The use of a laser ablation-direct current argon plasma emission spectrometric system for the direct determination of metals in solids is described. Sample preparation of solid steel samples involves machining to fit the geometry of the ablation chamber. A cellulose binder and copper ore are mixed thoroughly in a ball mill to ensure homogeneity and pelletized in a press at 20000 psi to fit the geometry of the ablation chamber. Copper, manganese, and nickel are determined using the system on standard steel samples, and copper is determined in pelletized copper ore with good agreement obtained with certified values. Precisions are typically in the 3 - 10% range with a detectable limit of 100 μg g−1of copper.