Annealing Issue

[Bob Wright]

A flame at the contact point shouldn't turn yellow as that is burning off zinc. When that happens you're leaving behind mostly copper in the neck/shoulder. Not sure if you're watching for that.

 

[eshorebwhntr]

Could have. Just puzzled me that I'd been doing this for years and this was the first time this had happened.

Typically with RP, WW, and federal once I see that first one crack I'll lose anywhere from 3-10 pieces each firing moving forward.

 

[Bob Wright]

Could have. Just puzzled me that I'd been doing this for years and this was the first time this had happened.

Typically with RP, WW, and federal once I see that first one crack I'll lose anywhere from 3-10 pieces each firing moving forward.

Could be chemistry of the factory ammo just doesn't support too many reloads. Just another unknown to add to annealing.

 

[Mike Matteson]

There is temperature indication liquid at Midway. Call Tempilaq. it can be purchased at different temperature levels. It's my understanding that 342c or 650f is the correct temp to heat the neck of the case. It's a paint that can be applied to the brass cases to show that you have achieved the correct temperature. I feel that once you have determine the correct length of time to heat the neck of the case, probable won't need to do every case after than. Anneal first then size them. Annealing will change the case some. If your necks are uniform in thickness , you will a better outcome. Bottom line it creates more steps in reloading, and mostly for the better. The life of a mad reloader! Ha! Ha!

 

[spladi]

Been annealing for about 10yrs now. Had a new issue today that I've not experienced before.

3x fired WW 7mm Mag brass. Had a neck start to split. Annealed them with a flame, approx 7 sec.

Resized with a FL die after annealing.

Just seated a bullet to my COAL and when I checked it with my calipers I pushed the bullet all the way in the case.

I've got ways to get around it I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

after you get around the low neck tension issue I would just chalk it up to a bad piece of brass

 

[jarnold37]

Been annealing for about 10yrs now. Had a new issue today that I've not experienced before.

3x fired WW 7mm Mag brass. Had a neck start to split. Annealed them with a flame, approx 7 sec.

Resized with a FL die after annealing.

Just seated a bullet to my COAL and when I checked it with my calipers I pushed the bullet all the way in the case.

I've got ways to get around it I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Have experimented for many years

Been annealing for about 10yrs now. Had a new issue today that I've not experienced before.

3x fired WW 7mm Mag brass. Had a neck start to split. Annealed them with a flame, approx 7 sec.

Resized with a FL die after annealing.

Just seated a bullet to my COAL and when I checked it with my calipers I pushed the bullet all the way in the case.

I've got ways to get around it I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Been annealing for about 10yrs now. Had a new issue today that I've not experienced before.

3x fired WW 7mm Mag brass. Had a neck start to split. Annealed them with a flame, approx 7 sec.

Resized with a FL die after annealing.

Just seated a bullet to my COAL and when I checked it with my calipers I pushed the bullet all the way in the case.

I've got ways to get around it I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Been annealing for about 10yrs now. Had a new issue today that I've not experienced before.

3x fired WW 7mm Mag brass. Had a neck start to split. Annealed them with a flame, approx 7 sec.

Resized with a FL die after annealing.

Just seated a bullet to my COAL and when I checked it with my calipers I pushed the bullet all the way in the case.

I've got ways to get around it I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

I have annealed brass for many years and have determined that if the neck is not brought to glowing orange and quenched, the neck is not soft enough. I determine with FL or NECK die that uses button to size neck. If button squeaks or squeals when sizing neck it is not annealed enough. I have never over-annealed making brass too soft. An engineer at a brass manufacturer told me years ago that in manufacture they determine by brinell test but at home he brings neck to orange and quenches in a dark room. If not orange then likely not adequately annealed. New Lapua brass is annealed to soft elasticity also. Run a sizing button in neck and there will be resistance and screeching when pulling button up through the neck because not annealed adequately. Truly the best way to determine neck elasticity and softness.

 

[JustMe2]

Yup, you over annealed them. I've always been told to only anneal every 3rd reloading or the brass gets too soft and you lose neck and shoulder tension. In other words, the brass won't spring back properly.

Solution is to run your brass through your full length die a couple of times and it will harden the brass again and add enough neck tension to hold your bullets again. They don't have to be shot each time you size as just resizing will harden the brass.

 

[Philward]

Sounds like you loaded a case that the neck had started to split. Or am I misreading the situation? You probably just didn't catch the split starting after the last firing and the sizing process completed it.

 

[JustMe2]

Yes, you didn't read it correctly. The 1st half of his post was background info and the 2nd half was his question.

1st half = he had a split neck so he decided to anneal his brass.

2nd half = why after annealing are my bullets not secure in the necks?

 

[Philward]

Yes, you didn't read it correctly. The 1st half of his post was background info and the 2nd half was his question.

1st half = he had a split neck so he decided to anneal his brass.

2nd half = why after annealing are my bullets not secure in the necks?

Thanks.

Wonder if he turned the necks and made them too thin? Been there, done that.

 

[Mikecr]

I was using a 0.306 expander for a 308 bullet, so there should have plenty of neck tension but the brass neck was just too soft.

It shows that INTERFERENCE FIT is not TENSION.
Necks also should not be taken to glowing orange, nor quenched, for the process annealing we do (which is not full annealing).

OP, you should fix your neck splitting problem, and look into salt bath annealing.

 

[eshorebwhntr]

I've used tempilaq years ago. Don't know what I've done with it.

I considered the over annealing as well.

No I have not neck turned this lot.

The whole lot exhibited this after annealing, not one piece.

I guess several passes through the die will make it progressively harder, might try that and see what happens. If it eventually holds a bullet properly I guess that proves the over annealing in a way. Wish I had a way to hardness test but oh well.

The videos I've watched of Erik Cortina annealing his brass in the testing has me puzzled. In a few cases he purposely "over-anneals" but it doesn't exhibit the characteristics I'm seeing. When I say over-anneal I'm talking like dual flame, 20s dwell time, fuggin cherry red.

And as I've said, I've done this for years and never had this problem or maybe just never caught it.

I spot check at least a dozen per hundred for BTO after loading. Never pushed a bullet into the case with calipers while measuring. And they push in easy.

Just weird. Nothing I can't work around. Just wanting to know the cause.

 

[Old Rooster]

Another thought,sometimes brass just wears out before others in the same lot.
After shooting new rp brass 3 times I had a few necks split while the others were fine,still using them.
May not be your fault maybe just brass problems.
Just a thought

 

[Reelamin]

Here is a video from a guy who seems pretty dialed in on his techniques and results. Throws the "must have or do" into a little head scratching it appears.