Annealing

[kochie]

What’s best way to Anneal brass how do you guys do it ?

 

[Stugots]

The best?!? Go out and pick yourself up an AMP Annealer! If you are after a very close 2nd best look at a Bench Source or possible an AGS annealer. That said, there are a lot of other options out there.

 

[rwj]

Use the Search utility on this site… you’ll get enough results to keep you reading for days! The short answer is that there isn’t a universally accepted “best” way, but there is one that’s best for you!

 

[dcali]

That's probably the biggest rat hole you'll find on this forum. Long story short, the AMP is the only one I'm aware of that does it in a measurable, repeatable way and backs up their claims with data. But even then, it's anyone's guess as to what hardness to shoot for.

 

[kochie]

That's probably the biggest rat hole you'll find on this forum. Long story short, the AMP is the only one I'm aware of that does it in a measurable, repeatable way and backs up their claims with data. But even then, it's anyone's guess as to what hardness to shoot for.

Sounds like AMP is good but it I don’t want too spend that kind of monies

 

[dcali]

Sounds like AMP is good but it I don’t want too spend that kind of monies

I didn't either. So I didn't. I personally don't think annealing is as important as many make it out to be. I don't bother at all - I have bigger fish to fry.

 

[SecondsCount]

I started off with a propane torch, brass on a little lazy susan, and a dimly lit room. Spin the brass and apply the torch to the shoulder-neck juction until it just changes to a dull orange ~4 seconds.

I now have an Annie. It is fast but an AMP is more consistent, although I haven't felt a difference in seating pressure if I use a mandrel.

 

[Propbndr]

I chuck the brass in a drill and spin it in a propane torch flame for about 4 seconds. I very rarely do it though. I have so much brass that if one splits, I just toss it and dig into my stash.

 

[kochie]

I chuck the brass in a drill and spin it in a propane torch flame for about 4 seconds. I very rarely do it though. I have so much brass that if one splits, I just toss it and dig into my stash.

Four seconds long enough???

 

[Straightshooter1]

Four seconds long enough???

. . . only if the 4 seconds can bring the neck to a faint red glow in a darkened room.

 

[762plinker]

if you are not using an AMP,, you are guessing not annealling

 

[kochie]

if you are not using an AMP,, you are guessing not annealling

I’m not a benchrest shooter just a coyote hunter. Would be nice to just to extend the life of my brass though.

 

[762plinker]

I’m not a benchrest shooter just a coyote hunter. Would be nice to just to extend the life of my brass though.

it aint about br, its about science vs guessing.
i own a bunch of rifles only a couple are br..i anneal for all

 

[marchx]

I would love to see an independent test by e.g. Bryan Zolnikov of AMP showing this mythical consistency on numbers. AMP vs. Annie, Anneleez using professional hardness tester.

I personally built an induction annealer with a timer, so I could anneal my brass with 0.01 s consistency. I bought 750 tempilaq and guess what. + It did not bring back to 5xfired brass the consistency I am getting from once fired brass. But that's me.

 

[Propbndr]

Four seconds long enough???

I found that 4 seconds was enough to get a faint glow on the .223 brass I was annealing. It would be a longer time if I was annealing the larger caliber brass that I also reload. That said, in hind sight, I was using a Mapp Gas torch, not propane. Mapp gas is much hotter burning than propane. I have not annealed anything in a while though because I have since come into a stash of a bunch of .223 brass. All the brass I have makes the cost of Mapp gas not worth it for any of the calibers I have.

 

[kochie]

I

I found that 4 seconds was enough to get a faint glow on the .223 brass I was annealing. It would be a longer time if I was annealing the larger caliber brass that I also reload. That said, in hind sight, I was using a Mapp Gas torch, not propane. Mapp gas is much hotter burning than propane. I have not annealed anything in a while though because I have since come into a stash of a bunch of .223 brass. All the brass I have makes the cost of Mapp gas not worth it for any of the calibers I have.

Ok thanks

 

[dcali]

I’m not a benchrest shooter just a coyote hunter. Would be nice to just to extend the life of my brass though.

You probably don't need to anneal to do that. Just following best practices in sizing - only bumping the shoulder back one to two thousandths - will make your brass last a very long time. Typically, the primer pockets get too loose before you get any sort of neck splits. If you're not splitting necks, annealing won't hep with life. Most guys are using annealing to try to wring one more drop of consistency out of their neck tension for competition guns.

If you ARE getting neck splits, annealing every few firings will help. You can do this with a torch by eye. You don't need a $1400 annealing machine for that purpose.

 

[kochie]

You probably don't need to anneal to do that. Just following best practices in sizing - only bumping the shoulder back one to two thousandths - will make your brass last a very long time. Typically, the primer pockets get too loose before you get any sort of neck splits. If you're not splitting necks, annealing won't hep with life. Most guys are using annealing to try to wring one more drop of consistency out of their neck tension for competition guns.

If you ARE getting neck splits, annealing every few firings will help. You can do this with a torch by eye. You don't need a $1400 annealing machine for that purpose.

Ok thanks again I can buy a lot of brass for $ 1400 x 10 fireing lots of shooting.

 

[CT10ring]

I use a Benchsource annealer. It's a lazy susan design with a precise timing device.
It uses 2 basic propane torches-I think it's a well designed unit. Time in the flame for the brass is 4-6 seconds (for almost any smaller caliber), based on watching the necks glow dark red in a darkened room. I'd like to think it helps with accuracy. It will allow alot of firings on brass. If you don't need to anneal many cases or often, a hand held chuck w shell holder in a drill next to a propane flame would work well, I'd bet, for alot less $.

 

[jccinohio]

There's plenty of DIY annealer plans out there. I made one with just a single drum and have to feed each case by hand. Not an issue for me, but if you did a lot of cases that would prob be a pain. I do it in a darkened room, just light enough to see what I'm doing. Then I look at the dark side of the brass, opposite the flame, to monitor. I have 20 or so pieces of test brass that I use to set it. Once there is a faint glow, that's the setting.