My 1st ever attempt @ case annealing

This has all been great to read.. I have a 22-250 and like heat the cases about every 3rd or 4th load.
I have a set of 300 cases that are about 3 years old. I heat them after I trim and bevel them.
It was explained to me that if I watch a documentary on sword making it would make sense. I did and through the shooting process, loading and then trimming, the metal is put under tension, heating the brass releaves that tension.
Bench shooters, swear by it. I am not a bench shooter, or even close, but if it helps me shoot better, it's worth it.
 
Catshooter, your reply about air/gas mixutre and such is rediculous. An engineer name Ken Howell can explain it to you. THere is a reason for the temp indicator even if it escapes your mindless wondering. Brass is easily overheated. Not your first erroneous post and I am sure not your last. Just letting you know how ignorant the post is, do some research and learn, don't repeat old wives tales or do, whatver! Nuff said, I am thru with this . Hope Mr. Howells will guide you to some more info on this Bobby.
Hope this helps Bobby. By the way how is the 25 DTI doing for you?
Greg
 
Originally Posted By: CatShooterOriginally Posted By: jasentI dont[sic] think new brass is normally annealed or the high end brass company's[sic] would not advertise their brass is annealed

They have to advertise that it is annealed, cuz guys like you don't believe that it is annealed.

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Then what's the point of annealing it again before loading it
 
Originally Posted By: tuneredNow for the next argument, do they really need to be cooled fast, as dropping in water??

They need to be brought up to the desired temp as quickly as possible ... then cooled as quickly as possible. Therefore, the reasoning behind my choice of using the map gas. Atleast this is my take on it.

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Originally Posted By: GregHCatshooter, your reply about air/gas mixutre and such is rediculous. An engineer name Ken Howell can explain it to you. THere is a reason for the temp indicator even if it escapes your mindless wondering. Brass is easily overheated. Not your first erroneous post and I am sure not your last. Just letting you know how ignorant the post is, do some research and learn, don't repeat old wives tales or do, whatver! Nuff said, I am thru with this . Hope Mr. Howells will guide you to some more info on this Bobby.
Hope this helps Bobby. By the way how is the 25 DTI doing for you?
Greg

Funny... depending on which propane torch head I use, on the same brass, I will get from dark blue/red, to silver-ish - all at the same temperature.

I've been annealing brass for close to 40 years.

Maybe your friend will show me how to do it... or maybe not.

"When the brass around the mouth reaches a temperature of about 660° to 665° Fahrenheit (about 350° Celsius, which equals 662° Fahrenheit), its surface becomes light blue — and this is as hot as you want to let it get. If you let the color run too far toward the other end of the case, you can ruin the head by making it too soft. If you let the color on the neck go beyond light blue, and the shine disappears, you're on the thin edge of ruining the case, and you may already have gone too far." Copyright © 1995, 2006 Dr Kenneth E Howell

Obviously, Ken has missed something in the process, or he has never seen a Lapua case - their annealing is very dark maroon in color, and the shine is so far gone that the neck and shoulder are matte finished. Lapua must have gone too far - ya think??

But you do it your way and I will continue to do it my way.

I grew up reading Ken Howell many years ago.


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I like shiny stuff!!..lol, good post RB, and I like what you did with the socket and drill driver, I`ll have to try that next time. I just used a welders glove and rotated them by hand then dropped `em in the bucket when they started to glow a bit.
 
Originally Posted By: Ricky BobbyOriginally Posted By: tuneredNow for the next argument, do they really need to be cooled fast, as dropping in water??

They need to be brought up to the desired temp as quickly as possible ... then cooled as quickly as possible. Therefore, the reasoning behind my choice of using the map gas. Atleast this is my take on it.

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Cartridge brass is not steel and as such it makes no difference what so ever how fast or slow it is cooled. Brass can't be hardened by heat treating either. The only way to harden brass is to work harden it. They are different metals and have different properties.
 
