Anyone Annealing Their Brass?

[Petey308]

I was under the assumption that quenching the brass was to stop the brass from over annealing and to keep the heat from traveling too far down the body.

At least that was the direction I was given from the merchant and watching Youtube videos while I was annealing using the salt bath method and quench. It's been a few years since I've used it though.

The heat stops building and lowering immediately once removed from the source. Quenching would only cool it so you could handle it immediately afterwards. The annealing process stops once the heat stops/drops after no longer being applied to the brass.

 

[Petey308]

I was under the assumption that quenching the brass was to stop the brass from over annealing and to keep the heat from traveling too far down the body.

At least that was the direction I was given from the merchant and watching Youtube videos while I was annealing using the salt bath method and quench. It's been a few years since I've used it though.

I also would not advise dipping in water or having water close is salt bath annealing.

 

[Harry Knutz]

I would not advise using salt bath at all, You would most likely introduce corrosion into the chamber/rifling.

 

[squeeeeze]

I also would not advise dipping in water or having water close is salt bath annealing.

I stopped using it a few years. Yes the water was far away from the heated salt as recommended Per merchant, then quenched/rinsed.

 

[338 dude]

I also would not advise dipping in water or having water close is salt bath annealing.

Don't work too hard and start sweating on it either!

 

[Rick Richard]

I use the Salt Bath method, quench in water and do all the other things folks are commenting against. I can't see where this method is no worse than the flame method, and my brass comes out looking like…annealed brass. So, not sure why the "downers" unless those folks are just internet believers expressing their perceived opinions based on no practical experience. Anyway, use what works for you and have a great day.

 

[338 dude]

I use the Salt Bath method, quench in water and do all the other things folks are commenting against. I can't see where this method is no worse than the flame method, and my brass comes out looking like…annealed brass. So, not sure why the "downers" unless those folks are just internet believers expressing their perceived opinions based on no practical experience. Anyway, use what works for you and have a great day.

I believe the salt bath annealing method may work better than flame method but working with lava scares the crap out of me ,to high of possibilities of a very bad accident.

 

[Rick Richard]

I believe the salt bath annealing method may work better than flame method but working with lava scares the crap out of me ,to high of possibilities of a very bad accident.

No different than an open flame source falling in your lap, hose coming apart and etc.. No matter which method used have to be thinking safety. Now, if I really had a need based on volume I would be using the AMP.

 

[338 dude]

No different than an open flame source falling in your lap, hose coming apart and etc.. No matter which method used have to be thinking safety. Now, if I really had a need based on volume I would be using the AMP.

Like many people I started with an annealeez.but I do not have gas appliances and to be honest I guess I'm a wuss, I am afraid of gas inside of my house I eventually got an amp mostly because of my fears but I also feel it is the best tool for the job.I know I know the cost everyone sets their own limits

 

[Barrelnut]

Since I torch and socket anneal, I have a metronome app on my phone. I set it for 60 beats a minute and count 6 beats while watching the neck in the flame in a darkened light. Works well for me.
I anneal in the garage on a workbench and have a damp towel spread out on the bench that I drop the cartridges on after they're annealed. This allows them to cool to the touch a little quicker. I have literally annealed thousands of cases this way.
The EP Integrations annealer above looks sweet though. and that's a great price.
I know one shooter who uses salt bath and gets incredibly low ES on everything he loads.
I'm sure the AMP is the ultimate.

 

[Pointman]

I anneal after every firing. For me, consistency is key and that means doing the same thing to the brass to get it to the same base line- every time.

I started years ago with a drill, socket, and torch. I upgraded to Annealeez when they first came out. Then I upgraded to an Annie induction annealer. That was a HUGE improvement and when I really saw a true discernible difference in my ammo. Since then, I use an AMP. Induction is definitely the way to go, but you need to ensure it's producing sufficient current and won't destroy itself in the process. If you're going to make your own, the GinaErick type is the way to go. There are lots of plans out there if you google it.

Good luck.

I wanted to get the AMP but couldn't justify the outlay of cash plus the additional pilots needed for 4 additional calibers Thus said, I went with the Annealeez. Only needed the 20 extra wheels.

 

[manitou]

I just turn out the lights and hand hold the brass over a torch while directing the flame at the neck/shoulder juncture, rotating it until it starts to show color. I then drop it in an aluminum pan. Has worked for me for many years. Have never had a cracked neck and achieve -1/2" groups with multiple cartridges.

 

[Petey308]

I wanted to get the AMP but couldn't justify the outlay of cash plus the additional pilots needed for 4 additional calibers Thus said, I went with the Annealeez. Only needed the 20 extra wheels.

I get it and a completely agree. It's a price that needs to be justifiable to you and your particular needs. There are a lot of hunters that just don't shoot enough or to distances where they level of consistency is required. There's nothing wrong with that. There's also nothing wrong with using equipment that isn't truly needed either.

And yeah, the pilots are an additional expense. The plus side is it's a one time expense and you just screw them in until they stop and that's your whole setup for each cartridge and when switching cartridges. There's no adjusting timing and doing trial and error getting the wheel speed, nozzle direction and distance set, flame intensity set, etc, etc and it also means the AMP is set exactly the same every time. So there's pluses there to the AMP as well, but you're still spending way more for that convenience. I know I hated switching cartridges with my Annealeez and switching back. I never got it exactly as it was the last time and it always bugged me.

It took me a long time to feel like the AMP was worth the money. I used to be big on telling others in forums like this and Facebook groups that a torch is all you need and spending that kind of money on an AMP is stupid. What ultimately changed my mind though was using one, learning a ton more about annealing and the benefits of doing it right, and starting my own business prepping brass, loading ammo, manufacturing ammo and bullets, etc. I felt customers would appreciate it more and feel more confident in paying for annealing if it was done using an AMP. It's a tax write-off too for me since it's for my business. Not many others have that bonus.

Bottom line: figure out what is best for your particular needs and what you can justify based on that. There are plenty of ways to go about annealing.

 

[bamban]

When I shot 308s and 223s in competition a bunch, like 10K a year, this served me well. Now it makes a nice rack for Sharpies and pulled bullets.....lol