Annealing Cases

[Turboman]

Just curious if anyone has been annealing their cases?Ive noticed mine seem to be getting hard after only a few firings and the tension is not as consistant,If your annealing what machines or steps are you doing to anneal your cases,Im looking at the kenlight machine or something much cheaper like the hornady system.

[RMulhern]

I've been using a propane bottle, my eyes, hands, and brain....for about 50 years now!

[cajun shooter]

+1 on Mulhern post. You don't need a fancy machine. There are a few ways to do it. Some stand the cases in a pan of water and fill it to half way up on the case. As the mouth neck area begins to turn a pale red they tip over the case. This is done with a propane burner that you can purchase at any hardware. The next way is to put the case in a holder that inserts into a drill. This turns the case for a more uniform heating process. The case is dumped into a box filled with old rags when it reaches that color. I have also found it works best in a room with no lights on so that you get a good read on the color. The tool may be purchased from Gentleman jims in Wyoming.

[Shooter6br]

Try Ammosmith .com video on Annealing

[dragonrider]

+2 for Mulhern, thats all you need.

[Southern Son]

I like using an attachment in my re-chargeable drill and a small gas torch in a darkened room. As soon as you see the case colour change, stop, don't wait for it to go red. I then drop it into a bucket of water. The water don't really do anything except cool the case and stop me from picking up a hot one.

[Jon K]

There's a dozen ways to do it...........try em, and use what works for you.
Machines work fine.........just depends on where you set your priorities($$), and how much time you have to anneal one by one or others methods.
For me...BC-1000 from Ken Light. Had mine since 1984 or 85 Sn#6. Used it for wildcats for years shooting Pistol Silhouette, and now shooting BPCR and Levergun Silhouette.

Have Fun Shooting,
Jon

[John Boy]

Turbo, use the Mulhern Method ... it works perfectly when you turn the lights off in the room - spin the cases holding the rim - heating with a propane torch until the bullet seated portion of the case turns a dark straw color or a bluish green - dump in ice water. And buy the camping propane tanks, they are cheaper and have more gas than the ones sold exclusively for the torches

[Rifleo]

Using Tempilaq heat indicator is the trick to do it right. Brass begins to soften at 450 degrees and is annealed properly at 700-800 degrees but never over 800 degrees. Any over heat past 800 ruins the case. The brass will get too soft. The brass with a neck overheated could then collapse when sized or a bullet is seated.
If there's much color change at all showing on the neck of the annealed case it's ruined. Too soft.
Try Tom Wilson's "Anneal-Rite" case annealing kit. Has a case holder,propane bottle holders and Tempilqac rated at 750 degrees.
Doing the annealing the wrong way can be "trouble".
Most do it the wrong way and heat the brass too hot and actually ruin it. Burn the brass and change it's structure.