It had been “poorly stored” and showed all manner and degree of corrosion on the cases.

Being an inveterate scrounger and cheapskate, I accepted the challenge.

First it was “triaged: a few spots, nasty green furry patches and “that’s a cartridge”?

I decided to pull and inspect every round, starting with the “good” ones.

RCBS collet-type bullet puller to the fore. Projectile into a plastic tub, then tip the contents of the case onto a small plastic tray for inspection. If it looked and smelled like fresh-ish powder, it went into a storage jar. Periodically, samples were weighed and the very-consistent load data was recorded. If not 0f acceptable quality, directed to the “powder scraps” jar which is emptied on the garden from time to time.

By the time I got to the really “furry” cases, I was encountering propellant that was starting to clump and smell “funny”. Straight into the scrap jar.

Eventually I had a sizeable quantity of recoverable bullets, a few pounds of “good” powder and a pile of primed brass.

The bullets went through chemical cleaning and then rotary tumbling in a mild citric acid brew, whilst I contemplated the primed cases.

Eventually, I decided to toss them into a bucket of old brake / clutch fluid and hope that this would “neutralize any still-live primers. A week passes….

Next, out with the Lee “universal decapping” die. I did not want to be running lubed but furry cases into a “proper” sizing die. Steady, slow pressure on theh primer was the order of the day.

The primers ALL came out with no loud surprises, (eye and ear protection still worn)and then the cases went for a chemical wash to remove the green corrosion fur. Then I could visually inspect each case for pitting or other damage. “Suspect” brass went into the ‘recycle” bucket, The rest went, via the Dillon 600 primer-pocket “de-crimper”, into the rotary tumbler in several batches.

Rinsed and thoroughly dried, they were stored in airtight containers for use, “some day”.

Waste of time? When you are cash-poor and time rich, it’s not even a consideration. Also, being the (old) child of parents who grew up in the Depression and went through WW2, it is ingrained.