Annealer. Best bang for the buck
- Thread starter lrgrendel
- Start date
Annealeez is what I have, no desire whatsoever to shell out for an AMP. I did modify it to add a pressure gauge at the torch for repeatable results though.
I've ever only used the Amp annealer. Luckily I have a buddy who has one. I can't see using anything else TBH. More for the tech vs. the ease of use though. It analyzed your brass and then you just use that setting. No guess work and extremely repeatable and consistent. But that's a lot farther from the cheap end of the spectrum.
On the low end of things, the Annealez works very well. My buddy has one and I used it to anneal some brass after a match. Didn't take very long and it all turned out good. I have since bought an AMP and I will say, it is very worth it. No guess work involved setting a torch or anything, just get the code for your brass, and get after it.
How much bang and what’s your bucks?
I’ve been getting away with a deep well socket, propane torch, calibrated eyeball and a few burn injuries along the way. YT has/had a lot of good videos.
I’m blowing my wad on more primers. Good luck out there.
I’ve been getting away with a deep well socket, propane torch, calibrated eyeball and a few burn injuries along the way. YT has/had a lot of good videos.
I’m blowing my wad on more primers. Good luck out there.
Had the annealez and it had a few functional things I wasn't happy with. I moved on to the Ugly Annealer and couldn't be happier.
Can get it right off of Amazon, https://amzn.to/3KCZFzj
Ugly annealer on the left.
Can get it right off of Amazon, https://amzn.to/3KCZFzj
Ugly annealer on the left.
I recently started annealing. I got an Annealeez Gen 2.0 earlier this year. The hopper holds 180+ .308 Win cases and 250+ 5.56/223 cases. I reload .308 Win, usually in batches of 50 or 100 so the hopper is plenty large enough for my application. I anneal cases every reloading cycle immediately before sizing.
Bang for the buck is subjective. For me that term means 'what will allow me to do the job in the least amount of time with the best accuracy'. If it takes an hour or two to anneal 50 cases over time that all adds up. If you measure it out over the course of years, it's significant.
What I think you meant though is in the one time upfront cost.
You can apply that same reasoning to pretty much anything. If you are mounting tires on rims, if you only have to do that job once every 3-4 years, and only for four wheels then if the process is slow and inefficient it won't really matter. If you devote an entire afternoon to that one set of tires, in the grand scheme of things it won't matter how you do the job.
On the other hand if you are mounting tires all the time for a number of different cars, then spending an afternoon on one set is not acceptable.
For me, being perfectly honest, I don't shoot enough of precision shooting to really warrant the high end stuff. I am not at the very low end of round counts by any means, but I am also not at the high end either. I am somewhere in the middle. And between pistols and shooting ARs and such, and 22LR, of my actual round count maybe 20% of it would require annealing. Having nice automated annealers, or powder measures, or whatever it is nice, but it's also hard to justify the high dollar high speed stuff at that level.
Mike's makes a damn nice one for just a little more than the Annealeeze.
Burstfire Annealer & Parts
Burstfire - Reloading industry's first 2 in 1 Case Annealer + Case Prep Center! Brass Case annealing machine + Case Prep Center combined into a single unit. Powered by 6 independently operated high torque motors. No single point of failure! All aluminum wheels (standard + magnum).
burstfireguns.com
has a case prep center included as well, all for under 300
This one looks like a heck of a deal if it works as advertised.Burstfire Annealer & Parts
Burstfire - Reloading industry's first 2 in 1 Case Annealer + Case Prep Center! Brass Case annealing machine + Case Prep Center combined into a single unit. Powered by 6 independently operated high torque motors. No single point of failure! All aluminum wheels (standard + magnum).burstfireguns.com
has a case prep center included as well, all for under 300
Bryan Litz didn't find any corelation between annealing and ES/SD of his bullet velocity.
so...
so...
