Pics of my first annealling attmept

[Marine sniper]

I practiced on several cases before moving to these. I exposed the cases to heat for 10 seconds approximately 3 inches form the base of the torch. I noticed a few of the brass have the heat mark a little further down the shoulder than the rest. I was in a relatively dark room and noticed when I took the heat away from the brass most of them had the same dull red color to the neck.

I would like to go test these with my full power load to see if I have helped or hurt things.

Any observations or comments ?

 

[Iron Worker]

Hot hot

Well either you got those dudes really hot or I'm not getting mine hot enough.So do they chamber any easier?

 

[Pdvdh]

I think you overheated them. 5-6 seconds is more what I use, based on the use of some temperature sensitive crayon. The brass shouldn't glow red in the dark from what I have read, been told, and understand. Even dull red is too hot.

I'd cut the length of torch time down to 5-6 seconds.

 

[JeffVN]

the look is pretty good.

Since the exposure to heat time is tied to the amount of the heat (hotter needs less time) , so I cant tell if you over-cooked them or not (if they glowed cherry red then you over-cooked them no doubt). An easy way to tell is to feel them with a clean finger and ask if they have a squeeky clean feel? IF the answer is yes, then you got it right.

JeffVN

 

[Derek M.]

did you use a propane torch or a MAP torch?

don't try to anneal your cases so they look like new Lapua brass.

none of mine look like that. I practiced on quite a few with and without the temp paste. the longest I've ever had to anneal any case was about 8 seconds.

did you tip them over in water? dunk them in water?

if the case heads got too warm that can be dangerous.

in a propane flame, you should anneal up to 7-8 seconds or just to the point when the flame creates the dull orange burn on the shoulder.

 

[Marine sniper]

I am going to test them on Saturday. Just to be safe I will load a few light and see how they look compared to an unannealed case.

They do have that sticky clean feel.

I used a propane torch. I did not dunk them.

 

[Derek M.]

just aim the flame at the neck only. some of the flame will hit the shoulder by deflection anyway, but do not aim for the shoulder/neck junction and definitely do not aim at the shoulder.

When I anneal, the flame is at an upright angle, maybe 30 degrees, and I put the cases into the tip of the flame straight up. That way the deflection of the flame is going up towards the case mouth. I ONLY flame the necks.

Google "brass-o-matic" and watch their automatic annealer with 2 torches.

 

[Willys46]

Let us know how it goes

Not to hijack this thread. Can you anneal cases over a single burner porpane camping stove?

I was thinking it would not get hot enough, fast enough to do any good without heating the whole case.

Did you turn the cases while annealing them in the tourch?

 

[Derek M.]

Not to hijack this thread. Can you anneal cases over a single burner porpane camping stove?

Maybe. I don't think it will get the case neck hot enough fast enough.

Did you turn the cases while annealing them in the torch?

Yes, in the bushing that comes with the Hornady annealing kit using a cordless drill.

 

[Marine sniper]

Here is how I did it. I used a deep 12 point 9/16 socket, it fits my 300 WBY cases perfectly. The drill is a cordless. I made sure the flame was adjusted the same each time and the same distance from the case. I will know if I did any good when I test them Saturday.
The rifles in the pic are my 300 WBY (nearest) and .308 I built when I was in the Marine Corps as a police sniper rifle

I took the 300 out last Saturday to test some loads at 300 yards. It was hot as heck out 90+ so the mirage was an issue, had a light switching wind as well. That said the rifle wants to shoot. Of the 27 rounds I fired 23 were pretty good to excellent. I think the rifle will agg. 1 in with this load at 300 yards in perfect conditions, if I do my part.
I am shooting 210 Berger's at a little over 3000 fps with 80 grains of 7828. The groups on the right are .010 off the lands and on the left they are .020 off.

 

[foreign]

good use of a book and noting stuff down. i should really start doing this properly

 

[specweldtom]

Setup looks good to me, but you need to quench the cases immediately.
Shake them out of the socket into a pan of water. The fast quench will not harden them at all, but it will stop the heat from creeping down the case. Someone mentioned not getting the base of the cartridge hot. They are correct. If the base is softened, it will flow and maybe rupture when fired. The base and body are intentionally left work-hardened when they are made because that part of the case needs the higher strength. The neck and shoulder don't.

I used to fire .308 match brass (in a match rifle) until they wouldn't hold a primer. I was full-length resizing, so I annealed after 3-4 firings. I set them upright in an aluminum baking pan, about 50 at a time, in water just below the shoulder. Heated them with a propane torch until they looked like yours do, and then immediately tapped the heated case over into the water with the side of the torch head. You don't have to do that, but I think it helps make them uniform and grip the bullet more consistently. It also instantly stops the oxidation.

I very much like the setup you have for rotating them while heating, but you might try my method for comparison. Whatever you settle on, I recommend you quench them immediately.

Good shooting, Tom

 

[Marine sniper]

I will try quenching them next time, thanks