Annealing, any of you all do it?

[Gummi Bear]

This is what my buddy and I built. We went in half on the parts. You can hear my metronome





He has since gotten an AMP annealer. I’m accumulating parts to build a turntable style annealer.

I’m building one sort of like this. I don’t like my current motor or power source, gonna order new ones and then assemble










I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[xdmikey]

You might have an issue with the chamber of your firearm. Sounds loose.

That's a high failure rate for the second firing.

Annealing might help but would be a bandaid.

@Dawico
I've learned that not all are once fired nor are they all LC. I think I'll carry on for a bit and watch things before I make too big of a change.

Thanks

 

[xdmikey]

I was considering an annealeez for simplicity so I think I'll start saving for that but in the meantime I'll be watching the brass I load into mags while I'm sightings in my rifle.

Thanks everyone

 

[sparkyv]

Me too, for my 460S&W...but it's not for the faint of heart.

I anneal the cases at about every 5th to 6th loading. I do mine because it prolongs the usage of the brass, and brass is expensive.

 

[Texasgrillchef]

I anneal every other loading for light loads, and every time for my super heavy loads.

I anneal 45 colt, 454 Casull, and 45-70.

I have an annealer too.

 

[xdmikey]

I got the Annealeez with all the different wheels for $325 delivered. It’s pretty simple to set up and operate. It will do a case about every 5 seconds.

If I was wanting to anneal 308 as well would I need another wheel kit? Asking since you have the machine.
Thanks Txmark

 

[Txmark]

The basic machine comes one set of wheels, your choice for 275.00. The other two sets are 25.00 per set. I can run 6.5 Creedmoor, 308, and 30-30 with the standard case wheels. 338 lapua on the magnum wheels. 223, 224 Valkyrie, Grendel, 6ppc on the small case. I run mine where it will finish a case about every “5 count”.


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[sparkyv]

Cool, Gummi Bear. Can you post how to build the gas distribution ring?

This is what my buddy and I built. We went in half on the parts. You can hear my metronome

 

[xdmikey]

Thanks Txmark.

 

[Gummi Bear]

My buddy found it at: http://woodchuckden.com/

No idea if it’s still operational or not nowadays


It’d be easy enough to build one. You need some ¼” copper tube, a swager and a clamp fitting

This is a pretty good picture of one.

Hope this helps!




I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau

 

[sparkyv]

Thanks, Gummi Bear.

 

[rsrocket1]

I started annealing earlier this year. I did it on the cheap. I bought one of these for $16 at harbor Freight with a coupon:

I use a short fat Coleman camping propane tank rather than the Berzomatic tall skinny tanks because it's easier to keep it standing on the table.

I then get a tupperware tub filled with water and use needle nose pliers to hold the brass with one nose sticking into the primer pocket and hole. It's easier to turn the brass around this way.

I fire up the torch on a medium low setting and put the neck into the tip of the center blue flame (hottest part). Twist the case as it changes color and when done, drop it into the bath of water. I can do hundreds in a very short time. Like casting, when you get the rhythm going, it becomes automatic.

You can test the effects on a scrap .223 or .308 case (cheap and easy to find on a range). Use pliers on the case before and after annealing (do the annealing way down the case and you'll see a dramatic change in softening). After drying off the brass, I do a full resize and the necks hold tension very well. After that, I can do several neck only resizings on the .308 because I use these in a bolt action rifle. You don't need to do this after every firing as the brass does not work harden on just a couple firings.

 

[MarkTheNewf]

Just started experimenting on some older brass with a induction bolt heater (hand held). Made a coil a bit bigger than a 45 ACP shell and just started testing it out. Takes about 3 seconds and is very uniform assuming you hold steady. The trick will be putting the brass and unit on a stand so nothing moves and then hooking it up to some sort of timer so I can control exactly how long it'll run. 2 to 4 seconds timing on the 30-06 brass below. Looks pretty good to me. The unit was about $180.

I've had very few case issues, but I'm hoping to extend life and increase neck tension consistency as that seems to really help.

 

[Axxe55]

Welcome to TGT Mark.

 

[Dr P]

If you get a piece of brass that seats harder than normal, it could use annealing.
Alternatively for precision loads, if your pin gauge does not fit after sizing, it needs annealing.

 

[contender buff]

No I don’t , can’t seem to bring myself to purchase something that I wouldn’t use that often.

 

[Dr P]

Check out this URL. 750º Tempilaq heat indicating liquid is a must have.

Brass Annealing Machine | Anneal-Rite Brass Annealer | Enterprise Services LLC

Looking for a brass annealing machine? Our professionals can help. Enterprise Services LLC sells top of the line Anneal-Rite brass annealers. Click to learn more!

cartridgeanneal.com

 

[HoustonDave]

Newbie here... I found that used military LC brass tends to be brittle when sized and have had neck splits after only a couple of firings (I suspect from having stretched and fireformed in sloppy M60 (it's old brass) chambers. I have even found some brass which has been resized split during storage . Using a cheap deep-well socket as a holder, a 1/4" hex-3/8" adaptor chucked into a drill, and a regular butane torch attachment on a propane bottle, I put the case into the socket, rotate it (to avoid hot spots) in a medium flame till it barely starts turning reddish orange (takes a slow count to 5 or a quick 8 count - determined by experimentation in a dark garage so I could for sure see the color change.) I dump the case out onto a folded towel to cool naturally, and the annealed color usually extends just a fraction below the shoulder. You don't want to anneal the side wall of the case. May not be a professional method but it's inexpensive, consistent, and seems to avoid the necessity of buying a machine. I don't do straight wall brass... have only had maybe 2-3 straight cases split in my life.

 

[xdmikey]

Thanks Dave. That sounds pretty good.

I just noticed several split necks in my cleanup and none were LC; two were Win, one was Rem and the rest were junk/unreadable.

 

[avvidclif]

Newbie here... I found that used military LC brass tends to be brittle when sized and have had neck splits after only a couple of firings (I suspect from having stretched and fireformed in sloppy M60 (it's old brass) chambers. I have even found some brass which has been resized split during storage . Using a cheap deep-well socket as a holder, a 1/4" hex-3/8" adaptor chucked into a drill, and a regular butane torch attachment on a propane bottle, I put the case into the socket, rotate it (to avoid hot spots) in a medium flame till it barely starts turning reddish orange (takes a slow count to 5 or a quick 8 count - determined by experimentation in a dark garage so I could for sure see the color change.) I dump the case out onto a folded towel to cool naturally, and the annealed color usually extends just a fraction below the shoulder. You don't want to anneal the side wall of the case. May not be a professional method but it's inexpensive, consistent, and seems to avoid the necessity of buying a machine. I don't do straight wall brass... have only had maybe 2-3 straight cases split in my life.

But I like the pretty toys!!!!