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People do it just to extend brass life
Depends on the right tool for you. I bought one of those "Hot Rods" (because I always wanted one anyway) and timer. The first week I had it, I used it to get an old fitting loose on my Jeep. The second week I had it, I used it to de-solder a pipe fitting. About the third or fourth week I finally used it on some brass. 
Works for me because I'm not doing tons at one time. If I'm going to load, 10 or 20 rounds of whatever, I anneal the 20 and that's it.
Works for me because I'm not doing tons at one time. If I'm going to load, 10 or 20 rounds of whatever, I anneal the 20 and that's it.
AMP. Its the best bang for your buck because it actually anneals properly.
Lou Murdica and Erik Cortina on annealing.
Both say anneal every time or not at all. If you’re not using an AMP annealer, you’re better off not to anneal
Both say anneal every time or not at all. If you’re not using an AMP annealer, you’re better off not to anneal
Lou knows of what he speaks of cortina is just a seeker of attention . He parrots what he hears .
Wether he’s rite or not. Fact is. He wasn’t complaining about his results from his Benchsource. At least not before his FREE Amp Annealer and Amp press arrived.
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Well I have been using a Bench Source for about 10 years and it work great and no issues with my brass. The trick is not to over anneal and start to burn off brass.
I went high end and torchless because I chose to anneal in the office in my house where the reloading bench is at. This little puppy works great. I only had to sacrifice one piece of brass for each caliber and type I use and write down the number it read out on the screen for all further annealing of my brass calibers and types.
Attachments
They do make the AMP Mate and now that I've been using this annealer, I ordered it.
The good part is you can tell who not to listen to because they come right out and tell you. Frankly, I appreciate the time I have just saved.
this!
and i dont think that now erik will shoot much better, because he uses amp annealer...
did you re-calibrate your setting after 10th reloading? because old brass can be thinner than when it is new.
Not yet. However, if it ever becomes an issue, I have a ball micrometer to measure the wall thickness of the neck, then sort and re analyze with this machine. So far, I've annealed some 300 PRC Lapua brass, 300 Win. Mag Nosler brass and 260 Remington Starline and Alpha brass a few times and it's worked well.
So. Can you expand a little and explain “properly“? You saying ALL the other machines have being annealing “not properly“ before the AMP came on the scene?
Looks like it’s going to be The Burstfire.
Had a few technical questions and got a very nice detailed response promptly from the owner.
Thanks for all the input.
Had a few technical questions and got a very nice detailed response promptly from the owner.
Thanks for all the input.
Does your torches burn the same when you start to anneal and at the end?
I have small bottle (450ml) of gas and I can see that the flame is bigger at the beggining than after some minutes ...
I have small bottle (450ml) of gas and I can see that the flame is bigger at the beggining than after some minutes ...
I would use a bigger bottle and an adjustable regulator. To set it up I would open torch wide open and adjust flame with the regulator. With the regulator set down to give you a good flame it will stay pretty much the same unless tank pressure falls below regulator setting, which should be when it's about empty.
yes, this is the plan but for that I would need new piping and regulator. now I use very small handy torch for EU 7/16'' bottle.
High voltage and heating coils are safer than gas? Maybe you should all change your heaters from gas to electric.
I am still waiting for someone to prove they can shoot the difference between the different annealing methods. I can't help but laugh at the idea its the best because the company that makes it says so. The record books have been turned upside since the AMPs release though, right?
I am still waiting for someone to prove they can shoot the difference between the different annealing methods. I can't help but laugh at the idea its the best because the company that makes it says so. The record books have been turned upside since the AMPs release though, right?
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High voltage and heating coils are safer than gas? Maybe you should all change your heaters from gas to electric.
I am still waiting for someone to prove they can shoot the difference between the different annealing methods. I can't help but laugh at the idea its the best because the company that makes it says so. The record books have been turned upside since the AMPs release though, right?
Can it even be considered hand loading without an AMP? There's probably a white paper on it.
....here's another brand you can look at the lower price range. >>>> https://www.epintegrations.com/
