Annealing

[Culpeper]

What method do you fellas use when you anneal your cases? Drill and blow torch? lead pot? Other?

[trapdoor4570]

To anneal brass I just use a leather glove, tin coffee can and propane torch set to pencil flame.
I set the torch on the floor, do NOT POINT at smoke detector trust me DON'T . Hold case base with leather glove and place just the neck into the flame and rotate. As soon as the brass starts to show a slight color change just starting to get down to shoulder drop in metal can, add water to the can if you want but I just let mine air cool. Repeat until all cases are done. I don’t overheat the brass I just want to see a little change to the color, it is easiest to see on new or polished brass.

[butlersrangers]

Thanks 'Trapdoor', that's easy and free of mess!

[trapdoor4570]

Opps forgot to add I do inside in lower light level. Probably wouldn't work if done outside in full light.
Works well, have been doing for decades. I don't count the number of reloadings per case but I have a batch of LC 90 7.62 NATO cases that I would not be surprised if many of them have gone well over 100 loads using cast bullets. The case rims are really getting worn from the extractor.

[FredC]

Old thread on annealing. Some of us are color blind and seeing the color change is hard.
If you are doing a lot of cases at one time the molten salt method is pretty fool proof. Safety precautions are mentioned in the thread, spilling a pot of molten salt would be very bad for your health.

http://kragcollectorsassociation.com/vi ... alts#p4235

[Parashooter]

K.I.S.S.

[waterman]

My method starts with putting a brick in an old dishpan mostly full of water. Stand some of the cases being annealed on the brick. Water depth is adjusted to let the neck & shoulder of the case stick out of the water. Make the room mostly dark. Heat one case at a time with a propane torch. Watch the neck. When it starts to turn color, use a stick or ruler to push it over. Dry the cases when you are done, maybe with hair dryer. A friend used to run his cases thru a cycle in the dishwasher. Simple, no gizmos, it works.

[Culpeper]

Thanks, guys. I tend to over think and under do things ammo related until I just decide to get on with it. The fear of weakening brass too much is right of there with letting a woman mark her territory by leaving things in my bath room. I don't want either to occur.

Anyway I grabed the Dewalt drill and the propane torch and had a go at it. I heated the neck just enough for the 1/8th of inch or so below the shoulder started to turn a bluish tinge. Then it was off the heat and in the water. The picture is not the best but it does show how it went.

[butlersrangers]

Looks good!

[trapdoor4570]

Thank you Parashooter, your video did a better job of showing how I do this than my explination.
Culpeper, you got it. That’s how my last batch of BCC brass looks.

Now on this “SALT” process. Wikipedia lists a melting point of 633* and a decomposition point of 752* for potassium nitrate. I would not want to be close to that molten solid rocket oxidizer if it spills, it is way above the ignition point of most common things and once the reaction starts it will give any flame a lot of oxygen to speed it up.