When annealing brass, do you water quench?

[6BRA]

Brass can take alot more heat and requires alot more heat than most people think. Most dont even anneal, they play play with a torch. The best article of all forum thread of all is right here

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/annealing-brass-science-vs-myths.6267438/page-9

quenching does nothing... necks and some of the shoulder can glow red...no issue. I have shot brass done on a dual torch method for 8 seconds...no issues over max load.

 

[Dave M.]

Just wondering, if you should water quench or just drop on a soft towel, what say you fellows. I have seen it in articles both ways. I load a large variety of varmint/hunting calibers and about 8 different straight wall rounds for single shot rifes, 45/70, 40/82, 38/55, 50/70 and so on

No need to water quench (or any fluid quench) for that matter.

 

[AlNyhus]

What we do with cartridge cases is not actually true annealing. True annealing removes all traces of residual stress. The material is then worked to a point where stress is introduced for the application. Or, it can be left in the dead soft state if the application calls for that.

What we do is actually stress relieving. True annealing would remove all of the characteristics that brass needs to have for our use....some stress needs to remain for the case to behave the way we want it to.

Actually, a more precise term is drawing back, as George Ulrich terms it.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[mikecr]

Good points AlNythus.
I quench cases only when I deep dip process anneal (Process anneal is what I call stress relieving).
And I deep dip only with re-forming case body taper, and quench to stop heat progression into web area.

 

[NorCalMikie]

I always thought burning ammo WAS "stress relieving".

 

[Doom]

The point of “quenching” is to insure that the applied heat to the shoulder does not travel back towards the base and soften the lower portion of the case.

I use a pencil flame torch with the rim held in my fingers and when the neck/shoulder is at the correct temperature the rim is just starting to get warm. Drop and cover it on a wet towel.

 

[Ray123]

Just wondering, if you should water quench or just drop on a soft towel, what say you fellows. I have seen it in articles both ways. I load a large variety of varmint/hunting calibers and about 8 different straight wall rounds for single shot rifes, 45/70, 40/82, 38/55, 50/70 and so on

No,...drop in metal tray or old coffee can...no water... the hot cases cool pretty fast.