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COPPER WIRE DICTIONARY
MCM feeder cable, explained.
The biggest wire in the building has its own unit of measure. MCM — thousand circular mils, same as kcmil — is how the trade sizes feeder cable from 250 to 1,000 and up. Here's what the letters mean, where feeders hide, and how to estimate the copper in a run.
THE NAME
MCM and kcmil are the same thing
MCM stands for “thousand circular mils” — the M is the Roman numeral for 1,000. Modern spec sheets write it as kcmil, which means exactly the same thing. A circular mil is simply the cross-sectional area of a wire 0.001 inch in diameter — so 500 kcmil means 500,000 circular mils of copper conductor. Bigger number, bigger conductor, more copper per foot. That's the whole unit. (From the copper wire dictionary.)
COMMON SIZES
The sizes you'll actually see
Feeder cable comes in standard steps: 250, 300, 350, 400, 500, 600, 750, and 1,000 kcmil. Past 4/0 AWG, the trade stops using gauge numbers and switches to kcmil — so if a jacket is printed “500 kcmil,” you're looking at serious copper. Bare 500 kcmil copper runs about 1,544 pounds per 1,000 feet. See the full weight chart.
WHERE FEEDERS HIDE
Where feeder cable hides
Feeders are the big power runs inside buildings and plants: demolition feeders (service-entrance and riser cable pulled during tear-outs), data-center power distribution, switchgear and MCC connections, and large transformer leads. The classic load is THHN/THWN 250–750 MCM stripped out of a demo job. Walking a plant closing or a demo? The thick black cable in the overhead trays is what you're looking at. Demolition copper recovery guide · data-center copper cable
RECOVERY
Big feeders recover high
Insulated feeder cable is bought on a recovery basis — what percentage of the weight is actually copper. Big feeders test high because the conductor dwarfs the jacket: 500 kcmil bare copper weighs 1,544 lb per 1,000 ft, and the same conductor in XHHW-2 insulation weighs about 1,626 — roughly 95% copper by weight. Heavily jacketed, lead-sheathed, or double-insulated cable tests lower, so the jacket matters — but on big feeders, the copper is the load.
FIELD MATH
The field math rule
Here's the quick estimator for kcmil sizes: (kcmil × 3.09 × feet) ÷ 1,000 = pounds of copper. Each kcmil of conductor weighs about 3.09 lb per 1,000 ft of bare copper. Example: a 200-foot pull of 500 kcmil — 500 × 3.09 × 200 ÷ 1,000 = 309 lb of copper. Pace off the run, read the jacket print, do the math on your phone — you'll know what you're standing on before you call. How to read wire markings
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Feeder cable questions, answered.
What does MCM stand for?
Thousand circular mils — M is the Roman numeral for 1,000. It measures the conductor's cross-sectional area: 500 MCM means 500,000 circular mils of copper.
Is kcmil the same as MCM?
Yes. kcmil is the modern way of writing MCM — 500 kcmil and 500 MCM describe the same conductor.
How much does 500 kcmil copper weigh?
Bare 500 kcmil copper weighs 1,544 lb per 1,000 feet. The same conductor in XHHW-2 insulation weighs about 1,626 lb per 1,000 ft — roughly 95% copper by weight.
How do I estimate the copper in a feeder run?
Use (kcmil × 3.09 × feet) ÷ 1,000 = pounds of copper. Read the size off the jacket print, pace off the footage, and you'll have a solid field estimate.
Where do I find big feeder cable to sell?
Demolition jobs (service-entrance and riser cable), data centers, switchgear rooms, and plant closings. I travel for the right load — call 312-880-8174 and tell me what you're standing on.
Text a photo of your copper to Sonny at 312-880-8174 — or call 312-880-8174 for today's number.
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HOW SELLING WORKS
Three steps to an offer.
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