After brass has been through 2 or 3 reload cycles, does annealing return them back to an almost new condition?
Does annealing "reset" brass?
- Thread starter stradibarrius
- Start date
Brass can only get harder by working it, so 2-3 cycles will have worked it a fair amount.
Brass can only get softer with heat, so annealing will relieve the hardness and stress that was created by the firing sizing cycle.
They wont suddenly have not stretched, grown or thinned, so I wouldnt say almost new condition, just back to a baseline softness.
Brass can only get softer with heat, so annealing will relieve the hardness and stress that was created by the firing sizing cycle.
They wont suddenly have not stretched, grown or thinned, so I wouldnt say almost new condition, just back to a baseline softness.
How does it affect the number of times brass can be reloaded? I know it increases that number but does it "reset" this number too?
No, annealing does not return brass to "almost new" condition. Primer pocket looseness, damage to extraction, inherent fire-forming changes to the brass, etc is taking effect on the brass. It only softens neck hardness of fired brass. How the brass is annealed will determine if neck hardness returns to its original softness. If you over anneal, damage can occur to the brass. If you under anneal, it may not return to correct softness.
There are multiple factors happening to brass each firing that annealing does not address so a correlation to annealing and extending brass life will not be a complete discussion without taking all of the other factors into the equation.
There are multiple factors happening to brass each firing that annealing does not address so a correlation to annealing and extending brass life will not be a complete discussion without taking all of the other factors into the equation.
Annealing can help extend brass life if you aren’t pushing the brass really hard and beating it up. If splitting necks is what is killing your brass, then annealing can help. If it’s loose primer pockets, then not so much.
