Annealing Brass

[338 Ultra]

Well since there are a lot of fellows on here that have more experience than I do, with the full realm of reloading skills and expertise in their repertoire. I am wondering what you guys do to anneal your brass? I have now quite a bit of brass in various calibers that even though has been well taken care of and reloaded numerous times is suffering from the good old "stiff neck" and you can guess how my groups with proven loads have become! I would usually just put it in my metal recycle bin and get new stuff but I am having some issues finding reloading components with brass being one of them. I figure it is long beyond time that I learn to do this, good challenge for me to learn a new skill help keep the old grey matter from shrinking too bad.

I saw a wonderful auto machine on the net a while back made in the U.S all good to go and all that just add propane I fell in love with it!!!! Wife said NO! oh well can't win them all I guess.
So I got good old garage propane torch a door to the house that locks on my side and lots of patience.

Have read some on the net about it but I trust the experience and opinions here more.

So what do you guys do ?

Thanks in advance Fellers

 

[joelkdouglas]

I get a torch, put the brass (30-06 body) in a 13mm deep socket, in a cordless drill. Put the mouth of the case in the flame until it looks like a Lapua case. When it does (about 7 or 8 seconds), let it drop on an old (clean) cloth diaper.

Then wait a while--they're hot!

Then resize. Easy peasy.

 

[joelkdouglas]

Oh, and you'll need an attachment to hook the socket to the drill...

 

[jimbires]

I have a ballistic edge machine . I had annealed by hand before buying the machine , but was never confident in my results . Hornady makes a little kit that has the very basics to get the job done .
http://www.hornady.com/store/Annealing-System-1-Each
I really don't think the kit would be much better then a socket in a powered screwdriver or , slow RPM hand drill and a bottle , or two , of templiaq in 750* and 400* . the 400* is used to make sure you don't over heat the case head .

the trick to annealing is to get the brass neck and shoulder to the correct temp quickly , so the heat does not travel to the case head . but you must not over heat it or the brass is ruined . I use 750* tempilaq inside the case neck . the reason it's inside is as soon as the torch hits the tempilaq it starts to burn and you can't watch for the melting point . just as it starts to melt my machine advances the case out of the torch . this takes only about 3 - 6 seconds . I've noticed when I anneal that if my brass is clean and shiny , I can see the heat line walk it's way down the neck onto the shoulder . when the heat line gets on the shoulder my tempilaq melts and my machine advances to the next case . here are two links to info I've saved that I felt was worth keeping track of , the first link is very informative it will answer a lot, if not all your questions . my only other advice is practice on old brass , until you get the hang of it . Jim
http://www.kenlightmfg.com/cartridgecaseannealer.htm

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technica ... annealing/

 

[chet]

I only do 20-40 pieces at a time....
I use a large pan, kinda like a cookie sheet, but with tall sidewalls....
anyway, I put about 1/2" of water in the pan. I place all the cases in the water standing up. I heat the neck until it looks "lapua'ish" and then tip em over into the water... the water keeps the heads from getting heated.
If I'm only doing a handful of larger cases (300winmag), I'll just hold 'em with a glove on and heat the neck. Then drop em on the garage floor

 

[truck driver]

always something new to learn here.

 

[SJB358]

Here is the same process I use for annealing, but I have since gone to a MAP gas torch (faster) and I know longer drop them into water (no need).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41mMPB3ofrg

It is much easier than you could think. I do it in a darker room, with very little light, that way as I soon as I start to see it getting red, I drop it. I use an aluminum pie tin, which works pretty well. From there, they go into the tumbler to get cleaned up. After that, split necks should be a thing of past. You'll wear out primer pockets before you ever wear out a case.

 

[kraky]

All good info. Especially the comment on being able to see the heat line move on polished brass.
One day I annealed some brass I'd polished w/flitz and it was really ez to see that happen!
If I remember right win brass especially gets that "lapua" look while rem doesn't.

 

[big rifle man]

I would be very careful using the "eyeball" technique. Different companies use different grades of brass that react differently to heat, Tempilaq is probably the safest way to go as it does what it's supposed to do.

 

[Mud]

Good read.

Should you full length size or neck size after annealing?

 

[jimbires]

Good read.

