Where does annealing fit into the order of brass prep??

[edorsey]

I am loading .284 win for 1000yard Bench Rest and I am curious where to fit annealing into my brass prep. When I am prepping fired brass I like to remove primers, clean brass in stainless steel media tumbler, bump shoulder .0005, size neck with bushing neck die. I am not sure where annealing should fit into this process.

Some of my thoughts... I feel like I want brass clean before I anneal, but when I anneal the brass feels rough so I believe the brass needs to be tumbled or polished in some way after annealing.

Would like some suggestions on how other people handle this process and their reason behind the order they choose.

Thank for any advice,

Eric

 

[LRPV]

Decap, clean, anneal, size, etc.

 

[johara1]

Anneal first, you have to clean them after anyway ….jim

 

[Down South]

Decap, clean, anneal, size, etc.

+1

 

[Steve Blair]

Anneal first, you have to clean them after anyway ….jim

[br]
Jim, it is not necessary if using stainless pins. The only cleaning I do after annealing is to brush the necks using a Montana nylon brush. That is after sizing and running through the Giraud. I've found the carbon crust inside the neck too hard to remove after annealing. [br]
That is not to say the way I do it is the only way. It is just one way that works for me. I use this procedure for 6BR, .284 Shehane, .308 Win. and .300 WSM, after every firing.

 

[LCazador]

You can bump the shoulder with your neck die? I anneal first because I think it softens the work for more consistent neck tension. Then I tumble clean, size, and then clean the primer pocket and re- uniform the primer pocket depth. A primer pocket gets wider and shallower on each firing, my two cents which are worth 37 cents ;D!!

 

[Killshot]

Decap, clean( SS Media) , anneal, size, etc.

Definitely. Don't anneal with carbon still in the cases.

 

[lawrence97]

Another fan of decap, stainless steel pin cleaning, anneal, resize, trim, chamfer, debur and load.

 

[johara1]

Steve, I don't like beating up the case mouth with SS. pins…… I don't like tumbling or vibrating them either for that reason.I see no reason to do any of this it does not add to accuracy……. It may look pretty in the box but what is really nice to look at is a very small group or a clean…So i anneal, deprime, clean the primer pockets and flash holes, clean the outside with 0000 steel wool and a nylon brush on the inside of the neck…… done…….. jim

 

[spclark]

Decap, clean, anneal, size, etc.

+ 1, this time with a bullet•

 

[johara1]

It does seem that i am the only one who does it this way, i look at it from the pure accuracy side and from a different discipline. You guys are F class and XC shooters that don't need the accuracy level needed to be competitive at 1000 yd. bench rest. So do it your way or try mine and be amazed……. jim

 

[Hoier]

I think I'm gonna try it your way Jim.

 

[Immike]

Can I do it a different way than everyone else? Lol. I run them through my tumbler to get clean enough for the heat to not be deflected by dirty case. I water bath anneal so I leave the primer in the case to keep the interior from getting wet. Then steel wool and size and clean up the primer pockets. I won't tumble after annealing because I think it hardens the cases.

Oh yeah, I am just using a vibrating tumbler with dry walnut media and no brass cleaning agent.

 

[amlevin]

I like to deprime and clean first in SS Pins then anneal. The annealing process dry's the cases "most ricky tick".

I don't heat my cases so long that I end up burning the necks where they're rough. By adjusting flame position they look just like brand new Lapua cases. I do brush the inside of the necks just to insure there's no scale from the process but it's only a "double check" for me. I can brush out 100 cases over a white paper towel and have nothing on the towel when finished.

Then off to the rest of the reloading cycle.

 

[johara1]

Don't go by the look of the new Lapua brass, I was having problems with shoulders splitting on fire forming new brass. After i annealed them the problem went away…… jim

 

[LRPV]

Decap, clean, anneal, size, etc.

I'll elaborate a little. I use steel wool on the outside of necks and decap primers/clean pockets in no particular order, then anneal. After that I size the cases and I use Hornady one shot, after sizing I'll run them in a vibratory tumbler with corn cob to remove most of the lube. My dasher cases don't need trimmed so then I wipe off what little dust might have collected on them and brush the necks with a nylon brush and then they are ready to load.

 

[Hoier]

That sounds like a good way to do it to Jason. I use the tumbler also to get the lube off. I absolutely hate wiping lube off by hand.

 

[PALarson]

What ever works for you, do it. One thing I feel is important is to anneal prior to sizing the neck. As we all know neck tension is inportant, soooooo the annealing process should assist in keeping the neck tension consistant. I like to use the sonic cleaner, it's a pain to clear all of the water afterwords but it does do a pretty good job of cleaning and loosening the carbon inside. I do this prior to annealing, it works good for me.
Paul Larson Long Range HM

 

[LRPV]

Paul, how do you get consistent seating force after you clean all the carbon out of the necks?

 

[Trevor60]

interesting

for annealing myself I leave my spent primers in. Leaving the primer in, is just one additional piece of metal to absorb the heat from the annealing process. if the primer can absorb some of the heat that means it take some of the heat out of the base of the case.

As for the process I am like Johara1 does. I anneal then steel wool both the outside and inside. (inside copper brush with finer steel wool). I have tried small sample of cleaning first and had to clean it again as annealing causes the zinc to come to the surface making the outside course.

Trevor