Pappy1600 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Just wondering how many of you guys anneal your cases? I was considering purchasing a Giraud Cartridge Case Annealer, but the price is making me question the need for it, I do alot of .223 reloading but .223 brass for me is not a problem, 308 on the other hand, I do not have the ability to get it for free so wondering if the investment is worth my while? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponizer Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 I didn't know Giraud has an annealer, i have his trimmer and nothing else comes close...The Annealer looks like a good machine, as all his other stuff, but i would question how much you need it unless you a ton of shooting a week...According to the video he has, he says you don't have to quench the brass, that's news to me, i always put my brass in a long pan with the water halfway up the brass, and as i annealed each piece i pushed it over in the water, you can do quite bit like that...Just my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffreyC Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 The Hornady set-up is much less expensive, and if you do not have that much brass it would be fast enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 ...According to the video he has, he says you don't have to quench the brass, that's news to me,... Same here - I thought that was the "important part" of the annealing process. <dontknow> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffreyC Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 As I understand it, the quenching mostly serves to stop the spread of the heat any further down toward the head of the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 There are all sorts of tricks when it comes to heat treating and annealling. It's only been done for a few thousand years. ;DI just can't see purchasing a machine when propane torches are so readily available.Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seasprite Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 I have tried this recently with a propane torch battery powered drill and a deep well socket with a bucket of water and I think it worked out well. I used a couple of pieces of brass that the primer pockets were stretched out on to practice with first. The first piece I heated it to long and the color change went to the middle of the case body but after that I knew what to look for and how to hold it in the flame and the rest that I did look like the factory annealing on the unfired cases. Does this mean I did a good job or proper job of annealing I have no idea. <dontknow> I'll try to update with some pics later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 MarlinOwners.com has an awesome reloading section, with more on annealing than in a whole collection of books.Also have a great section on casting and another on paper-patched bullets.Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaponizer Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 MarlinOwners.com has an awesome reloading section, with more on annealing than in a whole collection of books.Also have a great section on casting and another on paper-patched bullets.JonThanks brother for that site...They had some interesting stuff about the life of brass, They got a 308 bolt action and just neck sized the brass, (Remington) and got as much as 150 firings out of them before they split, and when they annealed them, they got less, go figure...I've been loading for 40 years and i never tried or even thought of getting that much from brass...Still learning something everyday... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 Weaponizer, by the time I'd started reloading ammo I had forgotten more about it than a standard room full of reloaders...just never had time or money.When I found MarlinOwners holy crap!! Talk about encyclopedias full of information! I'd never heard of paper-patched bullets (they call home cast "boolits") in metallic cartridges. Just the information they have posted on the .25-20 Winchester is enough to fill a book the size of Lyman's 49th Reloading edition.Somewhere on there is a thread on neck-sizing for .303 British Enfields, which had grossly oversized chambers in order to keep functioning in mud, dirt, dust, i.e., combat conditions. People went from 2 or 3 loadings to dozens without any signs (yet) of splitting or cracking.On the .308s with a slower twist the solution seems to be push the bullet faster. <thumbsup> I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can do with the heavier bullets once we have the .308 setup.Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas30cal Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Check this site out looks like very nice machine but also has a excellent explanation of the process and what to do, what not to do and why http://www.kenlightmfg.com/cartridgecaseannealer.htm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seasprite Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Here's some pics on how I'm trying to do this. On the second pic the case on the left was annealed way to much. The one in the middle is factory and the one on right is one of my reloads that I annealed. After reading the link from texas30cal, I think its been annealed a little to much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoFail Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Some stuff they have is Tempilac. You can get some to react at 650 deg, 700 deg whatever. Paint a stripe of it on the inside of neck and when it changes color as the brass gets to that temp the brass is annealed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffreyC Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 That is why I recommend the Hornady annealing kit, it comes with Tempilac, also three holders for .223 base, .308 base and belted magnum base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planeflyer21 Posted August 3, 2012 Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 Somewhere I've seen a thread with pics doing mass annealing.Using some type of pan, filling it with water to about 1/3 to 1/2 up whatever cases you are doing. Heat the neck and shoulder until they are the correct color and then tip it into the water.Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffreyC Posted August 3, 2012 Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 Most people have abandoned that method because of poor or inconsistent results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pappy1600 Posted August 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 I reload thousands of rounds, I wish I had the time to do what you guys do , I need to be able to perform volume annealing, that is why I am leaning towards a Giraud. this thread has been very informative, some good reads out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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