Over Annealed?

[FALex]

hey guys and gals. I have been reading a few articles on over/under annealing. I haven't a whole lot of experience with annealing, and I consider myself still learning (always learning, technically). Anyhow, I have read in three different areas, an over annelead case neck can be squeezed into an oval with just one's thumbs. Is this true? Additionally, I read in these same area that over annealing a case neck is not dangerous. It may cause a sticky bolt or some extraction issues, due to the softness/pliability of the neck, but that would be it. These articles stated the only time over annealing becomes dangerous is if the entire case itself becomes over annealed. Do any of you folks know if this is true also?

I appreciate the help. And no, I am not just arbitrarily "trying" to go out, do what I believe is annealing to my brass, then go out and shoot it. I do have help from an experienced friend. I just got an itch to try it on my own with a few extra cases I had lying around. While doing this, the over/under annealing question popped up. You can find so much on the interweb, but my concern is the believability factor...you all understand I'm sure. Thanks.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: Over Annealed?

Cartridge brass hardness is determined by the alloy and cold working. If the necks are over heated the zinc is burned out, leaving mostly copper; no ammount of cold working a 'copper' neck will restore any hardness.

Any ability to squeeze the neck by hand depends on just how much it was heated and how long. No one can tell you just how much heat/time is too much, we need some way to get it hot enough but not too hot and the latidude is fairly small. If we don't get it hot enough we've done nothing, if we get it too hot we've ruined any springback it had (aka, no bullet grip) so doing it right is important.

All I can tell you is if you heat the necks hot enough to see any visible glow in a lighted room you've over done it. I anneal in a darkened room and drop the cases into a water bucket when I first see a tiny glow at the mouth but I wouldn't sware that's good practice for anyone but me.

And, yes, if we anneal the body/head of a case it should be discarded as unsafe.

 

[FALex]

Re: Over Annealed?

yes, I did do this in a dimly lit room. Basically, these were .308 cases, and I had the torch at medium-strength (if that makes sense) for an average of 8-9 seconds. I would start to see the glow right on the outer edge of the neck, then I would dump them. There is that "faint bluish" color around the shoulder and and about an 1/8" going each way from the shoulder. On some of these photos of annealed cases, I see the bluish coloring going all the way from right below the shoulder up through the entire neck...

 

[kylongshot]

Re: Over Annealed?

check this out about half way down the page


http://www.predatormastersforums.com/for...8329&page=2

 

[OneShotJim]

Re: Over Annealed?

Thanks for that info from the varmit forum ky! I'm about to start annealing my brass and the technical info on temperatures/colors at different temperatures is very, very helpful. Gives a lot more confidence that proper annealing temperatures are being achieved.

 

[kylongshot]

Re: Over Annealed?

no problem, just trying to help out. I went thru the same thing!!