a 50-caliber ammo can hold?

I saw a 50-cal ammo can full of once fired .38 Special brass - all matching headstamp - for sale. Trying to figure out if the price is right, but I have no idea how many cases are in the can. The can is more than 3/4 full.

Any info will be appreciated.

Thanks.

833

Armen, I have brass stored in the factory styrofoam and plastic inserts (no boxes). I just stacked 20 inserts (each holding 50 pieces of 38 special brass) in a 50 Cal ammo can. That is 1000 pieces of brass and the can was full. If the brass you are looking at is loose in the can, I would estimate it at 900 to 1000 pieces.@

If you get a chance to weigh it, .38 Spl brass weighs between 10 and 11 pounds per thousand, depending on maker. Military brass is heaviest.

Thanks to all for the replies. Based on the info you three gents provided, it seems like a good price for what they're asking.

It's military brass, but I didn't think to check if they're crimped primers. That might be the deal breaker for me. I've never dealt with crimped primers, but I'm assuming they're a pain to prep. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on this.

I dunno about a .50 can, but a 7.62 can will hold 700 rounds of loose 38 special. I imagine the .50 will hold about four times that.

I've never seen .38 Spl military ammo with crimped primers.

a little off the topic, but it is connected to .38special and military brass. Friend of mine was a F4 driver during vietnam. He scrounged a couple of five gallon buckets of .38special casings off the firing ranges. Is still using that same brass today. Basically when it cracks or splits, it's tossed.