California Wire Buyers evaluates unused metal-clad cable coils, partial reels and large feeder packages throughout California. To sell MC cable, identify the circuit conductors and grounding design along with the armor. We also buy scrap copper wire, including removed MC that needs a separate recovery evaluation.
Sell MC cable by construction, not armor color
MC means metal-clad: a factory cable assembly with insulated conductors inside a metallic armor or sheath. Familiar branch-circuit MC commonly has copper THHN/THWN-family conductors, an insulated copper equipment ground and interlocked aluminum or steel armor. Large feeder versions may contain copper or aluminum circuit conductors.
The armor metal does not establish the wire metal. A lightweight aluminum-armored coil can contain copper conductors, while aluminum feeder MC is a different inventory item. Our wire and cable buying catalog separates these assemblies from single-conductor building wire.
Common branch sizes are 14–10 AWG, including 12/2, 12/3 and 10/2. These often arrive as 250 ft coils or 1000 ft reels. Feeder constructions can reach 750 kcmil (MCM) copper or 1000 kcmil aluminum in representative product families; exact availability depends on the design.
Five MC descriptions that change the offer
The ground, signal group and outer protection can make two similar coils very different products. Use the manufacturer designation rather than inventing a category from what the armor looks like.
| Product description | Distinguishing construction | Detail we need |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional branch MC | Commonly insulated copper ground inside interlocked armor | Circuit count and ground size |
| MCAP / MC-AP | Aluminum grounding/bonding conductor contacting aluminum armor | Exact named product and bonding size |
| MC-PCS | Power conductors plus grouped control/signal conductors | Both conductor groups |
| Healthcare family | Redundant grounding design; actual cable may be AC or MC | HCF name and listed cable type |
| Feeder MC | Larger power conductors; jacketed options exist | CU or AL, full size/count and jacket ratings |
MCAP's grounding design is not interchangeable with every MC product. The reviewed construction uses an AA-8000 aluminum grounding/bonding conductor outside the binder tape. Its listed system requires appropriate MCI-A connectors and manufacturer instructions; this is an identification distinction, not a termination guide.
MC-PCS combines power with control or signal wiring, often for lighting controls and 0–10 V dimming. One manufacturer example pairs 12 or 10 AWG copper power with 16 AWG signal conductors and a copper ground. Calling that coil only 12 gauge MC leaves out a major part of its specification.
Healthcare stock needs similar care. HCF-Lite, for example, is a Type AC product with a green insulated copper ground and an aluminum bonding strip. Other healthcare products are Type MC. We review the actual listing rather than treating every green-marked coil as hospital MC.
Find the legend on labels, jackets or binder tape
Look for TYPE MC, manufacturer, conductor count, circuit and ground sizes, voltage, product number and listing information. UL 1569 is the product standard commonly associated with MC. Preserve the original package certification label; an isolated marking is not the complete certification record.
On unjacketed MC, useful identification may be on the binder tape beneath the armor. Start with the intact coil label and any already accessible end. Do not damage an otherwise sound coil merely to expose a longer piece of tape.
Red, blue, green and other armor stripes can help distinguish inventory, but their meanings vary by manufacturer and product. Record the colors without using them as proof of circuit voltage, conductor metal or healthcare listing. Where several colors share a pallet, photograph each distinct label.
Many branch MC products are 600 V. Unjacketed ordinary MC is normally for dry locations; wet-location, direct-burial and hazardous-location claims require the particular construction and listing. Higher-voltage MC also exists, so a familiar-looking armor does not settle the rating.
Commercial remodels leave more than one kind of MC
Office, retail and other tenant-improvement work is a common source of unused MC coils and remnants. Revised lighting layouts can leave MC-PCS, while changed branch-circuit schedules leave standard two- and three-conductor packages. Healthcare buildouts may add more specialized grounding designs to the lot.
We review electrical contractor surplus by the actual stock remaining, not by the original project order. Separate unopened coils from loose remnants and removed building cable. A partially used package can still hold unused cable, but its remaining footage needs a clear description.
For Los Angeles wire sellers, dense commercial job sites can make access information important alongside the inventory. Tell us about docks, building loading restrictions and the location of heavy feeder reels. We can plan California pickup without assuming a coil lot and a feeder reel need identical handling.
Product value and scrap recovery use different measurements
Reusable MC value depends on continuous length, exact conductor arrangement, labels, demand and condition. Crushed armor, corrosion and uncertain service history affect that assessment. A common 12/2 coil with clear records and a specialty lighting coil serve different needs; neither should be priced from appearance alone.
The copper quantity follows circuit conductor size, count, ground construction and length. Steel or aluminum armor adds gross weight but is not copper. During scrap processing, armor must be separated from the copper-bearing material; steel and aluminum armor also require different sorting.
Keep unused packages apart from removed MC and identify the armor metal if known. Our scrap copper wire buying page covers that recovery category and its California documentation requirements. Payment terms are confirmed in writing before collection rather than assumed from the cable grade. The legal overview is informational, not legal advice.
What to send for an MC cable offer
For a coil lot, one wide photo is useful, but it cannot replace the different product labels. Include:
- Coil or reel labels showing 12/2, 12/3, 10/2 or the complete feeder description.
- Actual MC, MCAP, MC-PCS or healthcare product identification, including AC when that is the listed type.
- Circuit-conductor metal, solid or stranded construction, and insulated-ground or bonding-conductor details.
- Both power and signal sizes and counts for lighting-control MC-PCS stock.
- Armor material, stripe colors and photos of crushed, opened or corroded sections.
- Original put-up, remaining continuous footage and the number of unopened versus partial packages.
- Voltage and any jacket markings supporting wet-location or burial claims on feeder MC.
- California job location, loading limits and records establishing who owns the leftover stock.
The 14, 12 and 10 AWG wire page provides size context for ordinary branch packages. For this offer, keep every distinct product line separate even if its circuit conductors have the same AWG size.
Keep specialty armored stock identifiable
A plastic jacket over armor does not automatically make cable MC-HL. Continuous corrugated sheaths, interlocked armor and Type AC bonding constructions need different descriptions. See specialty armored cable identification for those distinctions before combining an industrial reel with branch MC.
Store the original package labels with their matching cable and avoid rewrapping several short pieces as one apparent full coil. Note any returned or rewound material explicitly. Buyers and end users must verify listing, condition and suitability before any future installation.
Common questions
Is MCAP missing its ground if there is no green wire?
Not necessarily. MCAP is a particular listed grounding design, not ordinary MC with a conductor omitted. In the reviewed Southwire construction, an aluminum grounding/bonding conductor contacts the aluminum armor outside the binder tape. That assembly forms the grounding path. Send the MCAP identification and conductor details so we do not classify the bonding conductor as copper or confuse it with conventional MC.
What does 12/2 mean on a coil of MC cable?
It normally identifies two insulated 12 AWG circuit conductors, with the grounding construction described separately. Standard branch MC commonly includes an insulated copper equipment ground. MCAP and specialty products have different arrangements, so 12/2 alone is not a complete buying description. The coil label should also establish cable type, ground design, voltage, metal and original package length.
Can green-striped healthcare cable be listed as ordinary MC?
We need the actual AC or MC designation, not just its healthcare appearance. HCF cable families include both types, and green armor or stripes are identification clues rather than proof of a particular listing. Record the manufacturer, product name and ground construction. Healthcare redundant-ground designs and isolated-ground cable also differ; neither description should be inferred solely from a green marking.