When Annealing Made Perfect first launched a prototype induction annealer at Shot Show 2015, their goal was to remove all guesswork and inconsistency from annealing.
Right from the start, AMP invested in its own lab equipment, in particular for micro-Vickers hardness testing.
They also work with independent outside metallurgical laboratories. AMP invited shooters from around the world to send in sample of their various cartridge cases. In the process, they accumulated a huge archive of cartridges from 17 Hornet through to an array of 50 BMG wildcats and everything in between. In many instances the archive includes multiple brands and even different lot numbers of the same cartridge.
Alex and Matt Findlay have produced a series of articles called "Annealing Under the Microscope" The first of these was released in July 2017. Part 1 was a general explanation of annealing, and busted a number of myths. It examined the repeatability of annealing over multiple reloads, and conducted a series of tensile bullet pull tests. The full article can be seen here:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/40/annealing-under-the-microscope/
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The Part 2 report examined the reasons why different brands of the same cartridge can require different annealing settings. It even showed that lot to lot variations of the same brand can make a big difference.
This is the full report:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/42/annealing-under-the-microscope/
…………………………………………………………….
In late 2017, Alex and Matt started the development of their revolutionary AZTEC system, which in effect transformed AMP annealers into SMART annealers. It meant that individual customers could analyse their own cases with laboratory grade accuracy without the need to send samples to the AMP lab for calibration.
Part 3 of Annealing Under the Microscope was released in July 2018 after nearly 12 months of R&D on AZTEC. It focussed on how to best utilise this new self-calibration capability. It also highlighted the difference between several "premium" brands of brass compared to cheaper alternatives.
That report can be seen here:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/46/annealing-under-the-microscope/
…………………………………………………………….
Part 4 of the series was released in September 2019. It focussed on the true benefits of accurate annealing, and the need to anneal every reload. The study identified sizing accuracy and repeatability as the key factor. This article also revealed the first prototype of AMP's new auto bullet seater with seating pressure data capture. A Beta version of this will be demonstrated at Shot Show 2020.
This is the complete article:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/55/annealing-under-the-microscope/
………………………………………………………………………
Part 5 of the series turned out to be a much larger study than first envisaged. It was therefore split into three stages. For the first time, AMP examined the real world downrange benefits of annealing.
The Part 5, Stage 1 paper further examined sizing accuracy of annealed v unannealed cases, taking two sets of 3 identical Peterson 308W cases through twenty reloading cycles. Every cycle, cases were measured both fire-formed and sized for shoulder bump, neck OD and head OD. Case length was also measured each cycle.
This is the complete article: https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/56/annealing-under-the-microscope/
The Part 5, Stage 2 paper consisted ballistic testing using multiple rifles, cartridges and shooters at the Strategic Edge range in Tennessee. (Andy, rather than the still photo below, you could show this video: The same applies for most of our later articles.)
It accumulated a wealth of data on velocity spreads and group sizes right out to 1,000 yards. The evidence showed a clear advantage, both for average group size and average velocity Extreme Spread for the groups shot with AMP annealed cases. This is the complete article:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/57/annealing-under-the-microscope/
Lastly, the Part 5, Stage 3 paper featured testing by Lou Murdica at an underground range in California. AMP previously released a video of Lou shooting one case, then reloading it and shooting the same case into the same hole at 100 yards.
This time he repeated the feat, shooting one unannealed case twenty times into the one hole, and then another even smaller 20-shot group starting with a fresh case which he annealed every shot. This is the complete article: https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/58/annealing-under-the-microscope/
Collectively the "Annealing Under the Microscope" series represents a remarkable body of outstanding work.
Right from the start, AMP invested in its own lab equipment, in particular for micro-Vickers hardness testing.
They also work with independent outside metallurgical laboratories. AMP invited shooters from around the world to send in sample of their various cartridge cases. In the process, they accumulated a huge archive of cartridges from 17 Hornet through to an array of 50 BMG wildcats and everything in between. In many instances the archive includes multiple brands and even different lot numbers of the same cartridge.
Alex and Matt Findlay have produced a series of articles called "Annealing Under the Microscope" The first of these was released in July 2017. Part 1 was a general explanation of annealing, and busted a number of myths. It examined the repeatability of annealing over multiple reloads, and conducted a series of tensile bullet pull tests. The full article can be seen here:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/40/annealing-under-the-microscope/
………………………………………………………………..
The Part 2 report examined the reasons why different brands of the same cartridge can require different annealing settings. It even showed that lot to lot variations of the same brand can make a big difference.
This is the full report:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/42/annealing-under-the-microscope/
…………………………………………………………….
In late 2017, Alex and Matt started the development of their revolutionary AZTEC system, which in effect transformed AMP annealers into SMART annealers. It meant that individual customers could analyse their own cases with laboratory grade accuracy without the need to send samples to the AMP lab for calibration.
Part 3 of Annealing Under the Microscope was released in July 2018 after nearly 12 months of R&D on AZTEC. It focussed on how to best utilise this new self-calibration capability. It also highlighted the difference between several "premium" brands of brass compared to cheaper alternatives.
That report can be seen here:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/46/annealing-under-the-microscope/
…………………………………………………………….
Part 4 of the series was released in September 2019. It focussed on the true benefits of accurate annealing, and the need to anneal every reload. The study identified sizing accuracy and repeatability as the key factor. This article also revealed the first prototype of AMP's new auto bullet seater with seating pressure data capture. A Beta version of this will be demonstrated at Shot Show 2020.
This is the complete article:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/55/annealing-under-the-microscope/
………………………………………………………………………
Part 5 of the series turned out to be a much larger study than first envisaged. It was therefore split into three stages. For the first time, AMP examined the real world downrange benefits of annealing.
The Part 5, Stage 1 paper further examined sizing accuracy of annealed v unannealed cases, taking two sets of 3 identical Peterson 308W cases through twenty reloading cycles. Every cycle, cases were measured both fire-formed and sized for shoulder bump, neck OD and head OD. Case length was also measured each cycle.
This is the complete article: https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/56/annealing-under-the-microscope/
The Part 5, Stage 2 paper consisted ballistic testing using multiple rifles, cartridges and shooters at the Strategic Edge range in Tennessee. (Andy, rather than the still photo below, you could show this video: The same applies for most of our later articles.)
It accumulated a wealth of data on velocity spreads and group sizes right out to 1,000 yards. The evidence showed a clear advantage, both for average group size and average velocity Extreme Spread for the groups shot with AMP annealed cases. This is the complete article:
https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/57/annealing-under-the-microscope/
Lastly, the Part 5, Stage 3 paper featured testing by Lou Murdica at an underground range in California. AMP previously released a video of Lou shooting one case, then reloading it and shooting the same case into the same hole at 100 yards.
This time he repeated the feat, shooting one unannealed case twenty times into the one hole, and then another even smaller 20-shot group starting with a fresh case which he annealed every shot. This is the complete article: https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/58/annealing-under-the-microscope/
Collectively the "Annealing Under the Microscope" series represents a remarkable body of outstanding work.
