Thread: Annealing brass

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