Although a fired casing is, in simple terms, empty metal, most government agencies do not treat it that way. Because the material originates from controlled weapons systems, it is often classified as sensitive. Policies typically require that brass be tracked, secured, and either reused within approved channels or rendered unusable so it cannot be turned back into ammunition or diverted into unauthorized hands.
This is where demilitarization (demil) enters the process. Before brass can leave many military installations, it must be physically crushed or flattened so it can no longer be reloaded. Law enforcement agencies are not always legally required to demilitarize spent casings, but many adopt the practice as a matter of policy and risk management.
In this application, roller mills function more like heavy-duty crushers than grinders. BCA’s Cartridge Crusher RLLR-4001-0001 Roller Mill is an industrial-grade solution engineered to streamline the processing of spent ammunition casings.
Built with a robust dual-roller system, the machine compresses and crushes spent shells quickly and consistently. An integrated magnetic separation system further improves efficiency by automatically removing ferrous components before crushing, ensuring that recovered materials are cleaner and more valuable for downstream recycling processes.
“The operating principle is straightforward,” says recycling expert John Neuens, industrial consultant at BCA Industries. “Brass casings are fed continuously into a pair of counter-rotating steel rollers. The rollers are set with a controlled gap that is narrow enough to crush and flatten the casings without excessively fragmenting them.”
Manufactured entirely in the United States, the RLLR-4001-0001 features a generously sized hopper capable of accepting a wide range of casing sizes from .22 caliber through .50 caliber.
According to Neuens, safety considerations remain critical in systems handling cartridge brass. However, the equipment is specifically engineered to safely process material even in the presence of live rounds, minimizing risk.
To do this, Neuens explains that the entry area of the roller mill is engineered with internal baffling designed to fully contain fragments, ensuring that no particles can escape.
“Gunpowder in a cartridge is meant to burn and create gas, not explode like a bomb,” explains Neuens. “In a gun, the chamber and barrel trap that gas so pressure builds behind the bullet and pushes it to high speed. Without that confinement, the gas expands in all directions. If a round ignites outside a chamber, there’s no strong, focused pressure.”
The roller mill is also available in scalable configurations, allowing it to be engineered as a compact, self-contained mobile unit without compromising performance or functionality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rCNguzqccw
BCA provides complete custom recycling systems for complex industrial and commercial applications. The company serves the U.S. Army and Air Force, as well as some of the world’s largest recyclers.
For more information: call 414-353-1002; fax 414-353-1003; email john@bca-industries.com; visit www.bca-industries.com or write to BCA Industries, 7036 N Teutonia Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53209.