Primed vs Unprimed Annealing

[BeefyT11]

In the past I've always unprimed my brass with a depriming tool after initial tumbling but before annealing. I have recently upgraded to lapua brass for a 6.5 creed that have the undersized flash hole. I can no longer deprime with my frankford arsenal deprimer as the pin is too large a diameter. Is their any harm with annealing with the primer left in? And then depriming during my sizing step with my die?
Thanks
Beef

 

[L.Sherm]

As long as your 100% sure theres no live ones I dont see any harm.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Only with dead primers

 

[BeefyT11]

My only concern was heat being introduced to the primer pocket for an extended period of time

 

[Dusty Stevens]

My only concern was heat being introduced to the primer pocket for an extended period of time

How is it any different than empty pockets? Youre not heating the base

 

[BeefyT11]

How is it any different than empty pockets? Youre not heating the base

This is true, I guess my thought was heat was still finding it's way to the base through conduction. And the primer would conduct that heat as well... (not a scientist)

 

[oley55]

annealing with the primer in or out really depends on the annealing process being used. If we are talking salt bath annealing, the primer should should be removed.

 

[BeefyT11]

annealing with the primer in or out really depends on the annealing process being used. If we are talking salt bath annealing, the primer should should be removed.

Heated with a standard propane torch, usually around 6 second in flame

 

[Milo 2.0]

Interesting question! I've left my primers in for 8yrs, nothing to compare it to.
Heat escapes through the case mouth.

 

[Wildcat455]

Only thing I have to offer is if you over anneal, you might end up changing your shoulder dimension/angle during your sizing operation. You won't have the work hardening that firing the case provides before a sizing operation occurs on it.

No idea if this would be an actual problem or not, just thinking out loud on the whole process.

 

[BeefyT11]

Only thing I have to offer is if you over anneal, you might end up changing your shoulder dimension/angle during your sizing operation. You won't have the work hardening that firing the case provides before a sizing operation occurs on it.

No idea if this would be an actual problem or not, just thinking out loud on the whole process.

So you're suggesting to anneal after sizing?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

So you're suggesting to anneal after sizing?

No, anneal before sizing to get consistent sizing. Thats why its done

 

[BeefyT11]

No, anneal before sizing to get consistent sizing. Thats why its done

That's always been my understanding, I guess I was confused by Wildcats post.

 

[Snuggie]

There was one time that I was annealing and had one case that the live primer was in. Took off like a freakin rocket!! At your own risk guys.....

 

[Wildcat455]

My bad. I thought it was done for consistent neck tension/bullet release, and to prevent neck splits, prolonging brass life.

I don't anneal my cases. My shoulder bump is pretty consistent without it. Like, always within .0005" if not exactly the same. I run my shoulders about .001" off the chamber. Now, my neck tension could probably use some improvement...

I can imagine if I did anneal, then size my case with the sizing die at the same setting, the shoulder datum measurement would come out different than they do not annealed. The case shoulder gets softer upon annealing, does it not?
And if I over annealed the case, the shoulder would be softer yet?

If this is not correct thinking, I guess I have more to learn here.

 

[L.Sherm]

That's exactly why I said only if hes a 100% sure theres no live ones. I had a friend one timegive me some cases to anneal that were in a plastic bag I dug around in them all looked like dead primers, but guess what one I missed wasnt about S$$$ down both legs. No more primers in cases for me.

 

[Eric Leonard]

There was one time that I was annealing and had one case that the live primer was in. Took off like a freakin rocket!! At your own risk guys.....

and I had to dig one out of my leg with eyebrow tweezers,,if I had it to do over I would have went to ER,,,,that friggin hurt,,glad it wasnt higher and to the left though!!!!!

 

[dsandfort]

Wait..What? I thought live primers were used to tell you when the brass was hot enough.
Unless, of course, your room is so dark you can see the cherry glow of your brass melting.

PLEASE, don't anneal with live primers.

 

[watercam]

Ah yes the old cherry glow trick, I like most have heard this BS. As a green horn tried this to get out of the great expense of Templiq... talk about overdoing the turkey

Before induction and machine annealing became The Cat's Meow for everyone the cherry-glow/tip into water method was all there was. For decades. Worked for those who did it correctly.

 

[Alexander-M]

Chuck the decapping pin in the drill press and use a file to reduce its diameter to the size you want.
That's what I did and it works fine.
Alex