Neck cleaning after annealing

[Bert]

What is everyone doing to clean the case necks after annealing? I have a 6br i tumble the cases in cob media with flitz and it does a great job with the outside of the case. Then i anneal using a benchsorce machine again all is good. Its after that the normal carbon inside the case neck seems more abrasive and doesn't clean out with just a case neck brush. I don't care what they look like inside but it is leading to some variation in neck tention. And for the guys using the stainless pin tumbler do you lube the bullets to get consisting seating force?

 

[Clod-NC]

Hi Bert,hi all

I have no real experience of annealing myself,but from what I remember reading and the problem as you expose it,I would rather spin the neck and shoulder of the cases with steel wool prior to annealing(to do away with any dirt or oxydized brass),and then tumble them.It seems to make better sense to me.Then if your necks come out too clean inside,apply dry lube(graphite).

 

[LHSmith]

For Short Range BR Competition I run a nylon brush of the appropriate caliber through the neck 1 x, clean the outside neck residue with Never Dull, wipe clean, then anneal. That residue in the neck is carbon, 700' F won't alter its lubricity.....I want that carbon residue left in there. Too many BR records were set using this time honored technique. You have to be aware that not every piece of brass ( even from the same lot) will maintain the same neck tension.....if you find one that has light N.T. -run it through a smaller bushing....one that's too tight- save for foulers, or buy some oversized expander mandrels in 0.0005 increments.
I won't clean my comp brass in a tumbler.

 

[SmokinJoe]

I use a bronze bore brush, then a bore swab on an RCBS prep center. Make sure you aren't heating the necks too much. Heating too much oxidizes some of the tin in the brass & leaves a very "sticky" copper.

 

[Terry]

Tumble them again.

 

[Erik Cortina]

I use stainless media before annealing. The necks are very clean and no issues. I do not lube the bullets and they seat very consistently.

 

[lawrence97]

I use a stainless media tumbler, anneal, size n trim and load with consistent tension and never have to use any lube. Any lube would melt down into the powder with my environment!

 

[armaster]

What Terry said. I stainless clean, anneal, lube, size, trim, neck turn then back to the stainless media, dry, load, shoot.

 

[jfseaman]

Previously I tumbled then wiped clean, annealed and tumbled again. I liked how the inside of the necks came out but so much time...
so
I just tried annealing before tumbling. Using some range 30-06 sacrificial brass.

1) I did not wipe the cases prior to annealing.
2) Prior to tumbling, annealing left a shadow from the external residue.
3) Post tumbling the exterior of the necks look fine. I don't use any conditioner. Some Fitz would probably make my cases gleam.
4) The interior of the necks is GREAT. Just what I wanted.

My verdict: As a result of this experiment, I will anneal prior to tumbling always. I will probably anneal after each firing.

Yes, I have a machine. Ballistic Edge Model 360 http://www.annealingmachines.com/model-360.html and that makes a huge difference.

Of course your mileage may vary but it's saving me time and getting the results I want.

 

[Bert]

Guys thanks a bunch for the help. And yes i agree some brass just has diffrent neck tension. I have set those few pieces aside for now.

 

[Longtrain]

FWIW...

1) I deprime and clean in stainless pins
2) Anneal
3) Short tumble in pins to clean tempilaq from inside necks
4) Lube and resize
5) Trim, chamfer and deburr

Neck turning is usually done on new brass. Annealing is usually after a 3rd firing, based on sizing consistency, annealing has made resizing much more accurate and consistent.

 

[Scott Harris]

Nothing. I make sure they are clean before annealing so the case heats without burning off any garbage: that's what creates the neck roughness you are referring to. After annealing, spray Hornady one shot on the outside, size, drop powder, seat , and shoot.

 

[Bert]

I guess i should of been more specific the outside of the cases i tumble until they are spotless. Its just the inside that i am having problems with. I have never brushed the inside of the necks before annealing i could have something from tumbler burning off also? I use cob and flitz and then follow with dry cob.

 

[thumper4fun]

Tumble them again.

+1

Tumble after annealing with corn cob media and if for some reason that is not an option use a nylon brush to clean the inside of the necks.

 

[4xforfun]

Nothing...
Shoot
Anneal
size
load
shoot
repeat as needed.....no cleaning other than to get the sizing lube off of the case.

Longrtain..... You mean to tell me that you trim and champher after every firing? And you use Tempilaq every time you anneal?

Every time??

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Lots of different ideas out there. I have a forster arbor press with the force measurement setup. While this doesnt show neck tension, it does show seating force, which is a product of neck tension and internal neck friction. I tried many different processes on the inside of the neck. The one that gave the least variation and least friction was to use a STIFF nylon brush in and out a few times. The regular nylon brush you use on the neck is not stiff, get an iosso or montana extreme. I found the worse thing to do was get them clean. I sold my wet media tumbler after that test. Doing nothing at all would be your second best option, but you will have more friction that if you brush them. I also found the more friction you have the more seating depth variation you will get. JMO.

 

[jlow]

The other problem I have found is if you FLR, trim, and chamfer/deburr, you will have burrs in a few cases as a result of the chamfer and that can get you in trouble. Anyone have a good solution to this problem? I am thinking of a quick swipe just in the chamfered area with some 0000 steel wool wrapped around a nylon brush and mounted on a cordless drill.

 

[22BRGUY]

Lots of different ideas out there. I have a forster arbor press with the force measurement setup. While this doesnt show neck tension, it does show seating force, which is a product of neck tension and internal neck friction. I tried many different processes on the inside of the neck. The one that gave the least variation and least friction was to use a STIFF nylon brush in and out a few times. The regular nylon brush you use on the neck is not stiff, get an iosso or montana extreme. I found the worse thing to do was get them clean. I sold my wet media tumbler after that test. Doing nothing at all would be your second best option, but you will have more friction that if you brush them. I also found the more friction you have the more seating depth variation you will get. JMO.

This is an EXCELLENT piece of info IMHO....Thanks so much Malibu

 

[22BRGUY]

The other problem I have found is if you FLR, trim, and chamfer/deburr, you will have burrs in a few cases as a result of the chamfer and that can get you in trouble. Anyone have a good solution to this problem? I am thinking of a quick swipe just in the chamfered area with some 0000 steel wool wrapped around a nylon brush and mounted on a cordless drill.

What I have found successful is along this same idea....the only part of the neck that has these burrs is the case mouth. After chamfering, I simply press the case mouth firmly into a 0000 pad of steel wool and rotate it back and forth about 25 or 30 times quickly. I can easily feel it smooth out. I always do this with the cartridge case pointing down. That way if any small particles of steel wool get into the case mouth, they are close to the mouth opening. Still being held in the downward direction, I then gently touch the case mouth to a magnet. If any small steel wool particles are there, they will be attracted to the magnet.
Best Wishes

 

[savageshooter86]

some use a scotch brite pad to get the fie burrs out of the case mouth. I am going to start doing this