Anyone anneal?

[JeffsSig]

Anyone anneal their brass?

If so How do you try to do it?

[Dolomite_supafly]

What caliber?

I used to but gave up on it because 223 brass is so cheap.

Dolomite

[dlm37015]

i used to but the reloading supply buisness takes all my time now i did it in a pan of water

[Caster]

Get a pan of water, stand your cases up in the water. You want the water level just below the shoulder. Heat them up with a torch, I use mapp gas. There's a line of thinking out there that says knock them over in the water once heated up. This is lunacy because quenching induces hardness. The heat relaxes the molecular structure of the brass. You want that to cool slowly. Knocking them over will cause the excited molecules to lock into place quickly. There's more to the science but that's the quick and dirty of heat treating. You quickly reduce temperature to harden, you slowly reduce the temperature to anneal.

[JeffsSig]

Get a pan of water, stand your cases up in the water. You want the water level just below the shoulder. Heat them up with a torch, I use mapp gas. There's a line of thinking out there that says knock them over in the water once heated up. This is lunacy because quenching induces hardness. The heat relaxes the molecular structure of the brass. You want that to cool slowly. Knocking them over will cause the excited molecules to lock into place quickly. There's more to the science but that's the quick and dirty of heat treating. You quickly reduce temperature to harden, you slowly reduce the temperature to anneal.

And this is the way you do it? Or have done it? And how long did your brass last after you did it this way?

[Caster]

And this is the way you do it? Or have done it? And how long did your brass last after you did it this way?

Yes this is the way I do it.

I do it every ten loadings.

I currently have a lot of (50) pcs of Hornady match 308 brass.

The load is a 168g gas check cast boolit over unique. My current load is running around 2,000 FPS.

I'm going to the range this weekend. I will fire those pcs of brass for the either 31st or 32nd time. I'd have to look at the sticker on the box.

Granted, I neck size only. I only neck size down enough so that my M die touches the walls of the neck and I set up my crimp die so that it juuuussssttt grabs the boolit and holds her still while I cycle the bolt. The bullet gently touches the rifling on close. I'm only moving the brass around a few thousandths each time. Full length sizing will NOT let you load this many times, but annealing the case mouths will help a great deal. Doesn't mean much when you're shooting Win brass you picked up off the ground. Means a LOT when you're shooting Lapua, Norma or other match grade brass you paid big $$$ for.

Have fun.

[Worriedman]

I used to do it one piece at the time using this set up:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/360902/hornady-annealing-system

but graduated to this:

[Okey]

I used to do it one piece at the time using this set up:

http://www.midwayusa...nnealing-system

but graduated to this:

Dasher brass?

[mikegideon]

Or if you want fully automated...

[Worriedman]

Or if you want fully automated...

[media=]

[/media]

That is nice, was not aware they made an annealer, have their trimmer, it is the stuff too!

[mikegideon]

That is nice, was not aware they made an annealer, have their trimmer, it is the stuff too!

I think it's fairly new. I haven't bought yet, but will get the Giraud when I do.

[Caster]

Or if you want fully automated...

That's one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. If you really do buy one, don't be surprised if I show up with a bucket of brass and a sack full BBQ sandwiches.

That beats the fire out of doing it with a torch.

[mikegideon]

That's one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. If you really do buy one, don't be surprised if I show up with a bucket of brass and a sack full BBQ sandwiches.

That beats the fire out of doing it with a torch.

Yep. Annealing parties will be popular events.

[Caster]

Yep. Annealing parties will be popular events.

WON'T THEY!!??!! Do it run off a tank of gas like the grill? That could be a cool party about once/twice a year. Group of gun loving rednecks, good food and open flames.....what could go wrong??

[mikegideon]

Looks like a jumbo tank for a propane torch. I figure it will last for several beers before you have to change it.

[Clod Stomper]

Get a pan of water, stand your cases up in the water. You want the water level just below the shoulder. Heat them up with a torch, I use mapp gas. There's a line of thinking out there that says knock them over in the water once heated up. This is lunacy because quenching induces hardness. The heat relaxes the molecular structure of the brass. You want that to cool slowly. Knocking them over will cause the excited molecules to lock into place quickly. There's more to the science but that's the quick and dirty of heat treating. You quickly reduce temperature to harden, you slowly reduce the temperature to anneal.

I know that steel is annealed by letting it cool slowly. I always wondered why everyone always seemed to say to quench brass to anneal it. I just assumed that brass properties were different than steel. Good to find out the truth. I have never annealed brass, but always considered it an option with more expensive brass. I usually just throw away cases when the necks crack. But now that I'm shooting 6.5 Grendel, there is no such thing as cheap cases (yet).

I guess I'm not too old to learn something.

Will

[Guest BungieCord]

...I always wondered why everyone always seemed to say to quench brass to anneal it. I just assumed that brass properties were different than steel....

You're right. Iron is special. Generally speaking, all ferrous alloys undergo transformational hardening when quenched. Few non-ferrous alloys do, and most of them were blended specifically to fill the need for copper alloyed components that can't be work-hardened, which is the customary method for hardening copper alloys. Cartridge brass is a simple 30% zinc blend developed specifically for its cold-working properties. It does not experience transformational hardening.

Edited May 29, 2012 by BungieCord

[Guest Tnslim]

The way I do it is I use a cordless screwdriver with a 1/2" deepwell socket attached and a cheapo propane torch with sonic cleaned brass. The flame is about 45* angle and I hold just the neck of the brass at another 45* angle while spinning the brass. I keep the neck in the flame until the blue coloring passes the shoulder maybe 1/4" to 3/8" then I just dump them on the bench, no water. They air-cool quickly and I usually average 5 or 6 a minute. Next I always full length size and trim for length. I neck size thereafter firing for 5-6 times. I believe it works as I have Remington 22-250 brass with over 25 firings and still looking good.

[Dolomite_supafly]

WON'T THEY!!??!! Do it run off a tank of gas like the grill? That could be a cool party about once/twice a year. Group of gun loving rednecks, good food and open flames.....what could go wrong??

And most would stand around in wonderment at the amazing contraption.

I wonder how well an annealer would work to cook those little smokie sausages?

Dolomite