annealing .223 cases

[Joe's]

My question revolves around, should I anneal cases before or after case prep?

Myself and a couple buddies are going PD hunting this summer. I have been working on prepping around 3,000 Lake City and around 2,000 PMC cases. I will be getting the neccesary parts and plans from JMorris to build a case annealer.

Problem is I have most of the brass completely prepped and ready except for 300 or so. With all the time it has taken to do the prep work, I would hate to go out and see a 10 or 15% failure rate, (i.e. split necks). I plan on sizing the 300, loading them up and shooting them with cheap bullets. Stretching the cases. Then neck size them and see how they work with Hornady 55gr. ballistic tip bullets thru this rifle, (Ruger M77 MKII fitted with a Timney trigger).

Will I have to FL resize after annealing, or will I be good to go? In other words will the cases change dimension after annealing?

 

[ironworkerwill]

You don't have to. If it makes you feel better go for it!

Will it decrease accuracy? If they are all sized the same and annealed the same they will be consistent.

 

[quartermaster]

I do my annealing before case prep. I'm assuming that your cases are all once fired, but if not, or even with 2 different batches of brass, you'll know that they are basically the same as far as case hardness goes. They should size more uniformly. This is especially effective if you pick up range brass and have no idea how many times thy were fired.

Just be careful not to heat the cases too much or you will likely screw up your concentricity when pulling the expander up through the neck. I use bushing dies so I don't have to worry about that.

I don't believe that the annealing will have any effect on case dimensions but if you size after it is irrelevant.

If I were doing it and know, buy checking the primer pockets that all brass was once fired, and were being loaded for an AR, I think I would clean the brass, size them, and load them up and shoot them dogs. Anneal after the second or third firings if they shoot good. Bolt rifle would be different for me.

Good luck. QM

 

[rcmodel]

If you take 5,000 rounds on a Prairie Dog hunt + load testing?

You better order a new barrel before you leave home so it will be there when you get back.

Then?
If you have 5,000 cases already, and a bolt-action rifle?

Annealing them to get better case life is just about the last thing in the world you need to be worried about.

rc

 

[Joe's]

Thanks for all the opinions Guys.

RC, 5,000 divided by 3. How long do you think a factory barrel will last? I've probably got 400 rounds thru it now.

Joe's

 

[MrBorland]

I would clean the brass, size them, and load them up and shoot them dogs. Anneal after the second or third firings if they shoot good.

I was thinking the same.

I buy once-fired LC brass to use in my AR15 for HP rifle matches. I reload and shoot them several times without annealing or any issues. I'd think you'd have even less chance of issues with a bolt gun.

 

[Walkalong]

Yep, when testing loads in .223 I was getting an average 8 to 12 firings before the primer pockets loosened up and I had to scrap them, but not annealing them wasn't an issue.

 

[<*(((><]

Do any of you have a good way of checking primer pockets for looseness? My check involves getting the case prepped (cleaning, sizing, chamfur, debur) and using my hand primer only to have the primer fall out when I load the powder and bullet :banghead:. Sometimes, I'm able to catch it when priming as you can feel the looseness, but it would be nice if there was something to check before going to all the work of prep.

 

[ironworkerwill]

Like this one! It's actually a swage gauge but I'm sure one could easily indicate if a pocket is too large

 

[Walkalong]

Who makes that one?

 

[ironworkerwill]

Ballistic Tools. "Swage Gauge" they also make simple neck tension gauges in a similar design.

 

[Chuck R.]

I anneal before resizing/forming, especially when reforming to another caliber. I own a Ken Light BC1000 annealing machine that I bought back when I was turning .45-90 brass into .40-70. Takes a few minutes to set up and will do an awful lot of brass at a time.

I usually get my friends brass together in like OALs and cartridge family and anneal their's at the same time. To be honest like the others said I wouldn't loose sleep over not annealing .223/5.56 just cause it's plentiful. Some of my "exotic" stuff that's hard to come by gets annealed regularly.


Chuck