1st time annealing GCs

[Irascible]

I never had a problem with gas check use until I got two new boxes of 45 cal Hornadys. These seem different, the corners are more rounded and they seem harder or maybe just more springy. So, I decided to anneal them via the pipe nipple in the coals method. I bought 5" X 1 1/4" nipple (threaded on both ends), threaded a cast cap on one side and threw in two wooden match sticks, without heads (to ignite and use up the oxygen), filled the pipe with checks, threw in two more match sticks and screwed on the other cap. I then placed it in the coals of my wood stove for an hour, turned it over and left it in for another hour. It was glowing a dull red when I pulled it out too cool. After cooling I opened it up and dumped out the checks. Some were the color of case hardening, some were gold, some were a dull copper and some looked like they hadn't been touched. I then tried the rest of the box, which didn't fill up the pipe. They all turned case coloring blue. It seems to me that if I do it again, I should not fill the pipe all the way as happened in the second batch.
So, the questions are,
1) Did they all get hot enough?
2) Will the different colors equate to different hardness?
3) Which would be the right color?
4) Should I re-heat the non blue checks to bring them to the blue color?

[KYCaster]

Two hours in the coals should be enough time to ensure all the checks are hot.

The difference in colors is due to different levels of oxidation. It's very difficult to eliminate oxidation completely, but it isn't really necessary. All your checks should now be the same hardness, regardless of color.

The more densely you pack the tube, the less air available, the less oxygen you have to absorb with your match sticks. I fill the empty space with wads of newspaper, that seems to help.

Good luck.
Jerry

[Mk42gunner]

I take the easy way out and put a few gaschecks into my fluxing spoon and either float it on top of my melt until the color changes or use a propane torch to gently heat them. Seems to work fine to me.

Robert

[Shiloh]

Once your container was glowing, the contents were as well. They are annealed. I use a couple of sheets of TP in my cast iron pipe to remove the oxygen.

Shiloh

[Blammer]

I just toss them on a cookie sheet (old one not used anymore) and put them in the oven at 400° for an hour.

[Irascible]

Just for fun, I put them in the vibrating tumbler today. They all ended up gold or copper color.
I'm thinking I did a good thing by annealing these as I use them on both .452 handgun and .460 rifle bullets. Even if the shanks are the same diameter, they are getting squeezed on at different pressures due to the different sizers.