To get rid of old bullets, take them to your local police department, a household hazardous waste facility, or a licensed gun shop. Most will accept ammunition for free. Before you hand anything over, though, inspect the rounds: ammunition that’s simply old is usually still good, and good ammunition is worth selling or giving to another shooter rather than destroying.
First, Check Whether the Ammo Is Actually Bad
Ammunition doesn’t expire. Modern factory cartridges stored in a cool, dry place stay safe and reliable for decades, and military surplus rounds from the 1950s and 1960s still fire when they’ve been kept out of moisture and heat. Age alone is not a reason to throw ammunition away.
What ruins ammunition is the environment. Sustained temperatures above 150 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, the kind you get inside a car trunk or an uninsulated shed in summer, can break down the propellant. Continuous moisture causes corrosion that disables the cartridge. Penetrating oils and bore-cleaning solvents can neutralize the primer or powder without leaving any visible sign, so rounds stored loose in a cleaning kit are suspect even when they look fine.
Look at each round before you decide its fate. Warning signs of ammunition that should not be fired:
- Green or white corrosion on the brass case or primer
- Rust on the bullet
- Split or cracked case necks
- Dents in the case body
- Bullets pushed deeper into the case than they should be (bullet setback)
Rounds showing any of that go to disposal. Rounds that look clean, with intact brass, stored somewhere reasonable indoors, are almost certainly still good.
If the Ammo Is Still Good, Consider Selling or Giving It Away
Federal law allows private ammunition sales without a dealer’s license. You can sell to a friend, list rounds on a local firearms forum, or bring them to a gun show. Many local gun shops will buy back common calibers, especially in factory boxes. Shooting ranges, shooting clubs, and hunter education programs sometimes accept donated ammunition.
Federal law does restrict who can receive it. You cannot sell or give ammunition to anyone you know or have reason to believe is under 18, or under 21 if the ammunition is for a handgun. You also cannot transfer ammunition to anyone in a prohibited category, which includes people convicted of a felony, fugitives, anyone under a qualifying domestic violence restraining order, and anyone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, among others.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts A private seller isn’t expected to run a background check, but the law holds you responsible if you knew or should have known the buyer was prohibited.
Some states impose additional restrictions on ammunition transfers, including requirements that sales run through a licensed dealer. Check your state’s rules before selling privately.
Where to Take Unwanted Ammunition
When ammunition is damaged, corroded, or just something you want gone, there are three reliable options, and most of them cost nothing.
Local police or sheriff’s department. Most law enforcement agencies accept unwanted ammunition. Call the non-emergency line first. Do not walk into the station lobby carrying a box of rounds. The usual procedure is that you keep the ammunition in your trunk and an officer comes out to collect it.
Household hazardous waste facility. Many municipalities classify ammunition as household hazardous waste and take it at permanent collection sites or periodic collection events. These are usually free for residents. Confirm the site handles ammunition specifically, because not all hazardous waste programs do.
Licensed gun shop or shooting range. Some accept old ammunition for disposal, particularly misfired rounds or uncommon calibers. Call ahead. Not every shop offers this, and a few charge a small fee.
Whichever route you choose, call before showing up. Policies on the types and quantities accepted vary, and some locations only handle ammunition during specific hours or scheduled events.
What Not to Do
A few disposal methods that seem convenient are dangerous, and some are illegal.
Do not throw ammunition in household trash. Garbage trucks use hydraulic compactors that can strike a primer hard enough to detonate a live round. Waste workers have been injured this way. Most municipal waste codes prohibit ammunition in household garbage in the first place.
Do not bury it. Lead cores, lead-based primers, and other heavy metals leach into soil and groundwater. The EPA identifies soil and groundwater contamination from munitions as a significant environmental and health concern, and cleanup liability under federal environmental statutes such as RCRA and CERCLA can be severe.2U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Challenge of Military Munitions and Federal Facilities
Do not burn it. Heat will eventually cook off live rounds, and an open fire provides no containment. The case can rupture in any direction, sending fragments and projectiles unpredictably.
Do not try to disassemble rounds yourself. Pulling bullets, dumping powder, or prying out primers risks accidental detonation. Leave that to professionals with the right tools.
How to Transport Ammunition to the Drop-Off
Once you know where you’re going, pack the ammunition so nothing shifts or strikes a primer on the drive. The original factory box is ideal because each round sits in its own slot. If you don’t have the packaging, use a sturdy container with dividers, padding, foam, or rags so rounds can’t rattle loose and hit each other. An old ammo can works well.
If the facility asks you to separate calibers, do it at home instead of sorting in a parking lot. Label containers if instructed. Ask about quantity limits, because some sites only accept small amounts per visit.
Put the ammunition in the trunk or a locked cargo container, not in the passenger compartment. Federal law on interstate firearm transport requires that neither firearms nor ammunition be readily accessible from the passenger compartment, and in a vehicle without a separate trunk the ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms For a short local trip, trunk storage is the simplest safe option. If you’re also carrying a firearm, keep it unloaded and stored separately from the ammunition.
If you’re sorting through a large quantity of corroded rounds, wear disposable gloves. Most bullet cores and many primer compounds contain lead, and corrosion residue can transfer to your skin. Wash your hands afterward with cold water and soap, and don’t eat or touch your face while you’re handling old ammunition.
What to Expect When You Hand It Over
The drop-off itself is quick. At a police department, an officer will come out to your vehicle, look at what you’ve brought, and take it. You usually won’t get a receipt or a detailed inventory. At a hazardous waste facility, staff will direct you to a specific unloading area and take it from there. Some places may ask for ID or a brief explanation of what you’re dropping off. That’s routine. The whole visit typically takes less than 15 minutes.
Unusual or Military-Style Rounds Are a Separate Problem
Everything above covers standard pistol, rifle, and shotgun cartridges, which is what almost all old household ammunition turns out to be. Some items are handled differently. The ATF classifies certain rounds as destructive devices under the National Firearms Act, which brings registration requirements. Anti-personnel rounds for 37mm or 38mm launchers, for example, cartridges loaded with rubber pellets, wood pellets, or bean bags, are classified as destructive devices when you possess them along with a compatible launcher.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF Ruling 95-3 – Destructive Devices
If you inherit or find ammunition that doesn’t look like ordinary rifle, pistol, or shotgun cartridges, particularly large-caliber rounds, explosive projectiles, or anything with military markings you don’t recognize, don’t run it through the normal disposal channels. Call your local ATF field office or the non-emergency line of your police department and ask what to do. In this situation, calling first isn’t just courtesy; it matters legally.