Should you full length size or neck size after annealing?

I worry that the heat could distort the brass case , so I full length resize . I set my dies to push the shoulder back .002 . I never neck size only . Jim

 

[Dr. Vette]

Good read.

Should you full length size or neck size after annealing?

I worry that the heat could distort the brass case , so I full length resize . I set my dies to push the shoulder back .002 . I never neck size only . Jim

You've got to use a LOT of heat to distort it, and even then it would only happen if you've got pressure on the neck at the same time. You'll ruin the case long before the neck distorts.

I worry about overworking the brass, so I neck size only whenever possible. Even then I use the Lee Collet die or a Redding neck bushing die, never an expander ball. The only time I touch a shoulder is if a case won't fit in a chamber.

 

[jimbires]

Good read.

Should you full length size or neck size after annealing?

I worry that the heat could distort the brass case , so I full length resize . I set my dies to push the shoulder back .002 . I never neck size only . Jim

You've got to use a LOT of heat to distort it, and even then it would only happen if you've got pressure on the neck at the same time. You'll ruin the case long before the neck distorts.

I worry about overworking the brass, so I neck size only whenever possible. Even then I use the Lee Collet die or a Redding neck bushing die, never an expander ball. The only time I touch a shoulder is if a case won't fit in a chamber.

I think one key to accuracy is consistency . I like to do everything the same every time , this way I get no surprises . I do use neck size dies , without the expander , but I always use a body die to bump the shoulder back .by always bumping the shoulder I know my ammo will always feed easily .

 

[BeeTee]

I have no objection to anyone annealing their rifle brass, but I've never done it or felt a need for it.

A hundred new and quality brass cases will likely last longer without annealing than most magnum rifle barrels. Also, when loaded to within a few percent of a magnum's or AI's pressure limits, primer pockets could loosen sooner than the necks need to be annealed.

Now, for a competitive rifle shooting a high volume round, high quality and competition prepped brass might be worth annealing. I'd follow the advice of the top competitors with regard to/if annealing. I don't know the answer to that. BT

 

[SJB358]

Good read.

Should you full length size or neck size after annealing?

I worry that the heat could distort the brass case , so I full length resize . I set my dies to push the shoulder back .002 . I never neck size only . Jim

You've got to use a LOT of heat to distort it, and even then it would only happen if you've got pressure on the neck at the same time. You'll ruin the case long before the neck distorts.

I worry about overworking the brass, so I neck size only whenever possible. Even then I use the Lee Collet die or a Redding neck bushing die, never an expander ball. The only time I touch a shoulder is if a case won't fit in a chamber.

I partial full length size every single time, bumping the shoulder .002" everytime as well. I can't see gaining any further life outta my cases. With annealing, about the only thing that requires me to scrap a case, is a loose primer pocket, but I can always get up past 10 firings with ease and usually more. Like Jim, I do the same thing everytime, so it works for me.

 

[338 Ultra]

Thanks for the info guys I like the socket and drill idea I also like the pan of water idea and low and behold the video scotty posted used them both nice. I am going to give that a try with a few cases and see how I make out fingers crossed



Thanks again fellas

 

[SJB358]

Thanks for the info guys I like the socket and drill idea I also like the pan of water idea and low and behold the video scotty posted used them both nice. I am going to give that a try with a few cases and see how I make out fingers crossed



Thanks again fellas

You'll do it fine. I have since dropped using the water, as a soft cloth or pie tin work fine for cool them, as water is a pain to dry outta the cases.

 

[jimbires]

another thing you'll notice after annealing is the shoulder bump will be very consistent from case to case . I anneal my brass every other time . after about 4 fires I can tell the brass is getting hard . loose primer pockets is why I junk my brass .

 

[Oldtrader3]

I have never annealed cases. I partially full size cases each cycle and throw them away when they need annealing. Buying 50 cases at a time and loading them 5-7 times for each case gives me about a year on most rifles per reloading cycle. I shoot (7) different centerfire rifles and seldom shoot more than a box per caliber, per range visit. These cases last me quite a while despite shooting several times a month in the warmer weather.

 

[jimbires]

here are two threads that came up on other forums , that I thought you might be interested in reading . Jim

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/ ... on-119309/

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index. ... ;topicseen