Annealing brass?

[Tom-ADC]

How many times to you ise brass before you anneal it? I'm getting a good supply of once fired 45-70 brass, normally if this was 38, 357 or 45 acp or lc I'd shoot it a few times before worrying about it.

[BCB]

Tom-ADC,

I shoot all you mentioned except the 45-70 and I have never annealed any of them—ever…

I just got rid of some 357 Magnum cases that were reloaded 16 times. The case mouths began to get a split here and there and only on a few of the cases…

I have only annealed cases when forming 7-30 Waters from 30-30 cases and when forming 222 cases from 223 cases…

With straight wall cases, I wouldn’t even light the torch and make the effort…

Good-luck…BCB

[felix]

Some lots of military brass are entirely soft enough to reform. Too soft is when headpace problems exist in the new form, such as seen after the first firing. Advice in the 223 situation is to NOT anneal until required by both sizing, cutting, turning. Keep the shoulders hard, in other words, at least until after the first few shots in the new form. ... felix

[BCB]

felix,

You may indeed be correct as one can see the anneal color on some of the 223 military ammo...

I annealed the factory stuff as I was getting wrinkled shoulders...

The annealing seemed to help, along with some graphite...

BCB

[nicholst55]

Depends on what brand of brass you're shooting, and what type of powder you're using. Some (a lot?) BPCR shooters anneal their brass (especially if it's Starline) after every firing. It's thick enough that with black powder pressures, it needs the annealing in order to obturate to seal the chamber.

[Tom-ADC]

95% of my brass is Starline.

[Shiloh]

felix,

You may indeed be correct as one can see the anneal color on some of the 223 military ammo...

I annealed the factory stuff as I was getting wrinkled shoulders...

The annealing seemed to help, along with some graphite...

BCB

Most if not all of the .223 range pick-up, once fired military has the anneal coloring.
I'm always happy to get it.

SHiloh

[Ed Gallop]

I've only begun annealing, and only on my .45 Colt brass to help with extremely dirty brass. I've had the wrinkling shoulders problem when I switched case lube. Discovered, with the help of this forum, that I was using too much lube. Cleaned the dies and used less lube and no more wrinkles.