Thread: What Step is Annealing?

It depends on which case is being formed. An example: making 17 Ackley Hornet from 22 Hornet. It is best to form the 17 Ackley Hornet case from 22 Hornet case and then anneal. If the 22 Hornet case is annealed first, the case collapses when it is being formed into 17 Ackley Hornet. After forming, the case can be annealed, and then fire-formed to the ultimate shape. If the case is not annealed after forming, the neck may crack.
Other cartridges may be better formed after annealing, e.g., 222R rimmed from 357R Maxi. If the case neck is not annealed first, the case collapses when trying to form it into 222R rimmed. If the change is drastic, the case may need to be annealed more than once in the process.