Shot some annealed cases yesterday

[bruceflinch]

I started w/ some twice fired 30-06 brass cases. They had been f/l sized & trimmed, previously on the first firing. I set a small mapp gas torch on the bench & started it. Holding the cases in a small pair of pliers, I held it 1-2" from the torch tip & ratated 180 degrees, reversed direction & went 180 in the opposite direction. Neck & shoulder were cherry red by the time I had completed the reverse turn. Took it out of the heat & set it gently & lovingly in an old metal Salad bowl. Repeated thru the whole batch.

Loading for a Garand & M1917 in this batch, so I lubed & F/L sized again. The Annealed brass was considerably easier to run through the die. The latch batch I shot through the M1917. Just got done tumbling in Lyman Tufnut for 2 hours. Ready to go again!





The handmade annealing didn't have too big of effect on accuracy.

Last 10 shots @ 100 yds, there was a hit in the 5 & 6 rings, not showing.

I shot Standing offhand.

[buffybuster]

How can you test for accuracy, shooting standing offhand?

[damndave]

I've been meaning to try annealing too. From what I read it is done just before the brass starts to glow.

http://www.6mmbr.com/annealing.html

Were you using the "tip-over" method?

[bruceflinch]

How can you test for accuracy, shooting standing offhand?

I don't shoot in any rifle competitions off the bench. If I can get half of my shots in the black at 100 yds, iron sights, standing offhand, then the accuracy is OK in my book. I sighted in the gun at 50 yds off a rest.

I've been meaning to try annealing too. From what I read it is done just before the brass starts to glow.

http://www.6mmbr.com/annealing.html

Were you using the "tip-over" method?

No, just air cooling. I just rotated through the flame & after it was red hot, removed it from the flame & set in a bowl. The bowl got a little warm. I did half & stopped for dinner. I separated the first half proceeded to anneal the second half. Then I cleaned primer hole & reprimed the first half while the second half cooled off. The repeated w/ the second half.

[E_Shaw90]

looks like you killed that brass....the necks are over annealed and look like they are going to be too soft to safely use. try getting some tempilaq yellow 650deg (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/494...50-degree-2-oz) , a 9/16" deep socket, a 3/8" socket drill adapter, a drill that you can adjust the speed...dial it down to approx 75-100 rpm. Light a propane torch turn it up to a 3/4" internal flame....drop a case in the socket...start it spinning. Put the case neck at the tip of the internal flame...The tip of the flame should be near middle of the neck. watch the tempilaq....it will go from yellow to clear once the proper temp is reached. Once you spin a few cases with the tempilaq you will know what to look for and get an accurate time in which your cases need to be in the flame... I spin my 308 brass for approx 7 seconds before I pulled then and set them in a metal pan to cool. Hope this helps...

[bruceflinch]

looks like you killed that brass....the necks are over annealed and look like they are going to be too soft to safely use. try getting some tempilaq yellow 650deg (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/494...50-degree-2-oz) , a 9/16" deep socket, a 3/8" socket drill adapter, a drill that you can adjust the speed...dial it down to approx 75-100 rpm. Light a propane torch turn it up to a 3/4" internal flame....drop a case in the socket...start it spinning. Put the case neck at the tip of the internal flame...The tip of the flame should be near middle of the neck. watch the tempilaq....it will go from yellow to clear once the proper temp is reached. Once you spin a few cases with the tempilaq you will know what to look for and get an accurate time in which your cases need to be in the flame... I spin my 308 brass for approx 7 seconds before I pulled then and set them in a metal pan to cool. Hope this helps...

This was a home experiment. I annealed the cases & then shot them. A few are a bit fried. I had one case w/ a damaged neck. The rest appear ok.

I need to try to dial down the torchflame a bit, as well. I was holding the flame on about 3-4 seconds.

[Fjold]

You've annealed them unevenly. You're going to have soft and hard spots and uneven neck tension.

When the expander ball is pulled out of the case neck the neck is unsupported. With the uneven annealing the soft spots are going to stretch more than the harder sections of the brass and your bullets are going to be set off center also.

[BigBronco]

Looks like Bruce is getting the heat now.

