Anneal primed brass???

Re: Anneal primed brass???

I'll probably get flamed for this...

But I think it'll be fine. Just act as if it IS gonna touch off. Wear eyes/ears, and without combustibles nearby. Treat the casemouth like the muzzle of a loaded gun you're about to fire. LOL... I'd guess maximum effective distance for a primer is probably 50ft. I know they'll launch a q-tip across the room pretty well.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gunsnjeeps</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you do it right they'll be reusable.</div></div>

That was going to be my next question...


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: turbo54</div><div class="ubbcode-body">without combustibles nearby. </div></div>

That was my main concern as with the annealer comes combstibles and open flame...hate to end up burning down my house over $3 in primers LOL.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gunsnjeeps</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you do it right they'll be reusable. </div></div>

Absolutely. Worse part is finding one you dropped.
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Re: Anneal primed brass???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bcuzisedso</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Logic tells me this is a bad idea but before I decap 100 rounds of live primed brass (not my favorite thing to do) that no longer have enough neck tension, has anyone ever annealed primed brass without going bang? </div></div>

I tried that on about 10, they all went POP.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mark S</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I tried that on about 10, they all went POP.</div></div>

Thanks Mark!

Sorry 2shots...no self-mutilation video will be available...
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Re: Anneal primed brass???

I cant believe this question is even being asked...

No dont do it.

Is it ok if I pop the lid on my gas tank and use it as a wind shield to light my cigarette whilst I fill up at the gas station?
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

chamber the primed brass, set it off and go about your business with a spent primer. thats what i do in that situation. Never did it to 100 at a time tho so clean your barrel afterwords
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

option 1) Spend 20 dollars and get a lee collet die, cut off the priming tip, polish the mandrel down another .001-.002" and size your necks a little smaller
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Option 2) just deprime them and suck up the 3 dollars.

Option 3) get the video camera out cause I want to see this!!!
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

The key point of all of this, is what exactly is $3 worth to you? Really?

There's coffee's out there that cost more than that. I ain't saying they're good coffee's,,, just that is the tag on them.

Get your priorities straighter, please.


Recipe for NitroGlycerin:
Pour the Nitric Acid (45%) into a thermos containing the Glycerin (55%), then shake well until mixed.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

I'm waiting for someone to ask if it be would all right to anneal the brass on a fully loaded round, I think that would even be cooler!

I'm glad I came to the "Hide" to learn.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Frogman77</div><div class="ubbcode-body">option 1) Spend 20 dollars and get a lee collet die, cut off the priming tip, polish the mandrel down another .001-.002" and size your necks a little smaller
smile.gif


</div></div>

You don't need to cut off the depriming rod - it just unscrews. I was able to rescue some primed brass this way after realising I needed more case mouth tension.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

I once (a long time ago) put an empty fired case in an Enfield 3006 P17, and it had to go to the gunsmith to remove that case. Cost me a new extractor.

I think the recommendation to buy that $20 collet die and chopping off the de-priming pin makes sense.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Recipe for NitroGlycerin:
Pour the Nitric Acid (45%) into a thermos containing the Glycerin (55%), then shake well until mixed.
</div></div>

Excellent analogy (though a bit over the top). What seems on the surface to be a simple thing, in reality is one hell of a thing to control and pull off properly and safely. How many shakes of that thermos do you think you could actually pull off
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A primer that pops unobstructed could and likely will fly out of the case and thus becomes a projectile, free to ricochet around till it comes in contact with willing flesh. Something to think about.
Again depriming a live primer is something I regularly do but not without the knowledge that some risk is involved. I have never popped a live primer in the reloading process but I know it can be done and it entails some risk.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

you need to cut off the priming pin at the end so it doesn't deprime the brass.

same concept as taking the depriming rod out of a bushing neck die.

