When to anneal?

[Just Duke]

I have 5000 7.62 pieces of brass all sized and trimmed. This brass has been sitting around for awhile and i need to get it loaded. Recently my automatic case annealer arrived. Should I annneal the cases that have been sized and trimmed or should I wait until the next firing?
TIA,
Duke
I can't find Tempilac 750 anywhere on net. It's out of stock everywhere.

[geargnasher]

Nice purchase! Personally, I'd wait until the cases demonstrate that they need annealing, first, since they might be plenty soft already. You don't want to take the "spring" out of the necks if these are new or 1F cases that haven't been work hardened yet.

I'm sure someone here could scrounge up some tired brass if you need a project for your new toy! :kidding:

Isn't there another brand of indicator pen/paint other than Tempilac? I can't remember but I think there are several.

Gear

[lwknight]

It should not matter other than you might want them annealed before the next firing.
Personally , I would not anneal till at least 4 or 5 rounds have been made.

[Just Duke]

Forgot to add these cases are once fired.

[lwknight]

You need to get busy firing them some more so that will need annealing.

[geargnasher]

You have a Dillon for that, right Duke? A Dillon and an AK would make short work of that 1F stuff. I have some brush here that need to be mowed down......:bigsmyl2:

Gear

[Blake Stephenson]

You can mail order Templac from Mcmaster-Carr in all the tepmperature ranges. If your brass is Federal it will never reach the point that it needs neck annealed. If you shoot normal velocities with it, you will have so much primer pocket expansion that you will be forced to can it before annealing ever becomes necessary.

Blake

[Just Duke]

You have a Dillon for that, right Duke? A Dillon and an AK would make short work of that 1F stuff. I have some brush here that need to be mowed down......:bigsmyl2:

Gear


I have a Hornady Lock and Load and an M-14. Does that count? ;)

[Just Duke]

You can mail order Templac from Mcmaster-Carr in all the tepmperature ranges. If your brass is Federal it will never reach the point that it needs neck annealed. If you shoot normal velocities with it, you will have so much primer pocket expansion that you will be forced to can it before annealing ever becomes necessary.

Blake

This is true with Federal. Just about all the brass is GI along with about 500 Izzy.
I'll call MC thanks Blake.

[btroj]

What are you shooting them in and with what loads? I would anneal them when they need it. That will vary alot based upon chamber size, how much the neck is sized each time, pressure, and many other things. When you get a split, anneal the rest. Most likely not for 4 or 5 loads or more.

[1Shirt]

My general rule of thumb is to anneal rifle cases between 5-6 loads unless I get a neck split sooner. If so, I anneal that batch at that point. Have only had to do that a couple of times with mil match and rem brass after the 3rd. load.

I have never annealed a handgun case, and probably never will. Due to the length and the fact that I hold the case in my fingers and into the flame is a big part. Another factor is that I don't really shoot great quantities of handgun. An exception, might be 357, because I shoot it in both rifle and handgun.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[plainsman456]

If it has been a while since it was shot I would anneal it before I shot it.
I had some military 308 that was 77-78 vintage and the first 20 split the necks when fired.
I pulled what was loaded and annealed the rest and have not had any problems with splits after 6 firings so far.YMMV