Annealing brass

B

Billygoat62

Member
Just curious how many of you anneal your brass? I’ve been reloading for many years and this is something I’ve never done. Just curious if it’s worth the cost and time to do it vs just buying new brass when the time comes. I don’t reload in large quantities. Usually 50-100 rds at a time for my bolt guns. We mainly just target shoot for fun every now and then and hunt obviously. If you do anneal let me know which annealer you are using.
 
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Propane torch deep socket with good fit and electric drill. I drop them on a wet to suck the heat out. I used to do them with a torch and stand them up in a pan of water, it's a pain to get water in them. My nephew/hunting partner gave me a power annealer and I'll start doing them more often. Now I anneal when I'm forming brass and when I start the see a split neck.
 
popper43 said:
torch and fingers.
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me I use tweezers to hold the rim dim the light real real low and warm at the neck until slight orange glow on the edge of the neck of course retaining for a even heat, then drop them in water.

AWS gave his method, which I have used. It works pretty good, quick and no real burn risk from hot brass

I have heard of the folks that cast bullets to dip the neck in the lead pot while hold the rim and once it get warm dropping in water.

Others use annealing machines.. although I have not personally used them I do have a buddy that used to. He liked the method. I don't recall what he had for sure AGS I think but not sure. The closest I came to that was standing there watching him anneal.

Just pick a method if you desire to anneal.
 
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Billygoat62 said:
Just curious how many of you anneal your brass? I’ve been reloading for many years and this is something I’ve never done. Just curious if it’s worth the cost and time to do it vs just buying new brass when the time comes. I don’t reload in large quantities. Usually 50-100 rds at a time for my bolt guns. We mainly just target shoot for fun every now and then and hunt obviously. If you do anneal let me know which annealer you are using.
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To simply answer the OP’s question. I would say it’s not worth it for you to anneal your brass.
 
I’m similar in low volume shooting…..I would not benefit from a high$ machine unless I was just that lazy and rich lol. I don’t shoot enough to warrant that.
Deep well socket turned slow with a battery drill, count the seconds to get the light red glow, and drop into a metal pan. Its easy and not hard at all. No water needed.
 
A buddy bought an anneal eez and its pretty decent and worth using for large batches. Smaller batches still get done by hand. I use a well fitting deep socket and an extension to roll it around by hand. Easier to me than using a drill. Metal cake pan to drop the hot brass into. You don’t need to quench in water. It does nothing to the annealing process except add another step to things by having to dry the brass. My brass is ready to handle faster by air cooling than having to wait for it to dry.
 
I anneal my brass. Made my own fixture to hold and heat the necks of the cases. I can’t take credit for it, I must have seen it on the web somewhere and made my own version, don’t remember where from.

I’ll start by putting just a touch of Tempilaq in the neck to determine the heat time / temperature and then have at it. Once I know how long to heat I’m good to go.

The aluminum block has 2 different case size holes, one in both ends. I pivot the neck into the flame(s), heat the neck, and then pivot the block it so it drops the case out into a metal pan. Insert a new case, rinse and repeat. Does annealing help my reloads, case life, and accuracy? Hasn’t hurt so I’m continuing to do it.

anneal.jpg
 
Thanks guys. Guess I will try to do them by hand and see how it goes. All I currently have is Map gas. Will that be too hot? Should I use propane instead?
 
DeereGreen said:
Bottom line is it’s another rabbit hole you have to choose to jump into or not .
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And since we are jumping into the rabbit hole......
El Jefe said:
Metal cake pan to drop the hot brass into. You don’t need to quench in water. It does nothing to the annealing process except add another step to things by having to dry the brass.
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So very true. So why do I drop in water? simple Learned from old timers whom used to place them in a container of water to prevent the base from annealing. Was their answer, not exactly true but that is what they did. I have modified that process to what I do now.
I'm bad to pick up range brass in certain calibers I use. Plus I have a slight tendency to occasionally play with wildcats, thus makes forming (by dies and by fireforming) so much easier.
So I anneal first, quench, then deprime, then run through the SS Tumbler, then the resizing die. It doesn't matter about the quench I have to wait for the brass to dry a bit anyway, because of the SS Tumbling. It is simply my process, is it perfect no, could it be improved? Maybe but a process is designed to have a steady repeatable method with a desired outcome. Fact is I have never waited on brass to dry as I have enough prepped ahead of time it just grab, prime, put in the charge, seat bullet, shoot rinse and repeat.
Bottom line is no you don't have to drop in water the method @El Jefe stated works. Matter of fact pretty everyone whom has responded has a good process in my opinion.
Billygoat62 said:
All I currently have is Map gas
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MAP vs propane ... either will work just as good as the other. MAP will be faster than propane to get the ever so slight orange glow.
 
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