Author Topic: Annealing cases ? (Read 403 times)

Whip · « **on:** July 19, 2005, 07:07:13 AM »

Do you have to anneal the case mouth on 45-70 and 444 ect. like you do the bottle neck cases after you reload and crimp them several times?

John Traveler1 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2005, 08:08:04 AM »

Case mouth annealing on straight-wall pistol cases is not needed because the case is usually discarded before the mouth cracks from repeated firing/sizing/expanding. The primer pockets usually get loose first.

For the .45-70 and .444 Marlin cases using standard or mild loads, the many loadings you are likely to get will make case mouth annealing worthwhile, especially if you use a heavy crimp on cast bullets.

It's easy to do: after tumbling and polishing, simply hold the case with pliers and touch the mouth to a stove burner flame for a few seconds until the brass discolours (turns purple/blue), and drop in a can of water. Do not let the head get discoloured.

I must admit, the few cracked .45-70 case mouths I've had were on decades-old brass with old headstamps. NONE of my modern cases have cracked, even after several loadings.

Whip · « **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2005, 01:52:20 PM »

Thanks that is what I through. I have done bottle neck case and figured that after crimping 8 times or so it would be a good Idea for the stright walls also to cet a consistant grip on the bullet and save the cased from work harding to much.

Johnch · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2005, 09:46:08 AM »

I set the deprimed cases in a pan of water 1/2 way up.
I then heat teh case mouth to the right color.
I then just tip the case over.
The case head is under water so there is no chance of it overheating.
I can do 50 cases in just a few min.

Johnch

Catfish · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2005, 04:35:16 PM »

At the price of beass today annealing case is a waist of time. I did it years ago with mil. cases, and it was nessary if you wanted to reload them, but I quite doing it years ago.