown/black oxidation from firing
Moisture and environmental exposure
Lead <2.5% (casing base limit; surface lead acceptable if not excessive)
Mixed caliber casings in same lot

Prohibited Materials

LIVE/UNFIRED AMMUNITION (EXPLOSIVE HAZARD)
Active explosive residues (unburned powder concern - distinguish from normal residue)
Copper content <70% (must be brass ammunition range)
Significant bullet/projectile material (lead/steel contamination)
Non-ammunition metal casings (wrong material)
PCB or electronic components
Radioactive materials
Hazardous chemical contamination (beyond gunpowder residue)
Unknown or unidentifiable material

Quality Assurance

Testing protocols, sampling methods, and acceptance criteria.

Sampling Protocol

frequencyRandom stratified sampling from multiple shipment positions; diverse ammunition types if mixed

maximumQuantity150-300 casing samples per shipment

minimumQuantity500-1000 individual casings or 8-15kg by weight

percentage12-20% of lot

stratificationSample across ammunition calibers, sizes, and apparent ages

Acceptance Limits

all Criteria Must Pass-: live ammunition, active explosives, or material identification failure =

copper ContentCu 70-85%

copper Oxide Limit<3.0%

firing Confirmationcasings demonstrably fired/spent

iron LimitFe <1.0%

lead LimitPb <2.5%

material IdentityConfirmed fired brass ammunition casings

no Active Explosivesunburned explosive powder or active explosives

nolive Ammolive rounds

zinc ContentZn 12-25%

Weight Tolerance

measurementVerified by certified scale; weight certificate required for lots >5 tonnes

variance±8% from purchase order weight

Required Test Methods

Visual Inspection - Live Ammunition Screening

CRITICAL

Method 1

Purpose

confirm 100% of sample are FIRED/SPENT casings
ZERO live/unfired ammunition
NO intact primers or unburned powder

Acceptance Criteria

All casings demonstrably fired/spent
NO live rounds visible
NO unexploded primers
NO unburned powder
casings empty or with residual burned primer only

Procedure

100% visual scan of ALL sample casings
visual for firing marks, dents, primer pocket examination, corrosion indicating age/firing
compare suspected live vs. fired characteristics
ANY live round triggers full lot rejection

Firing Verification

CRITICAL

Method 2

Purpose

confirm casings are spent/fired (characteristic marks present)

Acceptance Criteria

Firing dents visible
primer pocket indentations clear
case expansion evident
no intact projectiles
characteristic fired appearance confirmed

Procedure

Detailed visual inspection for firing signs
compare to reference fired casings
examine primer seats for indentation
confirm projectile absence

Material Type Identification

Method 3

Purpose

Confirm BRASS ammunition casings (NOT steel or aluminum)

Acceptance Criteria

Brass/copper coloration evident (golden/reddish appearance)
material consistency with ammunition-grade brass

Magnetic Test

Method 4

Purpose

Exclude steel casings or ferrous contamination
verify brass non-magnetic character

Acceptance Criteria

Non-magnetic or very weak magnetism (brass/copper expected)
NO strong ferrous response

Procedure

Magnet test on sample casings
strong attraction indicates steel casing mixing (rejection trigger)

Powder Residue Assessment

CRITICAL

Method 5

Purpose

distinguish normal gunpowder residue from unburned explosive powder (safety hazard)

Acceptance Criteria

Normal brown/black gunpowder residue visible (expected post-firing)
NO unburned powder or fresh explosive material
no atypical residue

Lead Assessment

Method 6

Purpose

Evaluate lead content (<2.5% acceptable)
assess surface vs. core lead contamination

Acceptance Criteria

Lead <2.5% by
acceptable ammunition-grade lead content
surface lead contamination documented if >1.5%

XRF Spectrometry

Method 7

Purpose

Verify Cu 70-85% and Zn 12-25% ammunition-grade composition
assess lead (<2.5%)
identify contamination

Acceptance Criteria

Cu 70-85%, Zn 12-25% (ammunition-grade brass confirmed), Pb <2.5%, Fe <1.0%

Ammunition Type Identification

Method 8

Purpose

Identify ammunition type(s)
assess caliber diversity if mixed lot

Acceptance Criteria

Ammunition types identified
caliber range documented
mixed lots clearly characterized

Procedure

Visual caliber assessment
dimension measurement if uncertain
document primary types and percentage representation