Annealing before or after sizing?

[diderr]

I have been annealing after every two firings, and my process goes like this; Tumble (walnut)> Anneal>FL Resize>trim (every two firings)>chamfer.
Or should I anneal AFTER resizing?
Thanks.

 

[ZiaHunter]

I would anneal before sizing. You have the steps right.

 

[long range newbie]

well if you are gonna neck down anneal before. But I always anneal before each firing so I get consistent brass. I wish I had an auto annealer to get perfectly annealed brass

 

[jagged77]

You should anneal before resizing to get the most consistent results, however if you're annealing every other firing I bet the brass will stay pretty consistent without any noticeable work hardening.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

I anneal after sizing, every 4-5 cycles. I guess it's six and one half dozen, or the other. If you anneal before sizing, you've just added one more cycle to the softer necks. If you're annealing every cycle, this probably isn't a problem, but I don't feel the need to do the chore that frequently.

Chris

 

[Rookie]

It was suggested here that annealing could change the dimensions of the case. As a result, I anneal before sizing.

 

[jkonzal]

One more vote for annealing before any sizing. I also anneal after each 2nd firing.

 

[AZ.noob]

Just to dip my oar into this pond...

If you need to trim and/or neck turn, I have found it easiest to anneal after the cutting operations. The softer material doesn't abrade nearly as well as if it were work hardened a bit, as the softer brass tends to 'smear' rather than 'cut'.

On annealing before or after resizing, I've experimented with both. I've mic'd case necks before and after... I can't find any 'meaningful' difference between the two options. Granted, annealing after resizing ~might~ effect the neck dimensions... by one or two ten-thousandths. I've made it my practice to anneal after every other cycle, and it's the last thing I do before priming.

On OP's question, I'm with Chris: six/one-half dozen...

Still, I'd be interested to know what dedicated/competitive benchrest guys are doing and why

 

[armorpl8chikn]

I anneal after sizing, before trimming. I find that the brass cuts much easier. If you are smearing brass(I know what you mean, that hateful rolover that makes deburring a mess), then it is time to have your cutting head sharpened. I have replaced, or sharpened, numerous cutting heads over the years, but much fewer since I began annealing.

 

[WB300]

I'd like to hear from the benchrest dudes also as I am trying to extend my .300wm Winchester brass.

 

[Glockin' Bob]

You should anneal before sizing. Work hardened brass "springs" back more after the expander ball opens up the neck. Annealing before sizing help ensure more consistent neck tension.