17-4 PH and 15-5 PH
Precipitation-hardening grades. Note the condition if you know it: condition A (solution treated) or an H-condition like H900 or H1025. Keep 17-4 and 15-5 in separate boxes.
Solids · Stainless · Solids only
Sell stainless steel drops and bar ends
We review stainless steel solids: 17-4 PH, 15-5 PH, 316/316L, 304/304L, 303 and 410/416 as bar ends, plate drops, saw cutoffs, billets and hex or flat bar, kept by grade. A stamped 17-4 bar end long enough to chuck is another shop's blank, so we review it as stock, not as melt. We do not buy chips, turnings or mixed loose scrap.
Which stainless we look at
Solids only, one grade per box: bar ends, plate drops, saw cutoffs, billets, hex and flat bar. Chips, turnings and mixed loose scrap are out.
316 / 316L
Molybdenum-bearing grade used where corrosion matters. It looks the same as 304 on the bench, so keep it in its own labeled box.
304 / 304L
The everyday 300-series grade. Plate drops and round bar ends are the most common pieces we see.
303
Free-machining 300-series grade, mostly round and hex bar. Keep it apart from 304 and 316; it is easy to mix up.
410 / 416
Martensitic 400-series grades. 416 is the free-machining version. Same rule: one grade per box, labeled.
Duplex 2205
In scope only when the grade is identified by a stamp, cert or packing slip. Unmarked duplex is treated as unknown.
Why a stamped 17-4 bar end is stock, not scrap
A yard pays one stainless price for the metal. A bar end long enough to chuck can be another shop's blank. A grade stamp, heat number or cert is what lets the next machinist trust it. Unmarked stainless gets valued with less certainty; see how to identify unmarked drops.
What helps a buyer trust it
- The grade stamp, inkjet print, or end color code with the supplier's chart.
- A mill cert, heat number or packing slip that names the grade. See how mill certs raise the offer.
- For 17-4 and 15-5, the condition: condition A, an H-condition, or unknown.
- Straight bar with a diameter you can measure, and square-cut plate drops.
Usually a recycler's job
- Short stubs and heavily machined skeletons.
- Welded, painted or coated pieces.
- Unmarked stainless with grades mixed together.
- Chips, turnings and mixed loose scrap.
Keep grades apart
303 mixed with 316, or 17-4 mixed with 304, looks identical once the stamp is gone, and one mixed-in piece drags the whole box to the uncertain price. One grade per box, a label on the box, and the cert or packing slip kept with it (why certs matter). Pull anything unmarked into its own "unknown" box.
About magnets: a magnet only roughly splits 300-series (usually weak or non-magnetic, though cold-worked 303 and 304 can pull a little) from 17-4, 15-5 and 400-series (magnetic). It is a rough sort, not a grade ID. We won't name a grade from a magnet test, and you shouldn't either.
Good lot vs bad lot
Good lot
- Straight bar with a measurable diameter and clean saw cuts.
- Square plate drops with sizes you can measure.
- One grade per box, stamps visible, cert or packing slip included.
Bad lot
- Short stubs nobody can chuck.
- Heavily machined skeletons.
- Welded or painted pieces, or grades mixed in one bin.
- These usually belong at a normal recycler.
How to sell a stainless lot
1. Sort
One grade per box. Unmarked pieces go in their own box. For 17-4 and 15-5, note the condition if you know it.
2. Photograph
The whole lot with a tape measure in frame, then close-ups of grade stamps or color-code paint and the cert or packing slip.
3. Submit
Use the sell form with grade, a rough piece count, weight and your ZIP, or email buyers@machineshopscrap.com. Ownership certification is required.
4. Review & offer
A person reviews it and makes an offer. There's no posted price per pound. See how we value.
Stainless FAQ
This page goes deeper than the stainless answer on solids. Other metals have their own pages: aluminum plate drops, carbon and alloy steel drops, tool steel drops, titanium drops, Inconel drops, Hastelloy and Monel drops and brass, bronze and copper drops.
Do you buy stainless chips or turnings?
No. Solids only: bar ends, plate drops, saw cutoffs, billets and hex or flat bar. Chips, turnings and mixed loose scrap go to a normal recycler.
Is 17-4 or 316 valued higher than 304?
We don't post a rate for any grade. Each lot is reviewed by a person. Clear grade ID and certs help any grade review higher.
My bar ends have color paint on the end but no stamp. Does that count?
It helps if you have the supplier's color chart or a packing slip that matches it. Send photos and we'll review.
Does heat-treat condition matter for 17-4?
It can. Note condition A or the H-condition (H900, H1025 and so on) if you know it. If you don't, we treat the condition as uncertain.
Do I need mill certs to sell stainless drops?
No. But a mill cert, heat number or the supplier packing slip that names the grade raises the offer, because the next buyer can trust what the material is.