Originally Posted By: BangPopOriginally Posted By: Ricky BobbyOriginally Posted By: tuneredNow for the next argument, do they really need to be cooled fast, as dropping in water??

They need to be brought up to the desired temp as quickly as possible ... then cooled as quickly as possible. Therefore, the reasoning behind my choice of using the map gas. Atleast this is my take on it.

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Cartridge brass is not steel and as such it makes no difference what so ever how fast or slow it is cooled. Brass can't be hardened by heat treating either. The only way to harden brass is to work harden it. They are different metals and have different properties.

Thats the way i was always told, the old setting in water was to keep the case head from getting hot.
 
Originally Posted By: BangPopOriginally Posted By: Ricky BobbyOriginally Posted By: tuneredNow for the next argument, do they really need to be cooled fast, as dropping in water??

They need to be brought up to the desired temp as quickly as possible ... then cooled as quickly as possible. Therefore, the reasoning behind my choice of using the map gas. Atleast this is my take on it.

grin.gif
Cartridge brass is not steel and as such it makes no difference what so ever how fast or slow it is cooled. Brass can't be hardened by heat treating either. The only way to harden brass is to work harden it. They are different metals and have different properties.

... but IMHO it does matter how fast you heat & cool the brass cases, in order to not risk getting the case heads too hot. For the record, I never in the least bit compared brass to steel. That's on you.
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I never thought this post would draw so much attention & I now realize the subject of annealing is heavily opinionated. Although, opinions are like azzholes ... everybody has one. I now wish other folks would post up pics of their properly annealed brass, along with a good presentation of their method, so that I'd have something to compare mine to. I simply want to learn ... It's the whole reason I started this post.
 
I didn't say you compared brass to steel, but your statement regarding the need to cool the brass as rapidly as possible is incorrect from the standpoint of proper annealing of the neck and shoulder of the case. If you are concerned about the case head and web getting too hot it is probably a good idea to use a temperature indicator such as 450 degree Tempilaq and be SURE that that portion of the case did not reach the threshold temperature. As you know MAP gas is hotter that propane and it only makes sense that it is more difficult, from a time of exposure standpoint, to use without overheating the brass. Look at your brass and compare it to some new Lapua brass and see much lower the heat line is on your brass than the Lapua. Your brass is probably OK, but there is no benefit to heating to the point that it travels that far down the case. Neck and just a bit below the shoulder is all that is necessary. Be careful my friend, it would be a big price to pay to make a mistake annealing and pull the trigger on a bomb.
 
Originally Posted By: EJ ReichenbachWhat if you shoot brass that is already annealed ? Like Norma or nosler? It says its already done ? Do u have to do it again after so many firings.?

Yes it's better if you do.
 
Anyone ever see new 17Rem brass ? It shows the anneling colors a ways down the case, atleast the stuff I had did.

My Lapua brass is atleast .25" or so beyond the shoulder.
 
Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeAnyone ever see new 17Rem brass ? It shows the anneling colors a ways down the case, atleast the stuff I had did.

My Lapua brass is atleast .25" or so beyond the shoulder.

Yes I have noticed that. About 17 brass
 
Those look real good RB. That is very close to the process I use except I drop my brass in a bucket of CLR solution. That's just my preference though. Great job!
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Originally Posted By: GregHcastshooter,
Sounds like we all get to the same place via different routes!
Happy Shootin'
Greg



NO,NO,NO.

You cannot attack a man's credibility and then exit the stage.

You are wrong on many fronts. And then you don't even spell his name right. Sheezzz.
 
Annealing just doesn't make for purty pictures, RB.
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I think a point that might have been lost here is that you drop the brass in water to keep the heat from continuing to conduct to the case head. It does not matter how quickly the neck and mouth are cooled, you just want to avoid softening the case head. Dropping the case in water will arrest the the conduction of heat to the head.
 
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