Annealing

yeah, I could make a steel cabinet...

one thing that has me more interested is possibly getting more life from my 444 marlin brass. as it gets roll crimped I think it might be subject to cracking over time & annealing could really extend case life.

I got the rifle on a trade, with some remington brass & factory ammo. so I bought more rem brass.

now you just about can't find it and rem factory ammo is available but sells for $40 / 20.

starline and hornady now make brass for it. haven't tried any, dunno if it's any good or if either would require different loads than the rem brass. cost for these brands ranges from 60 cents to $1 / case, so it's costly.

I'm watching for more rem brass for it but still, the longer I can make it last the better. being a straight walled case I don't expect much issue with case head separation, I think mouth splits would be the most likely failure due to hardening.
 
I have several hundred Remington 17 rem brass from the first 500 purchased in 1986. Several years ago some left over reloads(not sure how many times) started to split necks when fired. I pulled bullets on the rest and tried my hand at annealing. I did a test batch of 25 and loaded up the same load, no split necks from the test run or any others. I did these with the cordless drill propane torch. Dropped on a damp rag. I heated the necks to a just started dull red.
 
Originally Posted By: spotstalkshoot I heated the necks to a just started dull red.

I've done a lot of annealing, and use templaq 750... and I have never seen it turned dull red. I think you're leaving it on there a little too long
 
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Originally Posted By: thegoodlifeOriginally Posted By: spotstalkshoot I heated the necks to a just started dull red.

I've done a lot of annealing, and use templaq 750... and I have never seen it turned dull red. I think you're leaving it on there a little too long

Me too.
I’ve never seen any noticeable color on the necks when the 750 Tempilaq melts.

*
 
Originally Posted By: spotstalkshootWhy? What is magical about 750 and wrong with 775 or 800.

According to your description on how you do it... I'm not sure you know how many degrees you're actually getting to.

There is a science behind annealing the brass to a certain temperature, not that I'm a scientist. I just know what I have researched
 
Originally Posted By: spotstalkshootWell keep your tempilaq fresh it has a short shelf life.

With the annealer I have, it shows the speed for each brass that gets cycled. Once I test an individual casing with templaq, I make a note of it, and repeat for different types of casings. All I have to do then is look at my notes.. adjust the settings on the annealer to my notes and I don't have to use templaq anymore.
Furthermore once you do it enough, you get a good eye for what it should look like.
 
I have a Flute, calibrated laser temp gun (+-2 F). Every batch I take a few readings to make sure my times are right, I just use the Coleman camping propane it is the right height when I sit on the floor with the cordless. Just what I do.
 
I shot many years without annealing.
Have been annealing now for a few years.
Sometimes I am a slow learner.

Annealing is not something that alone will raise the score a lot by itself.
It's part of the package for better overall ammo consistency.

If a person shoots a few hundred rounds per year hunting it may be hard to see the difference.
If a person shoots a few thousand rounds a year at ranges over 600 yards I believe you should see a difference.
As far as brass lasting longer there is no question that it does last longer.



There is a long paper on the net written by a graduate student at one of the big schools in England. It goes into detail. Good read but long and some of it is boring. It is easy to find and worth the read if a person is really interested in brass and how it works.
 
IME, there are many variables that go in to this debate. If you have custom neck hand dies and use lapua brass, then annealing is a waste of time. I primarily use 21st century reloading equipment, including the hydraulic seating press, and while the force varies a bit more with brass that has been worked, its not by very much. It certainly won't be enough to make a measurable difference in 99% of rifles. The primer pockets will be loose way before you experience other problems.

If you use newer RP/Win/hornady/etc. brass, annealing is a must if you want it to last more than a few firings. The older brass is a hit or miss, so might as well anneal.
 
so the biggest takeaway i'm reading from this thread - while there may or may not be measurable benefits from annealing - done properly there's no harm to be had from going through the process.
 
Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeMe thinks annealing and barrel break in are one in the same degree. If you believe in it and it make you happy. DO IT !

It would be interesting to see what percentage of guys that follow barrel break in procedures, also anneal.

I have never bothered to break in a barrel and they shoot great. Same with engine break in. If you treat it like a p u ss, that's what you will create.
 
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