responsible disposal of old ammo. reloading components?

[lumpygravy]

<<I think this is Miscellaneous and not Reloading. Mods please move if inappropriate.>>

So I've got a bunch of old ammo left over from when I quit many years ago. Even though I've recently resumed shooting, I don't think I can use this ammo. I have:

1] a bunch of 175+ PF .38 Super and no open gun to shoot it

2] a bunch of fat (gauge failures) .40 S&W

3] a bunch of mixed brass from the very early days before I started uspsa shooting. No one caliber in any significant quantity and none in calibers that I will ever reload.

What is the best way to dispose of these items?

I suppose I could dig out the bullet pullers and pull the bullets on the live ammo but I'd rather make a dentist appointment for a root canal that I don't need . Plus I'd still have to dispose of the separated components.

Any suggestions for proper disposal? Local hazmat maybe?

[jmurch]

I've seen live ammo disposed of in bulk by putting it in a dutch oven with a clamp on lid and putting that on a propane stove out in a field a cooking it off.

Jeff

[Modoc]

I'd pull the bullets, use the powder to fertilize the lawn and trade/give away the remaining components. Or buy a 38 Super and shoot it up.

[bbbean]

I've seen live ammo disposed of in bulk by putting it in a dutch oven with a clamp on lid and putting that on a propane stove out in a field a cooking it off.

Jeff

That's a terrible way to treat a dutch oven! Be kind to your cast iron!

[larry cazes]

I see you are in SF. In santa clara county, the sheriff will take it. Our county range will take the cases.

Edited December 6, 2010 by larry cazes

[gohuskers]

Most law enforcement departments will take it. Give the locals or the state guys a call and that should solve it.

[kevin c]

The club can recycle the brass, LG. Just bring it in - there's a blue barrel in the target shack to dump it in.

The ammo'd be harder to dispose of, unless you give it up to the PD, as suggested. How much are we talking about? There's a local shooter who'd take the pulled bullets for his casting, the brass can go to recycling, once the live primers are out, and I could do that for ya, if there isn't too much.

[sirveyr]

In Detroit we just dump it in the catch basins with our used motor oil.

[lumpygravy]

The club can recycle the brass, LG. Just bring it in - there's a blue barrel in the target shack to dump it in.

The ammo'd be harder to dispose of, unless you give it up to the PD, as suggested. How much are we talking about? There's a local shooter who'd take the pulled bullets for his casting, the brass can go to recycling, once the live primers are out, and I could do that for ya, if there isn't too much.

Thanks Kevin.

I'll bring the misc brass to the range this weekend.

As for the loaded ammo, I think my best alternative is to see if SFPD will take it. There's too much to pull although if i had started pulling 12 years ago when I stopped shooting I'd have been done by now

I'm procrastinator when it comes to stuff like this. Why bother doing it today when you can do it tomorrow.

[outerlimits]

I would caution taking that stuff to a law enforcement agency in our beloved state.