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Author Topic: How often should I anneal brass?  (Read 908 times)

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Offline Loki_762

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How often should I anneal brass?
« on: March 11, 2005, 04:05:21 PM »
I have some brass for my.223 that is due for it's 4th loading, and I am wondering if I should be thinking about annealing the brass.  I haven't yet seen any cracks in any of my brass, but I don't really want it to reach that point, either.  How many loadings should I go before I think about annealing?
Thanks,
Loki
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Offline jgalar

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How often should I anneal brass?
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2005, 04:33:48 PM »
I don't anneal brass unless its very expensive or hard to find. By the time you need to anneal 223 brass its life is about over anyway. At least thats my oppinion. 223 is cheap enough I wouldn't worry about it.
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Offline savageT

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How often should I anneal brass?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2005, 05:04:32 PM »
Good advice!  I think if you were to inspect your brass and find mouth splitting then you have need to anneal or start over with new brass.  Something else to consider is insipient head separation which shows as a bright ring around the head of each case.  Take a paper clip and bend the end at right angles and use this to "feel" for that separation between the head and wall of the case.  THAT is far more disconcerting!!!!

Jim
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Offline JBMauser

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How often should I anneal brass?
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2005, 03:34:47 PM »
Brass gets brittle faster with hot loads.  Having said that there is no hard and fast rule.  If you wait till you have necks split, well that is a good sign but probably to long.  I just read an article in a Black powder single shot mag. where the author proved that he reduced his group size significantly by annealing after EACH CYCLE!  By doing so he brought the brass back to a consistant neck tension which rewarded him.  annealing brass is not just to make it last longer, it adds the element of consistancy of neck tension which is a basic tennant of accuracy.  I have always held, when in doubt Anneal! JB
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Offline Catfish

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How often should I anneal brass?
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2005, 02:16:02 AM »
For the price you can get .223 brass I don`t think it`s worth it. Back in the 1960`s I used to annel alot of mil. brass and though I was saveing money, but looking back on it I was just waisting my time. As jgalar said, Unless it`s very expencive brass don`t bother.
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Offline ricciardelli

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How often should I anneal brass?
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2005, 06:20:10 AM »
Never?

Well, I have never seen the need for this process.
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Offline skb2706

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How often should I anneal brass?
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2005, 09:09:42 AM »
Absolutely necessary for some AI case forming.........other than that. I would never do it.
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Offline Questor

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How often should I anneal brass?
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2005, 09:49:35 AM »
Just another rule of thumb: If one case in a batch splits, the others probably will start splitting soon. That's a cue to get rid of the batch.
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