Willoughby
Silver $$ Contributor
When in the case prep process should one anneal ?
Before or after sizing ?
Before or after sizing ?
When to anneal ?
- Thread starter Willoughby
- Start date
I say it depends on your routine, as long as you're consistent. I anneal every reloading cycle. Here's how:
I always shoot one round at a time and collect the brass on a clean towel. That means my brass comes home clean so step one is to lube, deprime, neck size (to slightly smaller ID then desired), and body size. I also run a mandrel down the neck to set the final neck size. Then I chamfer the neck and remove the lanolin-based case lube with Simple Green and boiling water. Next the cases go into my wet SS media tumbler followed by drying and then I anneal using my DIY "Skip Design" auto annealer.
Now I prime the cases and run the same precision mandrel down the neck again to uniform the neck and set the bullet grip. The remaining loading steps are the usual routine.
This means that my brass gets sized after one firing, so it's a tiny bit harder than freshly annealed. The actual neck size is set on a freshly annealed case with VERY little actual working of the brass. The bullet seating is done on an essentially freshly annealed case because the second mandrel step is there mostly to insure that the neck is round in case it was damaged in any way during the wet SS cleaning step.
This routine fits well with my reloading cycle and gives me the opportunity to lube and clean the cases only once.
You could elect to anneal after firing in which instance you would be sizing freshly annealed brass but your bullet seating would be done on slightly work hardened necks. Suit yourself.
The reason I don't resize after cleaning is that the brass needs cleaning again if you lube your cases for the sizing step(s), which I think most guys do.
Bottom line: I think there are two important parts to the cycle. Making sure the case is the right size and making sure the bullet seating grip is consistent. If you anneal each time, I doubt if the exact sequence of steps matters as long as you are consistent. Of course you want to be sure your routine gives you the case size and neck tension you're looking for because the spring back might be SLIGHTLY different depending on when you anneal.
I always shoot one round at a time and collect the brass on a clean towel. That means my brass comes home clean so step one is to lube, deprime, neck size (to slightly smaller ID then desired), and body size. I also run a mandrel down the neck to set the final neck size. Then I chamfer the neck and remove the lanolin-based case lube with Simple Green and boiling water. Next the cases go into my wet SS media tumbler followed by drying and then I anneal using my DIY "Skip Design" auto annealer.
Now I prime the cases and run the same precision mandrel down the neck again to uniform the neck and set the bullet grip. The remaining loading steps are the usual routine.
This means that my brass gets sized after one firing, so it's a tiny bit harder than freshly annealed. The actual neck size is set on a freshly annealed case with VERY little actual working of the brass. The bullet seating is done on an essentially freshly annealed case because the second mandrel step is there mostly to insure that the neck is round in case it was damaged in any way during the wet SS cleaning step.
This routine fits well with my reloading cycle and gives me the opportunity to lube and clean the cases only once.
You could elect to anneal after firing in which instance you would be sizing freshly annealed brass but your bullet seating would be done on slightly work hardened necks. Suit yourself.
The reason I don't resize after cleaning is that the brass needs cleaning again if you lube your cases for the sizing step(s), which I think most guys do.
Bottom line: I think there are two important parts to the cycle. Making sure the case is the right size and making sure the bullet seating grip is consistent. If you anneal each time, I doubt if the exact sequence of steps matters as long as you are consistent. Of course you want to be sure your routine gives you the case size and neck tension you're looking for because the spring back might be SLIGHTLY different depending on when you anneal.
rjstubbl
Silver $$ Contributor
As a welder heat does move metal .
carlsbad
Lions don't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.
I anneal every firing. It is the first step of the reloading process. I wipe the necks off but they don't get real dirty because I anneal every time. Dirty necks are a sign that your brass is hard and isn't sealing against the chamber well. With annealed necks there is very little gas travels back into the neck area because the soft brass expands quickly to seal.
--Jerry
--Jerry
pat fulghum
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Tumble
Anneal
Brush inside Neck (If I don't do wet tumble)
De-prime
Size
Trim / Chamfer (Giraurd)
Clean Primer Pocket
Prime
Charge
Seat
Shoot
I do steps Anneal through Seat in one loading session.
Anneal
Brush inside Neck (If I don't do wet tumble)
De-prime
Size
Trim / Chamfer (Giraurd)
Clean Primer Pocket
Prime
Charge
Seat
Shoot
I do steps Anneal through Seat in one loading session.
That is funny. But he did miss that step. MattNo Primy....Clicky..no Boomy..
Good catch rardoin. Since my bullets do go "Boomy" I suppose to do prime at some point before powdering!No Primy....Clicky..no Boomy..
I agree with your principle, but I prefer to set the exact neck size and roundness with a precision mandrel after all the steps which might dent, distort, or effect the size of the neck in any way including annealing; i.e. just prior to loading powder.
I can do that without any lube when I use the mandrel; therefore, I don't have to lube and clean more than once per reloading cycle. That's why I neck size early about .001" under the target ID, then anneal, then set the final neck size with a mandrel as one of the last steps.
If a loader prefers to clean cases by careful hand wiping, then I think your recommendation would be fine. But I HATE individual case handling any more than necessary so I clean my cases by shaking them around in a bucket of boiling water and then wet SS tumble them followed by other bulk handling steps which can dent or distort the necks.
Who knows how important a round neck actually is but I try to make mine round and uniform anyway. Like many aspects of the shooting sports, YMMV.
Willoughby
Silver $$ Contributor
So you don't clean the lube off after sizing ? Alcohol lanolin mix lube ? This was another question i had , I have been cleaning in Ss before sizing to prevent any debris getting into my dies , then lubing before sizing with alcohol lanolin mix so far no issues with leaving lube in cases
Anneal before resizing, found that I sometimes had to go a bushing small because the annealing provides spring back into the brass.
DShortt
Gold $$ Contributor
Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt.Not to mention the mess when the powder trickles out.
Yes, it's an old thread but still relevant and made me chuckle at myself.
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