Annealing and more

[bsears10]

I have have found an abundance of opinions on what method to use when annealing brass. It sounds like a very good idea to help keep proper neck tension on a bullet as well as lengthening service life for the brass. Is it really as simple as heating the neck of the brass to red hot then tipping it over in a pan of water, or do you need a fancy selection of gizmos to guage actual temperature etc.? I have Alexander Arms brass that I have reloaded 4 times so far and the cases have some score marks from the AR-action and a few light dings on the neck, but they reload and shoot fine. By the way I am using the forester micrometer seating die and full length sizing die. I do not use a crimping die at all as I do with pistol bullets.

My second question is if the L.E. Wilson Case Length Headspace Gage for the 6.5 Grendel is a good idea to purchase? Sounds like a good way to check your cartridge for sammi spec. and that is what I am told you need to do for a gas gun as opposed to trying to seat it close to the rifling as in a bolt action. Thanks for your opinions guys.

[txgunner00]

It is very simple. Get in a semi dark room with a power drill & a socket adapter. Spin the brass in a low flame and remove it as soon as it begins to turn color. No need for water. After a few pieces you can get a feel for the time and just count. I've used this method for .223 up to .50 cal. with success. I do plan to build an annealing machine soon but in the mean time doing it by hand is working just fine.

A case gage is worth the investment IMO

[Von Gruff]

It is very simple. Get in a semi dark room with a power drill & a socket adapter. Spin the brass in a low flame and remove it as soon as it begins to turn color. No need for water. After a few pieces you can get a feel for the time and just count. I've used this method for .223 up to .50 cal. with success. I do plan to build an annealing machine soon but in the mean time doing it by hand is working just fine.

A case gage is worth the investment IMO

My only caveat to this advise is that I run my cases through the tumbler first because it ,ore easily shows the first colour change - BUT I do mi annealing in good light as the colour change I look for is the polished case dulling out the shine and watching the blue start in the neck and move over the shoulder. I have found that about a second per milimeter of neck diametes seems to work for me. About 5 sec for my 20 cal, 6 for the grendel. 7 for 7x57 and 10 for my 404 Jeffery. I use deep sockets with a bolt cut to length and a small square of leather to tighten it in the scocket drive and have one for each case dia.

[stokesrj]

There is no reason to anneal the Grendel case. It is annealed and is good for 18-20 reloads without splitting the neck or loosing accuracy if your dies are properly set up to push the shoulder back no more than .003" and neck tension is no more than .004 and preferably .003"
But if you just want to anneal anyway, and I have friends that do, then do it right get the Giraud http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCWni2nNNeE
Doug is a personal friend and fellow competitor, I know several who own his annealer and have nothing but praise for them.
Bob

[txgunner00]

That is a fine machine and I'd love to have one sitting on my bench, but I can't justify buying one for what they go for.

[blackfoot]

I've messed with annealing a little but have some to the conclusion that Bob points to. In my 6BR I would have 10+ firings on a case with high pressure loads and see no signs of loss of accuracy. Sizing properly and proper chamber dimensions help. Not to start a war, but I believe the tighter neck of the LBC chamber would lend itself to longer case life since the brass is being worked less. I could be wrong.

[stokesrj]

Blackfoot,
I agree with you in theory, but I have owned both LBC and AA chambers and could discern no difference in case life. I never had a case neck split with either, the rims get chewed up and look horrible but still shoot until I decide they look to shabby.
Bob