I've used the collet die to size necks down without depriming before when it didn't size enough. i have three different mandrels: standard -.001 and -.002. .. now i just stay on top of it and anneal regularly...
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

Nothing is wrong with that idea. That is essentially what I suggested only difference is that the op's sizing die won't size his necks enough due to work hardening of the brass. Which is why he is wanting to anneal his brass. He probably didn't figure out that he didn't have enough neck tension until after priming his batch of brass, started charging and went to seat a bullet and realized he didn't have enough neck tension.

If he had a neck bushing die he could just use a smaller bushing, minus the decapping rod. Or a lee collet die minus the decapping pin and polish the mandrel down to achieve the desired neck tension.

Or do what I would do in his case and deprime them and call it a 3.00 reloading lesson in how often to anneal his brass in the future
smile.gif
. In the end it will still cost less than buying a new bushing or a collet die!
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

if i may chime in...
i recently purchased some primed federal brass online. they looked kind of dirty and i wanted to tumble them first before prepping them. after much internal debate i realized $3 for 100 primers is not worth any risk at all. so i decapped all of them before doing anything because i know my life or limbs cost a thousand times more than $3...
also something to note, they may be military crimped as well so get ready to add an extra step of reaming the primer pockets out. the ones i bought were in fact crimped, so i had to take a trip out to my local store to get a reamer.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Frogman77</div><div class="ubbcode-body">op's sizing die won't size his necks enough due to work hardening of the brass. Which is why he is wanting to anneal his brass.</div></div>

I guess this is the logic of annealing, but I don't get it... work hardening is causing too much springback? That seems a little weird to me. My brass exhibits less neck tension when I anneal, but that is because of the softening of the brass.

If I had another bushing, I would go a size lower rather than annealing. I guess the OP doesn't, but I wouldn't be so sure that annealing would help to increase neck tension. I can kind of see the logic now... I am just not sure it would help. It sounds like it is near time to pitch the brass.

And I agree with everyone above... don't anneal primed brass.
 
Re: Anneal primed brass???

Well, all live primers were decapped without incident...thankfully.

The assumptions above were correct...I hand primed a batch of brass and after charging and seating the bullet my COAL's were all over the place. I was able to twist several of the bullets with ease thus the aha moment.

I do not have collet dies but thought even reducing the collet diameter would not be effective with work hardened brass and annealing was the best cure?

Maybe Carter is correct and it is just time to pitch the brass?
 
Re: Anneal primed brass??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Carter Mayfield</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Frogman77</div><div class="ubbcode-body">op's sizing die won't size his necks enough due to work hardening of the brass. Which is why he is wanting to anneal his brass.</div></div>

I guess this is the logic of annealing, but I don't get it... work hardening is causing too much springback? That seems a little weird to me. My brass exhibits less neck tension when I anneal, but that is because of the softening of the brass.

If I had another bushing, I would go a size lower rather than annealing. I guess the OP doesn't, but I wouldn't be so sure that annealing would help to increase neck tension. I can kind of see the logic now... I am just not sure it would help. It sounds like it is near time to pitch the brass.

And I agree with everyone above... don't anneal primed brass. </div></div>

Brass typically has about .001 or so of spring back. When sizing the die will size down a neck a little smaller than the target diameter allowing for the brass to spring back .001". Work hardened brass is not as soft and will retain its shape more so than annealed brass. So when you size down a fired case it will squeeze the neck to meet the dimensions of the die but when you remove the case it will still be smaller than it's fired dimension but not small enough to hold a bullet with adequate neck tension.

Over annealing will make the necks too soft and the brass will have no spring back at all. When you go to size your brass it will take the dimension of the die and stay that size when removed. This brass is too soft and can cause problems seating from the necks being too small.

When I first started annealing my goal was to achieve the same spring back as new lapua brass. I would expand a new piece of brass then size it down and note the the od the neck. Then I would take a few work hardened cases and anneal them. Over annealed brass would result in necks smaller than my new case. Under annealed would result in brass neck larger than my new case. If I got it just right my brass would end up with the same od of the neck as a new case.

For my .30-06 cases typically after five or so firings they won't size down enough and will need to be annealed. Doing so I can usually extend my brass to ten loadings on very stiff loads. Lighter loads will last much longer.