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I think you would have better results if you increased your dwell time
to around 6 seconds with 223 brass. To get a proper anneal you need two components time and temperature. The often bandied about 750 degrees to anneal is with a time component of 1hr. To get a proper anneal in seconds you need to get to 1000 degrees or so. With the Annealeze and 223, I have found the sweet spot to be about 6 seconds with the flame turned to max. On my machine that equates to 30% of max output speed. It is very hard to over anneal brass. See Reese at the range video posted above as he is a metallurgist and has a pretty good handle on the process. I have posted another of his vids in another annealing thread but will link it here also. As always ymmv.

With that particular machine configured as such, if I ran it for 6 seconds it would cook the zinc out of the alloy and it'd be too brittle. A good telltale sign is if you get an orange(ish) flare in the flame that's coming off the brass (that's actually the zinc vaporizing off).

I use gas torches for brazing and soldering ferrous and non-ferrous metals on an (almost) daily basis and know my torch flame is hitting >1000°F inside the cone, which is where I place my brass.

The video doesn't show the color of the annealed necks very well, but they're about the same color as the virgin annealed MILSPEC rounds I have laid up.

IMHO, it's an art form as much as it is "scientific formulas".

@Stomper you do get style points for the Kidd Rock track! :s0022:
I have taste, but class continues to allude me! ;)

Ha, maybe I'll have to click.

Oh now…. You're so click averse! :p
 
I'd ask also, as you're getting the feel for color/duration, is any color change after annealing going to help at least some?
Yes, for the area that colors. It's either annealed or not as I understand it.

So, there are really two reasons to anneal- better accuracy and better case life. My primary reason is the latter. I've had old reloads from the '80s and '90s that I found with cracks. The brass wasn't annealed when reloaded, and sat there with brittle brass and neck tension over the years. I'm nearly certain that they would have been fine had they been annealed.
Yes, and a third benefit, getting proper tension for the case to hold the bullet.

Yes to the neck cracking of reloaded rounds that sit around for years and years. I agree that annealing will minimize this.
 
IMG_20220209_183719182.jpg

I did a few 300blk yesterday, but here is my first batch of once fired IMI and Frontier 5.56. For testing I will use all IMI, 10 annealed and 10 not, loaded to my std FMJ load. I will also bring 10 of my current 3x fired mixed brass rounds just to compare, but I will run a more complete test on the 3x fired stuff next. Criteria will be FPS, SD and 5 shot group.

I will post the results.

As I mentioned above, my plan is to apply what I learn to my "rat" loads this year. Starting with all the same head stamp should help the SD.
 
First Shot, here are the caveats:

1) I need to squeeze these AR's like a lost puppy or they do not group worth a darn.
I was on and off and you can see it in the groups 🤦‍♂️.
2) The .223 "control" rounds were 3 shot mixed head stamp which could account for the
higher FPS/SD.
3) Really not a whole lot of difference in the 300blk except the groups (see caveat #1).
The annealed could of had a bit less neck tension and I can counter that with the crimp die.


IMG_20220215_153237037.jpg IMG_20220215_150555506.jpg

Take aways:

Does not make sense to anneal .223 after one firing . Next test
will be of 4x shot mixed head stamp and I'll hand measure the powder
in those too.

Going to anneal all of the 300blk anyway since most of the factory annealing was cut off.
Future cases will be annealed after cutoff.
 
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I think you would need a bigger sample size at longer distances with a more accurate rifle to form any conclusions about accuracy. As far as sd/es goes, a bigger sample size and more control of reloads, making sure all ammo is made as consistently possible may show more definitive results. I am still not sure most of us annealing will see any tangible results in this vein. I mostly bought mine to extend brass life and be like the cool kids lol. I am hoping for more though! Thanks for the results.
 
For anyone interested, I chanced upon this YouTube video about an automated induction annealing machine made by Reloading Technology in South Africa. Looks like one of the smarter designs out there. Very cool setup. Lots of gun culture and gun products in South Africa.
 

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