[Red Dog]

You mentioned that you didn't notice any better accuracy. I've understood it that annealing was done to help the brass last longer. But as mentioned in a previous post, you will have hard and soft spots due to the uneven annealing. This will cause accuracy problems due to more tension on different sides of the case mouth.

[bruceflinch]

You mentioned that you didn't notice any better accuracy. I've understood it that annealing was done to help the brass last longer. But as mentioned in a previous post, you will have hard and soft spots due to the uneven annealing. This will cause accuracy problems due to more tension on different sides of the case mouth.

What Frank said makes sense. The link in E Shaws post, said annealing doesn't neccessarily change the accuracy. (well maybe annealing evenly, anyway)

I was looking to see how much extra life out of these cases I could get with this experiment. I was pleased the accuracy does not seem to be compromised much. I'll load some more up this week & shoot them out & continue to check the results.

[ireload]

looks like you killed that brass....the necks are over annealed and look like they are going to be too soft to safely use. try getting some tempilaq yellow 650deg (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/494...50-degree-2-oz) , a 9/16" deep socket, a 3/8" socket drill adapter, a drill that you can adjust the speed...dial it down to approx 75-100 rpm. Light a propane torch turn it up to a 3/4" internal flame....drop a case in the socket...start it spinning. Put the case neck at the tip of the internal flame...The tip of the flame should be near middle of the neck. watch the tempilaq....it will go from yellow to clear once the proper temp is reached. Once you spin a few cases with the tempilaq you will know what to look for and get an accurate time in which your cases need to be in the flame... I spin my 308 brass for approx 7 seconds before I pulled then and set them in a metal pan to cool. Hope this helps...

I did a similar set up. I purchased the tempilaq at a welding supply store. What I really need is a jig set up so the distance to the torch's flame is consistant. I just need to get around on doing it. I tried it on 10 .223 brass that were on their 6th firing.

[gau17]

[QUOTE=Fjold;7651158]You've annealed them unevenly. You're going to have soft and hard spots and uneven neck tension.

what he said.

[SixPointEight]

Use a power drill, with an adapter and a spark plug socket. Drop your brass in the socket, neck in the flame, rotate until you start to see a color change. NOT UNTIL CHERRY RED, then drop it in a bowl of water. This is how I do some .308 I have.

[diego-ted]

Annealing:

If your brass has been fired a few times, it has & is hardening.
Brass work hardens. Shoot it, Resize it, Tumble it it all hardens it. Which means some will be harder/stronger on it's grip of the bullet than others and our consistency in everything we are trying to achieve went right out of the window; this example in known as "Neck tension" or the amount of grip of the case neck on the bullet.

Annealing: anneal your brass cases every 3 firings at least. I anneal mine every 2. You only anneal the neck and shoulder, not the HEAD! There are fancy case annealing machines, but I don't have that kind of money. Here's what I do:

Get you some 650 degree rated Tempilaq. Tempilaq basically looks like an over sized bottle of fingernail polish.



It comes in heat grades. We used it in Machine shops for various tasks. You basically paint a stripe on your metal and let it dry. Apply heat and when it gets to the temperature you wanted the Tempilaq liquefies and the color (yellow) disapeers.

I paint a stripe INSIDE the mouth of my cases.



After it dries I hold the head of the case in my bare fingers and turn the mouth of the case in the flame of a propane torch. When my yellow paint of the 650 deg. Tempilaq disapeers I drop the case in a bucket of water. When all the cases are done, I now have soft case mouths that are uniform. (in neck tension on the bullet after loaded.)



A word of Caution: you never want the Head of the case (the part that has writing on it) to get so hot you can't hold it. If you soften the head of the case you have created a very dangerous as well as troublesome situation. Like at the least shoot the case, even a light load and the primer falls out. And on from there with far greater personal risk/danger.

[Nessal]

Looked like you totally cooked that brass. Don't hold the brass with a plier. You want to get some feedback. Hold the case with your fingers by the head and rotate them with the tip of the flame ON the bottom of the shoulder. You want the flame to be about 1". When you feel it starting to get warm, drop it immediately into a metal pan and let it aircool.