Thread: Annealing brass

Ok , I'm not up with this though it seems to be a thing people do

Can some one please educate me on the why and when this needs to be done.
Thanks.

In very basic terms- when metals work harden , for example brass cases expanding at firing then being resized; the work hardening can lead to cracking and thus shortening case life. Annealing done correctly can reset the crystalline structure of the metal to maintain malleability. Many target shooters anneal after each firing. I have heard of some annealing over thirty times.

Originally Posted by jakewire

Ok , I'm not up with this though it seems to be a thing people do

Can some one please educate me on the why and when this needs to be done.
Thanks.

Owen,
Anealling brass is meant to serve a couple purposes

*reduce work hardening of brass (think bending a paperclip back and forth until it breaks) annealing if done effectively "resets" the brass and effectively should increase brass life.

*consistency in neck tension, as with most hand loaders we go down this road to get the most accurate ammo possible and consistent ammo is accurate, so if your neck tension is the same every time you load because the brass is not getting work hardened then your ammo is more consistent and likely more accurate.

I use hot salt annealing and anneal every time a case is fired.... like I said for me it's about reducing variables to increase consistency/accuracy.

No matter the method if done effectively and consistently it does both of the things mentioned above.
There is no argument from me the Amp annealing machines are the gold standard in home annealing, I cant afford one but would have one in a heart beat.
Hot salt or flame annealing is still better than not annealing. You just need to refine your technique and keep it consistent.

Hope this helps
I'm sure others will chime in

I tried the drill and gas torch method and couldn't get it consistent, my groupings went to shit when I tested it so have been saving for an AMP since.

There is an old annealing thread here somewhere.
I use gas torch and drill. The torch is fiixd postion in a clamp, relative to a lathe turned socket cartridge holder mounted in a drill chuck, which drill in turn is mounted in a slide channel so case neck postion relative to flame is consistent. Furthermore the timing is governed to be identical for every case.
As @dannyb stated. Consistency is critical. Once sorted though it works well.

Yes , the reason I have developed a sudden interest is my 120gr Nosler load has gone south used to easily be 1/2 inch now lucky to get an inch
The Federal brass has been reloaded many times and it was suggested to me it may need anealing so need to find out about it.
Barrel should be ok, it's a 6.5x55 Sako, probably fired less than 1k rds.
Thanks.

Basically it is about restoring elasticity to the neck of the cover. In particular, I do it every two recharges As I said in another post, the candle method.

Originally Posted by jakewire

Yes , the reason I have developed a sudden interest is my 120gr Nosler load has gone south used to easily be 1/2 inch now lucky to get an inch
The Federal brass has been reloaded many times and it was suggested to me it may need anealing so need to find out about it.
Barrel should be ok, it's a 6.5x55 Sako, probably fired less than 1k rds.
Thanks.

If you have fired close to 1k rounds, the lands would likely have burned away quite bit as well. So apart from what you are checking with your brass, also have a look at how much the jump to the lands have increased since you developed the load and adjust your seating depth accordingly.


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Originally Posted by charliehorse

I tried the drill and gas torch method and couldn't get it consistent, my groupings went to shit when I tested it so have been saving for an AMP since.

Make sure you get your distance and time right. It is not rocket science. We use makita 18v drill. No issues.

Originally Posted by TeRei

Make sure you get your distance and time right. It is not rocket science. We use makita 18v drill. No issues.

I’ve done that also and had no issues with accuracy, last batch of cases I did I sent off to a mate who has an AMP annealer.

@jakewire, send your cases to me and my mate will do them for you if you like?

Originally Posted by jakewire

Yes , the reason I have developed a sudden interest is my 120gr Nosler load has gone south used to easily be 1/2 inch now lucky to get an inch
The Federal brass has been reloaded many times and it was suggested to me it may need anealing so need to find out about it.
Barrel should be ok, it's a 6.5x55 Sako, probably fired less than 1k rds.
Thanks.

Check out the Ugly Annealer thread I put up.
Worth looking at for the price.

Try new or annealed brass first to see if your looking in the right direction

Then check for carbon ring

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Try new or annealed brass first to see if your looking in the right direction

Then check for carbon ring

You may or may not havd thought of this but could copper fouling be an issue ?

How long have you not thoroughly cleaned the barrel of your rifle?
But before cleaning ... anneal about 5 pods. Reload and test. The candle method is very simple. Take the case in the middle of the case body, with your thumb and forefinger, and roll it back and forth while heating the neck of the case with the flame of a candle. When you can no longer hold the case due to its temperature, throw it on a damp cloth. Clean the neck of the case and you're done.