AMP Annealer Machine

[Rem Jim]

HI Guys ! My first post on here - But being surfing here for a while ! I’m a new FClass shooter so I’m in need of annealing my brass all the time .I have being using my Buddies AMP machine and I really like it .
So I need to Buy one for my self BUT the cost adds up with all the bushings etc for different cartridges .
Any one use a Machine ? that is comparable to the AMP at a lesser price ? Or is the AMP brand the Very Best ? ‍
Thanks Jim

 

[rwj]

The Annie by Fluxeon is the only other commercially available induction annealer targeting the shooting sports. I’ve not used one but searching this site should reveal user’s experiences.

Fluxeon Induction Heat

HOTTER | FASTER | BETTER

fluxeon.com

 

[Acyr]

Buy once, Cry once. AMP is the best.

 

[Ranger188]

If you can afford an AMP, the pilots aren't that big a deal.
If you do a lot of brass, you want them to be as consistent as possible.
AMP is the way to go.

 

[Preacher]

AMP is as good as it gets, the bushings will work for ever...

 

[DngBat7]

Not to mention amp has the great customer service.

 

[rijndael]

The best customer service is a lot like the best warranty, it's the one you'll never need.

 

[WILLIAM PIPPEN]

AMP was not in my budget, so I got an Annie.
It works great. I am100 percent satisfied with it.

 

[1K6BRA]

 

[JimPag]

AMP: The Rolls Royce of Annealers. If you can afford one buy it. If you can't still buy it.

 

[jimmymac]

The used Annie I bought seems to work well in regard to shoulder bump and uniform bullet seating pressure. So far so good.

 

[jepp2]

Any one use a Machine ? that is comparable to the AMP at a lesser price ?

The thing the AMP gets you is the technology to anneal at the correct temperature for the brass/lot you are using. For many years I used the system in the picture below. First question you need to answer:
- do you want to stress relieve (750 degrees F)
- or do you want to anneal (over 1000 degrees F)
Next I transitioned to the more automated flame annealer of MRB (Mike's reloading bench). But I can't say the quality of the heat treatment was any better. With any flame annealer and with the Annie induction system, you have no analytical method to determine the time/temperature you create, and thus can't achieve what the AMP unit does.

I finally broke down (broke after paying for it), and got an AMP. Now I analyze each unique lot of brass, and I anneal after every firing. I only used to anneal after 3-5 firings, depending on the work my chamber neck and reloading die was putting into the brass. I was trying to extend brass life.

Consider the AMP an investment. In the past 4 years, I have seen 2 AMP units offered for sale on this forum. They both sold quickly. If you consider your barrel a consumable (and it is), then the cost these days for a medium size cartridge is about $1.50 per shot. You will be competing where small things can make a big difference. You already have seen how easy it is with an AMP. But I assume you have other priorities for where you spend your money. Your choice.

The method I used for several years.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

There is always the temptation when starting out, and I was guilty too, of trying to compete on a very small budget. I was a slow learner!.
1) A factory rifle will only get you so far. If you are content with a bunch of 9's, fine. A used custom gun would be a better choice.
2) A good used scope is a better bet than a new cheap one. I thought that 20x was enough when I started out. Then I found Sightron 8x-32x - better. Sightron 10-50x even better. I have even better scopes - but the majority are Sightron -I will not part with them ( I have a lot of rifles....)
3) To shoot the scores, you need the best brass, dies, scales etc that you can get/afford. Annealing the brass is a given - or you will end up dumping cases early. An expensive proposition these days - and in this part of the world, supplies can be sporadic.

I bought an AMP last year, with a bunch of pilots ( I have a lot of rifles...) It's a good way to go. My shooting buddy has a flame annealer - with an auto feed system that seems to do a good job (?), but I suggest that, as you need consistency fo F-class, the AMP will give you the most consistent neck tension and longest brass life. Of course - it is also made locally. which is a bonus for me, as were 3 of my rifles, Barnard, - 2 of which I bought used.

 

[ACard]

Amp, hands down. It is simple fast and because it is scientifically researched and backed by more than one independent lab verifying the results and data, your results are always fantastic. People gripe about single feed and having to man the station, that said I can easily anneal 100 pcs before I could get flames adjusted on my old set up.

 

[Rem Jim]

Thanks for the a great reply’s and as I said I have being using a AMP unit and very much like it - I was just looking for a comparable Unit at a lesser Cost BUT. Looks like AMP it is . Cheers

 

[Bob3700]

After watching Cortina's video, comparing the AMP with the Benchsource, I would like to see further testing to see if the AMP is really worth three times the money.

First, the spread between the seating pressures using his AMP press was only 4 PSI difference.
Second: If you used the same pieces of brass, and reversed the devices used for annealing, would the difference follow the brass? Another words, was the difference in seating pressures due to the brass itself and not the annealing process?
Third: Could you actually shoot the difference?

Watching the shots on the E-Target, while the AMP ammo shot a bit better, both batches of ammo had fliers. The AMP had them more horizontally where as the Benchsource was more vertical. That could very well be the cases themselves. Eric mentions that his bullets were not sorted so that provides another variable.

All the above said, I know that we like expensive jewellery. The AMP certainly fills that requirement. But the single loading of cases as well as triple the price, didn't show up dramatically on the actual shots fired. I don't think that Eric's test validated that the AMP was , hands down, the better annealing process.

I am in the market for an annealer, but based on Cortina's results, the jury is still out.

Question to those who have made the switch from flame to induction (AMP) process. Have you seen the average in your scores go up? That is really the method by which you should gauge the value of the AMP.

Bob

 

[rwj]

I believe that improvement is the cumulative result of many factors. To single one out would be difficult… perhaps nearly impossible. I now use the AMP to anneal instead of flame. The decision was principally made for user convenience and case uniformity.

 

[Leeman]

After watching Cortina's video, comparing the AMP with the Benchsource, I would like to see further testing to see if the AMP is really worth three times the money.

First, the spread between the seating pressures using his AMP press was only 4 PSI difference.
Second: If you used the same pieces of brass, and reversed the devices used for annealing, would the difference follow the brass? Another words, was the difference in seating pressures due to the brass itself and not the annealing process?
Third: Could you actually shoot the difference?

Watching the shots on the E-Target, while the AMP ammo shot a bit better, both batches of ammo had fliers. The AMP had them more horizontally where as the Benchsource was more vertical. That could very well be the cases themselves. Eric mentions that his bullets were not sorted so that provides another variable.

All the above said, I know that we like expensive jewellery. The AMP certainly fills that requirement. But the single loading of cases as well as triple the price, didn't show up dramatically on the actual shots fired. I don't think that Eric's test validated that the AMP was , hands down, the better annealing process.

I am in the market for an annealer, but based on Cortina's results, the jury is still out.

Question to those who have made the switch from flame to induction (AMP) process. Have you seen the average in your scores go up? That is really the method by which you should gauge the value of the AMP.

Bob

I agree with what you have said, it's almost as if he had made his mind up which was better before the test and like you said he should have used the same pieces of brass with each annealer. But it was hardly statistically significance anyway with the tiny sample. Another day, another set of cases could have reversed the result. Wasn't a blind test either so he knew which case had been annealed with which annealer. But everyone knows the AMP is better!

 

[Rem Jim]

I bought the AMP machine

 

[Larry Koch]

An electric annealer is the way to go. The amp makes it simple. Remember there is no magic going on in the amp annealer, just a magnetic coil energize heating the brass.