How To Anneal Brass?

Hola folks! It’s time to learn something beyond shooting. The shooting is not always about sights, scope, or target. But it is more related to science than you think. I am sure one shouldn’t be confused about the collision of science and the gun world. The weapon lover in you should understand what science is because it is the mother language of weapons. 

Don’t panic. I decided to put up with this topic because some of you are interested in the annealing process. Trust me; this would not bore you. So, do not waste a minute. Scroll down below.

How to anneal brass: Understanding annealing

Annealing is the process of heating. When you heat the head and neck of your brass cartridge, it is known as brass annealing. Brass has the quality to get softer on heating. Whereas steel becomes harder. If brass is in a hard state, then you must have fired cases in your gun. This firing and reloading indies made the brass harder. Thus, then you can expect cracks in the case.

To understand brass annealing better. Try to recall if you have ever seen any difference in the visual appearance of ammo? Like a discoloration surrounding the neck and shoulder of the case? Yes, you remember that! It was the result of brass annealing. But the question arises, why don’t you see that discoloration often? Well, It is the market standard. Almost every brass goes through the process of annealing. But industries decided to polish it after the procedure. To make it more eye-catching.

 I bought Lapua brass for my hunter friend Joe. After I came back from the market, I found some discoloration around the neck of the case.  When I presented this Lapua brass to my friend, He was happy. When I asked the reason, he shared insights about this discolored area. He told me that this is due to brass annealing. Then he shared his insights about it. What I have learned then I am sharing with you now. Believe me, and this information has helped me a lot. That is why you have to read this article till the end.

Advantages of Annealing

The main benefits of annealing are:

Extension of lifespan:

Annealing helps to increase the life of the brass. If you take part in shooting competitions often, then annealing is suitable. You can save a thousand bucks.

Consistency:

The Annealing process saves the brass, which in return will help you to maintain consistency. The uniform hardness of brass will keep the neck tension the same. 

Annealing procedure

The annealing procedure generally used everywhere needs careful attention. You just have to take a piece of brass. Mark it using a temperature measuring liquid. Set the temperature to 650°F around the neck. Whereas, set the temperature to 400 °F on the lower body to detect if the brass is over annealed. After selecting the temperature, turn on your blue flame torch. Keep it near the brass neck to melt the measuring liquid. When the temperature is melted on the shoulder, check the bottom half. If the liquid melts down in the lower half, then the brass is over annealed. Do not use the over-annealed brass. It will cause serious injuries. 

Annealing temperature

The annealing temperature, as suggested by experts, is between 600-800 degrees Fahrenheit. At the same time, the ideal temperature is 700-degree Fahrenheit.

How to check the hotness of brass?

There is a particular line between annealing and over-annealing. That line depends upon the identification of color. When there is a color change, you can indicate that there is a chance of over-annealing. First, you can identify this over the annealing process with the orange flame. Then if your brass is glowing, it means that overheating took place.

If you are still confused about this method, then check the shooting channel on YouTube. 

The guy in this video is explaining every detail I have mentioned here visually.  

Annealing through machines

You have read the manual procedure of annealing. It is pretty exciting but a bit complex. To solve this issue, many companies have introduced annealing machines. 

Bench source annealing is my personal favorite. You can load two torches at once. Furthermore, it can deal with 500-600 cases per hour. Isn’t it super easy? 

Machines are more reliable than manual annealing options because there are zero to no chances of over-annealing. 

Safety tips

When annealing, one thing you should consider is to anneal only the neck and shoulder. Avoid heating the case. If you have seen some videos, you will understand that only brass should be treated with a butane torch while the case sits in the water bath. The water helps in avoiding overheating and over-annealing. 

Conclusion

I hope you have learned something from this article. I have shared every single detail I have learned about annealing. Keep yourself safe while performing this method. Brass annealing is not easy, but it is essential to know about this.

Check also: Nickel Vs Brass Ammo: The Pros And Cons

How To Polish Brass To A Mirror Finish?