AMP Annealer owners - any tips/tricks

Paul_T

Paul_T

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I finally bit the bullet and bought an AMP Mk II which will be here next week.

Any tips and tricks from owners that will be handy?

The manual is fairly well written, but wondering if others have found things to make the process run better or smoother.

Will be using the A Z TEC mode software and sacrificial brass (all Lapua in 3 calbres).
I've picked 10 random from each batch I have and found an 'average' weight piece and neck thickness for each test.
 
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Turn on the 'Quick Anneal' function, meaning it will auto-start when you insert the case.

Wear eye and ear pro if there is _any_ chance that your brass contains a live (unspent) primer. The annealer will ignite the primer, causing great loud bang noise and launching brass at high speeds in random directions.
 
Paul_T said:
I finally bit the bullet and bought an AMP Mk II which will be here next week.

Any tips and tricks from owners that will be handy?

The manual is fairly well written, but wondering if others have found things to make the process run better or smoother.

Will be using the A Z TEC mode software and sacrificial brass (all Lapua in 3 calbres).
I've picked 10 random from each batch I have and found an 'average' weight piece and neck thickness for each test.
Click to expand...
Hmm! i have done 1000's of brass - what is this TEST for ? lapua brass in 3 calibers or cartridges ? - There is a difference !
weight and neck thickness will be for ? - Im interested :unsure: TEST away ! :)
 
This machine is easy as pie. Just thread in the correct pilot for the cartridge you're annealing, insert correct shell holder into the brass grip and slide it in and push button. Analyze a case initially to get the correct Az tec setting and record that # for future annealing
 
todbartell said:
This machine is easy as pie. Just thread in the correct pilot for the cartridge you're annealing, insert correct shell holder into the brass grip and slide it in and push button. Analyze a case initially to get the correct Az tec setting and record that # for future annealing
Click to expand...
YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP ! But Paul T is up to something so i'm just gonna look and see :p
 
remington jim said:
YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP ! But Paul T is up to something so i'm just gonna look and see :p
Click to expand...
lol not really

I'm going to run Analyze on a sacrificial cartridge as per the instructions - I have picked out one from each calibre I plan on doing by weighing 10 and picking one of average weight. Of those same for neck thickness.

So weighing and measuring 10x 6.5x55 I have one average sacrificial case to run Analyze (test) on to get the correct number
Same for 6.5CM and 30-06

It all seems fairly simple.

So no tips or tricks then, just run analyze and use that number for the same brass going forward..... ??
 
Paul_T said:
lol not really

I'm going to run Analyze on a sacrificial cartridge as per the instructions - I have picked out one from each calibre I plan on doing by weighing 10 and picking one of average weight. Of those same for neck thickness.

So weighing and measuring 10x 6.5x55 I have one average sacrificial case to run Analyze (test) on to get the correct number
Same for 6.5CM and 30-06

It all seems fairly simple.

So no tips or tricks then, just run analyze and use that number for the same brass going forward..... ??
Click to expand...
No need ! Analyze any one brass of the BRAND & LOT you are shooting - Get a # and use it !
You will have a near or bit different # to anneal with with different brands of brass with in the same cartridge !

Hornady 6.5 CM will not be the same as Hornady 7 PRC ! ETC etc -
 
I don't want to initiate a drama, but as much I was debating with people, the worst thing you can do let the machine auto doing things. That is not a learning curve.
In couple of days couple trials you burn destroy bake, bbq and whatever else couple dozen brass, and write things down. That is a learning curve.

At least this how I am doing with my hobbies.
 
I have a pegboard hook that I hang off the fan on the left side that I can place the brass grip/shell holder on via the hole in the middle to cool. Some combos of short brass length down in the well heats up the grip. I anneal for 17, IIRC, different calibres and piles of brands. I have an excel chart with all of the relevant info on it.

I also put all of my brass into an aluminum tray on top that has rubber feet and holds it above the rivets and screws. If you SS tumble, make sure there are no pins stuck in a case mouth. I have some drawer organizer trays made from wire mesh that I put my brass in to cool. Keep a pair of long needle nose handy, as you may fumble a case out of the shellholder and it will fall into the well. Unscrew the pilot and fish it out.
 
bigHUN said:
I don't want to initiate a drama, but as much I was debating with people, the worst thing you can do let the machine auto doing things. That is not a learning curve.
In couple of days couple trials you burn destroy bake, bbq and whatever else couple dozen brass, and write things down. That is a learning curve.

At least this how I am doing with my hobbies.
Click to expand...

The whole idea of the AZ TEC software is to let the machine do the work automatically.
 
todbartell said:
If you think that you can outsmart the AMP and make a better result, you might want to just grab a torch
Click to expand...
It is not about outsmart but to teach it do better temps for closer to perfect hardness.
If you dont see color cha nge bottom of a neck starting the s houlder, you got it only half done šŸ˜
 
bigHUN said:
It is not about outsmart but to teach it do better temps for closer to perfect hardness.
If you dont see color cha nge bottom of a neck starting the s houlder, you got it only half done šŸ˜
Click to expand...

The colour change does not indicate the level of annealing. Read the white paper by AMP on annealing, they say how it relates to cleanliness of the brass more than anything.
 
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Unit arrived today. Pretty easy to set up and get started. Quite impressive actually.

Used the ideas above, stole a 10x5 steel bread pan out of the cupboard and put rubber stick on feet on the bottom to put the hot bras into (sits on top of the AMP).

Don't have a pegboard hook but I'll bend some TIG rod to shape for the brass shell holder grip to hang in front of the left side fan for cooling.

Great ideas, thanks.

Am 3D printing a holder for the Pilots and shell holder pairs as I type this......
 
remington jim said:
No need ! Analyze any one brass of the BRAND & LOT you are shooting - Get a # and use it !
You will have a near or bit different # to anneal with with different brands of brass with in the same cartridge !

Hornady 6.5 CM will not be the same as Hornady 7 PRC ! ETC etc -
Click to expand...
Heā€™s doing it correctly per AMP.
While you only type one code into the machine, AMP's official ##### instructions emphasize that the single case you melt must be highly representative of the whole batch. To do this without wasting brass, they recommend a non-destructive averaging process before analyzing: [1]
  • Measure the neck wall thickness of 10 different cases with a ball micrometer.
  • Find the mathematical average of those dimensions.
  • Select the single sacrificial case that closest matches that average weight and thickness.
 
To amplify the bread-pan suggestion, I bought a few 8 x 8" cake pans from the grocery store, which work a charm. I turn one upside down and rest the one taking the brass on top, which acts as a nice heat break. I usually turn on some music and anneal a few hundred cases at a time - I actually find it kind of relaxing! Enjoy!
 
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