Resize cases first then anneal or the other way around?

[Roughwater]

Hi,

I've never annealed a case but recently bought a annealeze annealer. I have a simple question I think. I've got a bunch of fired cases tumbling right now. So once cleaned, should I size the cases before annealing or should I anneal then resize? I'm thinking resize first but not sure?

 

[L.Sherm]

I anneal then resize, keeps the neck tension more consistent for me.

 

[Roughwater]

I anneal then resize, keeps the neck tension more consistent for me.

Appreciate it LShrem!

 

[L.Sherm]

No problem

 

[FURMAN]

Agreed. Anneal then resize.

 

[Roughwater]

Agreed. Anneal then resize.

Thanks also rfurman for confirming. That will be the order of things then.

 

[J E Custom]

Anneal , Size and trim to a uniform length. Then you are ready to go.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Roughwater]

Thanks JE!

 

[SealT5]

@Roughwater not to repeat what they have said but the reason why you anneal first is because your wanting to soften the brass before sizing to promote case life. If you size before annealing you are working the brass in its hardest state negativity affecting what your trying to accomplish. Good purchase. Those are nice machines

 

[Roughwater]

@Roughwater not to repeat what they have said but the reason why you anneal first is because your wanting to soften the brass before sizing to promote case life. If you size before annealing you are working the brass in its hardest state negativity affecting what your trying to accomplish. Good purchase. Those are nice machines

Great to know Westex.

 

[Mike AVM]

Anneal, then resize. Some hunting cartridges I resize FL then anneal after ultrasonic so as not to burn the carbon into the neck. Then I use a Sinclair mandrel to straighten and size the neck.

 

[Mc Fraser]

Anneal then resize, the metal suffers slight deformation during the annealing process.

 

[jshepherd61]

It

Hi,

I've never annealed a case but recently bought a annealeze annealer. I have a simple question I think. I've got a bunch of fired cases tumbling right now. So once cleaned, should I size the cases before annealing or should I anneal then resize? I'm thinking resize first but not sure?

can be done either way however it depends on the brass for me! Is it once fired brass, then resize first and then anneal it as it has not lost it's properties so the neck tensions will remain close to the same and you will restore the metal properties to a fresh case. If it has been reloaded before, anneal it before resizing to restore metal properties for better neck retention. I anneal every three reloading. Hope this helps

 

[GeorgeS]

jshepherd61 makes a good point: if your cases are once-fired, annealing is unnecessary. Cases only need to be annealed to offset work hardening, every 3-5 firings depending on the peak pressure of the round - high pressure more often, and more often for full length rather than neck resizing. It's a function both of the firing stress and the amount of reworking done to the brass by the resizing die.