correct, you haven't caused any harm, but you introduced inconsistency (some annealed, some not), waisted time, resources, etc.
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First shot at annealing.
- Thread starter Nomad8961
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EC over annealed a few cases and didn't really measure any or much difference in bullet seating resistance, (might not be remembering that exactly correct), and they sized without issue and shot fine I think. Like 20 seconds in the flame. Shoulder and case neck didn't crumble into powder. ¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯
Correct, he did. Its one reason why I think the tolerance is large enough to not worry about the DIY method over or underannealing, as long as were consistent is what matters.
IMHO.... haven't annealed for any caliber in 50 years but given the cost of brass today...if it got a person 1 extra load of 50 .....why not! Brass was just another consumable for me and I'm getting to the short strokes of life now so this cowboy won't anneal....just me
You are correct. The brass gets harder, and tend to split the neck a little later on. At the cost of $2.00+ case it doesn't take long to pay for annealer.
Sdvldog1371
Well-Known Member
the brass doesn't crumble, it loses zinc and gets softer. That means it resizes differently for 1, for 2 you get a lot more flow of material from just above the web area which leads to pre-mature case head separation. Doing a small sample in a custom chamber without a control group and larger data set is hardly scientific or conclusive. It is the exception not the rule.
76 firings on 1 case with annealing. Also, probably the exception, but let me see the test where un-annealed brass goes to remotely that close.
Valid points, the takeaway I got from Cortinas test was that worrying about over annealing is way over rated. Its not like anyone is going to go more than 7 or 8 seconds under flame.
Over annealing changes the brass metallurgy, primarily the zinc gets burned off, and thus the over annealed case is different than either not annealed brass, or under annealed brass, or reasonably correctly annealed brass, and that leads to a different cartridge load and performance.
That was meant as tongue in cheek....
Well I was hoping the amount of time I ran my brass wasn't just a waste. Now I wasn't using map gas I was using Propain and the flame was not super intense like you would see in the annealing videos EC did, or any I've seen for that matter. It was actually a slight green not blue and I ran my brass for a 10 sec count and it never turned red or even slightly red, the brass neck and shoulder turned a slight color and I was picking them up from the bottom of the case with bare fingers. Were they hot? Sure, but it wasn't in bearable. I'm going to use some old 284 brass I don't shoot and get a map gas bottle and a new torch head and practice and see is I can get it to look the way I think it should. Il report back this weekend
Sdvldog1371
Well-Known Member
Propane is common, MAPP or MethylAcetylene Propadiene will work, but be aware it can be used for brazing, so it can definitely toast brass with a quickness. I'd look at your torch head and adjusting your flame until the inner cone is much sharper and the flame has a louder roar to it. Make sure the tip of that inner flame is focused where the bottom of the case neck just meets the shoulder. Turn off your lights and watch for it to just barely start to turn a dark red color. You're not looking for a "Glowing" just the faint dark red. If you go past that you will notice a small plume of yellow or orange at the tip of that inner flame...that means you've gone too far. You will notice with half full or near empty 1lb propane tanks, that it can be difficult to attain and maintain the proper flame over the course of say 50 cases...thats why a lot of guys end up going with the 20lb tank adapter.
cynjon
Well-Known Member
I always used regular propane when flame annealing. The MAPP gas is hotter and reduced the "margin for error" in my opinion. It would be a better choice for larger/heavier/thicker brass though. I'd recommend getting a "pencil tip" torch, which as Sdvlddog1371 said, gives a sharper, more pointed tip of the blue flame. Put the tip of the blue flame right on the neck/shoulder junction. You can probably see what I'm talking about in this pic:
