annealing brass question

[kingfamous]

I just wanted some opinions about annealing your target practice brass. Do you still anneal it, or just your match/comp. brass? I have been annealing only my match/ competition brass and just checking practice brass, tossing them when they split.

[SKSDan]

I just wanted some opinions about annealing your target practice brass. Do you still anneal it, or just your match/comp. brass? I have been annealing only my match/ competition brass and just checking practice brass, tossing them when they split.

Annealing is supposed to soften the neck so they don't split. Resizing and firing cause the brass to get work hardened and thus become more brittle.

[kingfamous]

Annealing is supposed to soften the neck so they don't split. Resizing and firing cause the brass to get work hardened and thus become more brittle.

I know this. Just want to know how many people are taking the time to do this for there practice paper punching range brass.

[Germz]

I dont, but its pretty easy to bend a coat hanger to hold a bunch of cases by the extractor groove, slide them on and then butane torch down the line. Thats my solution for it anyway.

I'm proactive when I go to the range and I ask everyone around me if they don't mind me being a bum and picking up their fired brass. Never had anyone say no as of yet and I usually walk away with about four times more brass than I've actually shot. So no need for annealing for me yet!

[gblacksmith]

I know this. Just want to know how many people are taking the time to do this for there practice paper punching range brass.

I anneal all of my bottlenecked cases; '06, .30 Rem, .243, 7.62x54R & 7.62x39. Cases are getting expensive and I want them to last.

[SKSDan]

I know this. Just want to know how many people are taking the time to do this for there practice paper punching range brass.

I personally haven't reloaded enough to get a split case yet.The x39 brass I have is hard to find though, so I plan on annealing to preserve my brass.

[BLR81]

It's not that time consuming. But, you might only get 1/3 more reloads. The other side is that if you do it wrong you might damage the brass and get 1/2 as many reloads than if you didn't do it.

I guess it depends how much you shoot and what you time is worth. Figure 12-15 seconds per case and the cost of the burner, then figure at best you'll cut you cost for the brass from say 10 cents a case to 5 cents. So, you'll have to do the math.

[koehn,jim]

At todays prices and lack of some supplies it makes sense to me to do it.

[Flyin Brian]

I have annealed bottleneck cases in the past but the one thing that prevents me from doing it as a regular part of my case prep ritual is a lack of consistency or repeatability. I've tried spinning the cases in a deep socket attached to a cordless drill. I've tried standing them up on a short baking pan covered with water(long-time reloader friend recommended this to keep the case head cool); all of these techniques work ok but when holding a torch on them, there is no way to make sure each case gets to the SAME temperature for the SAME amount of time!!

I figure some day I will fabricate an automatic case annealing machine, but until then I will just fire my brass 5 times and sack it away until I'm retired.

[armyguy209]

I have annealed bottleneck cases in the past but the one thing that prevents me from doing it as a regular part of my case prep ritual is a lack of consistency or repeatability. I've tried spinning the cases in a deep socket attached to a cordless drill. I've tried standing them up on a short baking pan covered with water(long-time reloader friend recommended this to keep the case head cool); all of these techniques work ok but when holding a torch on them, there is no way to make sure each case gets to the SAME temperature for the SAME amount of time!!

I figure some day I will fabricate an automatic case annealing machine, but until then I will just fire my brass 5 times and sack it away until I'm retired.

Or you could just buy the Giraud case annealing machine..