Annealing Brass

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy, friends!

I did a half-dozen searches and came up empty.  I'm looking to anneal my 45 Colt brass, and since I load almost exclusively BP now, I figured this is the best place to post - since we here at CAS City don't have a "Reloading" section, per say.

I know the general method for the heat-then-dunk/quench method, BUT I just heard about a possible method of oven quenching.   Since I'm talking about over 2000 45 Colt cases PLUS probably 3000-4000 assorted magnum and other non-cowboy cases, you can see why I'm looking for a more efficient method!  I've seen a really cool tool that someone made - kind of a wheel shaped device, but even that would be WAY too slow for that number of pieces.


Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Jeff  "Steel Horse Bailey"

[Bull Schmitt]

Howdy Steel Horse,

You really don't want to anneal the entire case as the will soften the base. Your really only want to anneal the mouth of the case. I don't think I have ever done pistol length cases but rifle length I do by holding the base in my fingers and heating the mouth of the case until I see it begine to turn color and then drop it into the water. If the case gets too hot to hold then you are approaching the temperature that will cause the base to anneal. An annealed base can result in primer pockets expanding and loose primers (not good).

[Delmonico]

Jeff, what little annealing I've done is by this method I picked up somewhere, has worked to save some 243 cases that had started to have a few neck split and has worked to blow out once fired 30-30 to use for light loads in that 375 Win of mine.

Get you a round of military ammo and look at the annealing colors they don't polish off.  Get your lead pot, put in some pure lead and turn it up on high.  Dip the case in oil and the touch the mouth of the case into the lead.  Watch the color and when it travels a slight way up the case and looks like the color on a military round I toss it in some ice water and tumble then when dry to remove the oil.

[Arcey]

Boys, I'm diggin' WAY deep in memory now.  My first Lyman Manual, bought back in 19 *cough*cough*, 'skooze me, contained a short article on annealin' brass.  Pictures showed the brass in a shallow pan of water with an ole fella heatin' the mouth/neck with a BernzOMatic torch. When the color change showed up he'd knock 'em over with a pencil to quench 'em.

The brass was of the rifle bottle neck sort instead of pistol brass 'n it would be a slow process for ya Steel Hoss.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Here is the easiest & best (IMO) way to anneal cartridge case mouths. 


http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,3222.0.html

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Steel Horse Pard,

Give this some thought.  Put yer brass with primers in, iin a pan and put in just enuf water that they don't float.  Then, put 'em in yer oven under the broiler.  Heat the snot out of 'em and when you judge it's the rite moment, take a pliers and shake the tray till they all tip over.  That's the way I do it when I have lots of 'em.

A couple a hundred a tray sounds about rite.

Please report back.

DD-DLoS

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Thanks, pards.

Well, Bull - you're right: I DON'T want to soften the whole case - I wondered HOW to do it in the oven, if possible  - and IF it WORKED!  I wasn't sure.

Arcey, yep - I have the same manual.  It's what I referred to in my initial post as the "heat-then-dunk/quench" method.  It's the old tried and true method.  That works - and is  S L O W.

FCK, that method of method of yours sounds good, but like the other methods, too slow for my 5000 to 6000 cases.

I've never heard about the lead-dunk before, Del.  It's a new method to me, but it makes sense.  Again, 'tho - it'll take forever for that many cases.

These are all good ideas, and I appreciate your answers, pards - thanks.

[Fox Creek Kid]

...too slow for my 5000 to 6000 cases.

Why on earth do you need that many? Are you going to Baghdad? 

[Delmonico]

I think he's been there and don't want to go back.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I think he's been there and don't want to go back.

FCK - Yep!     

NO!  I don't want to start a war ... I want to be able to FINISH one!    When I get the itch to load, I load a year's worth or so.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Materials;
slip-joint pliers
hand held propane torch
bucketa water
a location in the shade, or do it at dusk.  A wood shed is NOT a good location!   DUH!

Procedure;
Light the torch
Hold the base of the case in the pliers
play the torch around the top third of the case until it glows a dull red.  Done carefully you won't burn the case.
Heat both neck and shoulder of bottleneck cases.
Dump the case in the bucketa water while still dull red

I've heard all the other procedures, but I can tell that this procedure WORKS, and is quick & simple.

[Wills Point Pete]

 To anneal a case properly requires a temp of 750 to 760 degrees F. An oven won't cut it and if your oven got that hot the base would get too hot and soft.
The easiest way is with an electric melting pot and lead thermometer. Heat the lead to hot enough, dip the casemouths into oil of some sort. I've used used motor oil after an oil change, cooking oil, light oil like three in one, pretty much whatever I could get for cheap or for free. The oil is jut to keep the lead from sticking to the brass.
Now dip the oiled casemouth into the lead, you will see a change in color of the brass, it turns a sort of bluish gray. Dro[ the case into a bucket of water as soon as you see this color shift. I keep a bunch of ice in the water, otherwise the hot brass heats up the water and it loses it's effectiveness.