Author Topic: To Anneal or not to Anneal  (Read 411 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline bigswede

  • Trade Count: (38)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 422
  • Gender: Male
To Anneal or not to Anneal
« on: March 12, 2010, 06:20:01 PM »
I need to make brass for my 338-06 AI I just got.  I am going to use 30-06 once fired R-P brass.  Do I need to anneal this brass or will it be ok to to run it through my sizer die and fireform?  Thanks for the help guys.
"LIVE TO HUNT, HUNT TO LIVE"

Offline trotterlg

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (36)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3978
  • Gender: Male
Re: To Anneal or not to Anneal
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2010, 06:56:41 PM »
I would try a few just as they are.  I just did a bunch of 25-06 to 20-06 in one pass with no issues at all.  Some times annealing will make it too soft, can cause some problems with the neck not gripping the bullet or, if you are reducing the neck size, crushing the sholder.  Mine worked fine, lube the inside of the neck and have at it.  Larry
A gun is just like a parachute, if you ever really need one, nothing else will do.

Online Lloyd Smale

  • Moderators
  • Trade Count: (32)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18273
Re: To Anneal or not to Anneal
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2010, 01:40:26 AM »
like was said inproper anealing is worse by far then not anealing. Stepping up to 338 from 30 isnt that hard on brass. If you were going to 35 or larger i would start to get conserned.
blue lives matter

Offline bigswede

  • Trade Count: (38)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 422
  • Gender: Male
Re: To Anneal or not to Anneal
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2010, 04:23:21 AM »
Thanks for the information.  Yeah, I sure wouldn't want to wreck a bunch of brass.  I'll try some and see how it does.
"LIVE TO HUNT, HUNT TO LIVE"

Offline skarke

  • GBO Supporter
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1190
Re: To Anneal or not to Anneal
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2010, 05:36:50 AM »
+2000 to Lloyd.  Quality brass annealing is possible, but best done by machine under controlled conditions.  Lapua brass has the tell tale annealing stain from their machines.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.  Ronaldus Maximus

Offline wncchester

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3856
  • Gender: Male
Re: To Anneal or not to Anneal
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2010, 12:16:31 PM »
" Do I need to anneal this brass or will it be ok to to run it through my sizer die and fireform?"

They will work fine without annealing, at least until the necks split due to work hardening.  Since split necks are certain to destroy the cases the potential for over-heating the necks (the usual error) with a torch seems not a bad trade off.  Proper annealing isn't difficult nor do we have to do it neeked on a full moon while doing certain chants, there's no magic in it.  

Polish the necks first.   Hold the cases in the off hand fingers and point the sharp tip of blue flame from an LP torch at the base of the neck while rotating the case so all sides get heated about the same.  Drop the cases into a water bucket when your fingers get hot or you see a faint blue blush forming on the junction of the body and shoulder.  If it's done right, you will never see the neck glow red (even if you do it in a darkend room) and the annealed necks will still have a bit of surface shine, not be dull.  Yeah, it's a learning process and takes a few trys to get it right, same as learning to drive a car but it's not as difficult as that.
Common sense is an uncommon virtue