PWC
Member
In Handloader #308, Jun 2017, John Barsness talks about annealing rifle bress. His friend Fred Barker published an article in Precision Shooting where he used a candle flame to anneal brass. A candle's flame is far hotter than needed to anneal (1400 degrees per the I'net). Using fingers midway on a 30-06 case and turniong the case in the flame until it is too hot to hold, then drop on a wet towel to cool, and he can do about 20 cases in 5 min. And he says this is the method he now uses on his big game rounds. The article is worth a read.
Now, if you are looking for that blue annealing mark, you won't get it. Mfgrs must have a higher thruput than 20 every 5 min., so they use higher heat on faster moving cases to anneal; higher heat results in the blue color.
I don't shoot thousands of rounds a year, but some of my brass is in need of annealing, I think, so I think I will try 10 or 20 this way and see how their life holds up. I think I will compare to the socket/drill/tourch method. I've never done that either so I start off at week one, day one with both.....
Hi volume reloaders, that anneal, probably have their own annealing process now, but for a wildcat or low volume reloaders, this may prove to be sufficient.
I found John Barsness article interesting and I've never seen it discussed before so I don't know if the reloading community has rejected it out of hand, or if they have spent their $$ on the fancy machines.
Now, if you are looking for that blue annealing mark, you won't get it. Mfgrs must have a higher thruput than 20 every 5 min., so they use higher heat on faster moving cases to anneal; higher heat results in the blue color.
I don't shoot thousands of rounds a year, but some of my brass is in need of annealing, I think, so I think I will try 10 or 20 this way and see how their life holds up. I think I will compare to the socket/drill/tourch method. I've never done that either so I start off at week one, day one with both.....
Hi volume reloaders, that anneal, probably have their own annealing process now, but for a wildcat or low volume reloaders, this may prove to be sufficient.
I found John Barsness article interesting and I've never seen it discussed before so I don't know if the reloading community has rejected it out of hand, or if they have spent their $$ on the fancy machines.