annealing cartridge cases

getitdone1 · Post by **getitdone1** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:27 pm

Quite some time back I recall anealing being discussed here.

Is annealing your cases really worthwhile? Imagine it depends on the cartridge. I know it's a pretty simple procedure but I'd have to look it up in order to do it right.

Don McCullough

cutter · Post by **cutter** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:36 pm

Yeah, I want to know too. I've rarely done it myself, but my loads aren't really that hot.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:05 pm

http://www.lasc.us/CartridgeCaseAnnealing.htm

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:14 pm

There are many ways to go about it. All require the case to be heated to above 475deg. to be effective. Don`t alow the heat to travel to the case head or web area or your cases could be dangerous to shoot (too soft).

You can set them upright in a pan of water just below the sholder area, heat with a propane torch until the metal shows a color change. then tip the case over quenching the neck area in the water.
From there you can get rather sophisticated using temp. crayons or buy a anealing machine for about $500.00.

Some do it by soaking the neck area in molten lead untill the base gets too hot to hold on to. I don`t like cooked fingers so I dont use that method.

1886 · Post by **1886** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:33 am

The guys have given you good advice. The method I use is to chuck the case into a Lee shellholder that is adapted to the K&M neck turning tool. This shellholder adapter is built to fit the chuck of a hand drill. I slowly spin the case held in place by the shellholder chucked in the drill as I apply heat to the case mouth with a hand torch until the case mouth glows red. This process only takes several seconds. I immediately stop the annealing process by dipping the case mouth in a pan of cool water. 1886.

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:44 am

1886 wrote:The guys have given you good advice. The method I use is to chuck the case into a Lee shellholder that is adapted to the K&M neck turning tool. This shellholder adapter is built to fit the chuck of a hand drill. I slowly spin the case held in place by the shellholder chucked in the drill as I apply heat to the case mouth with a hand torch until the case mouth glows red. This process only takes several seconds. I immediately stop the annealing process by dipping the case mouth in a pan of cool water. 1886.

I also use this method, except I do it in the dark and plunge the case into the water as soon as the case begins to glow a faint red and the dark. That way, I avoid overheating the case.

Post by **Hobie** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:13 am

I had to do all my .45-75 cases or they split on firing (some of you might remember the photos). I hold them by the rim, rotate in the torch flame and when they are too hot to hold drop them in a bucket of water. Works a treat.

wbwizzard · Post by **wbwizzard** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:13 am

If you have any doubts about how much you should heat the brass for annealing, you can purchase a kit put out by Hornady that has a temperture sensituve paste called "tempilaq". this paste changes color when the correct temperture is reached. After you gain a little experince using the paste you won't need to use it any more. Using this Hornady kit, I have been able to reform 357 brass into 256 win mag without any case splits.