RCBS Die anneal-temperature?

[kywoodwrkr]

Has anybody annealed a RCBS sizing die?
What would be a suggested temperature to get a heat treatment oven to and for how long to completely anneal one.
I have some various and asundry dies and wonder if I might be able to reclaim them for another purpose or even caliber.
Thanks.

[looseprojectile]

I use a large flame tip on the propane torch and heat to as bright as I can get it.
Let it air cool and you got it. Mapp gas is hotter, quicker, more expensive.
I have made a few Lee type sizer dies from old loading dies and also make wad punches this way, reaming and polishing. So far they have not needed to be rehardened.
I once asked a gunsmith if he could run a chamber reamer that he had into a loading die to make a sizing die for an obscure caliber and his answer was "They are too hard", would ruin the reamer.
Go figure. He must have been absent or hung over during the class on annealing.

Life is good

[leftiye]

Contact Linstrum maybe, he knows this stuff. In another thread he says that about 900 degrees F ( dull red) will do it. I'd use Keep-Bryte. Getting the hardening back is another matter.

4140 likes to be soaked an hour per inch thickness at 1300 degrees (bright orange) to anneal. Bring it up a couple of hunnert degrees per hour, and cool it in stages too. Prevent scale in a borax bath.

Lead boolits, BTW, size well in unhardened sizer dies, and the dies last well, even when made of mild steel.

[kywoodwrkr]

Thanks for the answers.
I was going to go to 1000 degrees and just let it cool in the oven so will try that.
I'll test hardness before and after.
Do either of you know what material the dies are made of?
Wonder if RCBS would disclose this.
Someone speculated they were made of 10l14 but that material oxides very rapidly.
That description fits the Lee dies better.
RCBS are cleanable even after melting boxes down in a house fire!
Lyman same. Even aluminum lock rings.
Lee are just absolutely STAINED and remain as such!
Again, thanks.

[KCSO]

Dull or dark cherry red for about 1 minute and air cool in ashes. I learned in the old days and never did get use to temps. Just used one the other day to make a push through sizer.

[Buckshot]

..............The only die manufactuer whose die material I know of is CH-4D. They use (or used) 12L14. A low carbon leaded steel that machines like cheese and is very easy on tooling. Since it's low carbon it may be case hardened, but not through hardened. Case hardening efficiently and easily is much harder for the average person to accomplish, so if you contemplate hardening, a medium to high carbon steel would be better. I know about Kasenit which is fine for small parts but a whole 'nuther kettle of fish for something like a die.

...................Buckshot

[dubber123]

A VERY dull red worked just fine for me last time. I used to go hotter, but many times got a little scaling. I tried dull red, and was able to bore the die easily on the lathe. (Making a smaller insert fit).