Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Anyone buy reloading supplies at auctions?

As the title says, just wondering if anyone picks up reloading supplies at auctions or even garage sales. Two weeks ago, I won a local online auction bid for some .338 cal bullets. When I went to pickup my winning bid, they also handed me about 1300 Winchester large rifle primers. For $20 I’d say I did alright. Since then, I’ve been watching the auctions and have seen lots of new and once fired brass, different caliber bullets, primers, and even powder. I have not bid on the powder or brass, it I have every thing else. Since I won my auction, the new bids are way up in price. Just wondering if anyone else has bought supplies this way.

Yes. In the "BC" days, before covid, we had 2-4 local gun auctions a year. I bought a few supplies at them.

Here’s my thoughts.

Anything factory sealed and properly labeled - yes, except powder and primers should be in a 21st century container
Open powder - never
Fired brass - depends - there’s a lot of once fired out there and fairly easy to detect if it’s ever been trimmed
Bullets - yes, but I measure and weigh every one if the box is open
Primers - nope. These are just too cheap new ($0.03 each) to take a chance (I mostly hunt, so failure to fire is not an option).

all the time

Ii bought some fired brass once- big mistake! Apparently it was fired with hot loads. Flattened primers n expanded case heads. Never again! Mel

Thanks for the replies. I put in a few more bids for some unopened boxes do bullets. They have a big lot of powder in the latest auction, but I think I’ll stick with buying new at the LGS for that and primers. I never intentionally bid on the primers I got, as they were not listed as part of the auction. I will keep looking for some items I may need and put a bid in here and there.

I bought a lot of my reloading equipment at a garage sale. Wife and a friend made garage sales on Sat. mornings. Called me at work and said this fellow had some reloading equipment. I talked to the fellow and bought just about all the equipment he had, for $75 dollars. Press and it was mounted on a bench, scales, several sets of dies, powder thrower, several shell holders for the press, case trimmer with a few pilots, and I'm sure I've forgotten some.

I buy bullets and brass only if it appears once fired, never powder or primers.

Sure,

But I evaluate each item on a case by case basis.

The exception is reloads. I don't buy other peoples reloads.

Nope.

I understand that, I'm not going to buy other's reloads either.