Do you anneal your brass?

Sorry for interrupting, I have been reloading ammunition for a few different calibers (308 Win, 300 Win Mag, 357 Mag, 45-70) and I'm just trying to decide whether to start annealing or not. When I first started reloading, I bought factory ammo and reloaded those once-fired cases. I noticed that, in the beginning, it was relatively difficult to pull the expander through the neck of each case after sizing. After a number of load cycles, this process became easier and easier. It seems like the necks spring back to a larger diameter after sizing, such that the expander works with less effort.
Is this a symptom indicating work-hardening of the brass and the need for annealing? I have reloaded the each case about 8-10 times in the past 6 years and I make only light loads, near the minimum powder weights indicated in the manual. I never had a case split due to one of my loads.
 
I see this subject over and over people will not believe that you can just do it. Rotate the case in the torch flan
Me with your fingers till you see the colour change go down the shoulder. Use enough flame so it doesnt take more than 5 seconds or so i never timed it. You dont want to go so slow that the anealing is not localized and you are burning your fingers. Drop the case in a tin pot or whatever and thats it. Im just repeating what others have said but it seems to take a lot of repeating
 
Kryogen said:
ya but forget it im not paying 600$ to anneal.

What about the water pan with hand held torch cowboy anneal while drinking beer technique?
Click to expand...


That's my method. I anneal when forming brass, or when I have reason to believe that some expensive cases are getting brittle. I did a batch of Winchester 6.5 Swede right out of the bag because of split necks from the OEM.
 
Annealing methods can be argued. The benefits of annealing can not.

Two things can go badly wrong.
1. The case head can be overheated.
2. The case neck can be overheated.

#1 = likely catastrophic case failure. Not good.
#2 = toss the case, bin it, as it will never again have the neck tension to firmly hold a bullet.

I chuck mine in a Lee shellholder, spin 'em in the bernzomatic's flame till that blue colour, it turns to yellowey behind the caseneck. A count of four or five.
They don't need to get red hot ... in fact that is way too hot.

The only cases I've ever lost ... yup ... they were overheated.
 
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