I do believe in annealing. We do it at work for certain products but I think there is a balance. Don't heat it up too long and don't do it to short. They say if you don't get it to temp all you are doing is stress relieving. I don't know. Figured I would give it a whirl. I am just following the directions from the hornady kit. I know a bunch of guys on Accurate reloading that say you can see the blue in the neck, and you got to take it off the flame right then, next will be red. I just can't see the blue.

One thing I forgot to mention in the earlier post: I use MAPP gas in my propane torch - I think it is a little hotter than regular propane. It's also kind of interesting how certain calibers need this more than others. I almost never have to do it with my .22-250 Ackley; where I sometimes load cases more than 20 times. But in the 6MM-284, they will crack on about the third or fourth reloading without annealing. Always wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that they are already squeezed down from 7MM to 6MM - ie. work hardened - before I ever start firing them?

For me,

Lack of neck tension can be either too soft or too hard, BUT i've never had "not enough neck tension" from too soft of brass. I HAVE had it from too hard, but generally the necks crack when the brass gets that (hard) brittle.

"If" i could only get 5 loads out of my brass and i don't give a damn what cal. it is!!! I would blame either junk brass or loading to "too high of pressures"!!! I've NOT had any "brand name brass" that was junk to this date though!!! YES, i may loose one or two "once in a while", but NEVER more than the occasional one.

The way i've always annealed brass was to clean and deprime it, then stand it in a pan of water up to near the shoulder. I then use a propane torch around the neck untill it changed to the desired color. Once that was done, i'd knock it over into the pan of water and go to the next one. Nothing fancy about it, but it always worked!!

Maybe something "else" will work better for you?????

Drilling Man

The only time i ever had to anneal any brass was 300 H&H before fire forming them to 300 Mashburn.never had any need to do so to anything else. vangunsmith

Well, I never asked if I had to anneal, the question was does people anneal before resizing or resizing before annealling. Read the heading. Nobody has to do anything. I could buy new brass, not shoot the gun, whatever.

Vangun, are you saying as a gunsmith you never had a cracked neck????? Thats funny, I never knew a reloader that hasn't had a cracked neck. My mother has never had to anneal a case either, but whats your point?

BC, man don't be so hard, maybe you need some annealling?
Just joking, man ! Just joking!

Rebel, I have been on this page on and off for what seems 5 years. I just wish instead of people looking down on one another, and being insecure, that if you do know an answer to a post, you post it. If you don't, or you don't do it that way, then pass the thread. Nobody knows everything.

I see some guys that never ask a question on these forums. They know it all. All they do is go around bragging on themselfs and telling you the way they do it and thats the only way. Thats a fool my friend. I have learned so much here an other places. Even from the beginner reloader like my pal Mossy, helping him from time to time, I learn things. We learn together. If I really felt that way that my mind cannot be changed, and I knew everything, I wouldn't waste my time on here. They have no interest in the exchange of ideas. Thier minds cannot be changed. So whats thier deal? Does it help thier ego? We all know who some may be. I appeciate but don't always agree with alot of people who have always helped me on this forum. People with serious experience but very set in thier ways like DM. Bob out of Arizona, olkelkhunter, jamesB.

I mean this guy said I have never had to anneal. How does that answer my question? Has he never shot a piece of brass until the neck cracked? If he did then it needed annealled. Does annealling hurt anything? No. According to bench rest shooters, it only helps things but is time consuming. I like trying new things. Its my nature.

BC, I'm 65yrs old and have learned alot since being on here!
Like you mentioned, alot of guys on here have it together and
then there are those that are very dogmatic. It does'nt really
matter to me, because I've been around the block to many times.
I read your post and the answers you got, struck me funny.
I have read your post and really could'nt answer it.I have annealed
100's of brass, but you were asking a specific question and don't have
the answer.I rather just be quite!!

I am not talking about you Rebel. I just see some that seems to want attention. Maybe I should heed my own advise and just hit the ignore button.