SmallCaliberCentral

Since changing over to the 60 degree VLD inside neck deburring tool, I have not split a case neck in 400 cases.

I usually average 1 split neck per 50 rounds of new or used brass.

Hmm, I probably don't shoot as much as you, but I don't think I've had any split. I'm going into my 3rd relaods on the same cases. I'm using the LE Wilson deburring tool.

My Sako 204 has just under 1,000 rounds through it now, all with WW neck-sized brass, all chamfered with an old Wilson deburring/chamfering tool, and I've never had a single split neck. Many of my cases have been fired 5 times.

Skipper, on the other hand, anneals all his new brass right out of the bag, and still gets splits. There appears to be forces at work here that we're not aware of. Generous factory chamber neck dimensions maybe?

Without annealing, I started getting split necks at 7 or 8 fireings. I only saw one with a split. I then scraped the whole lot of 100.

Hawkeye: Well then......I can take a hint....I'll be annealing all my 204 brass fired more than five times prior to loading for the next season in the spring of '08. Better safe than sorry.

Funny though, I've got old .223 brass, all brands, some dating back to 1976 that's been fired upwards of ten times, and none has ever split a neck! One lot of 100 Remington cases was formed from 222 Rem Mag brass in 1978! Go figure......

Rick
I'm also thinking about annealing my Norma 204 and Lapua 6.5/284 brass. Maybe SKIPPER will post his process again. I need to know where to get the temp strips from.

Mike: With all due respect to Skipper, I've been annealing rifle brass since 1980 using the method described by Todd Kindler, using his Series II annealing tip, and have never, ever, lost a case.

It's the 1/2" of water in a pie pan method, stand the cases upright in the water to protect the case head area, dim the lights, pass the circular annealing tip flame over the neck/shoulder junction for about a 15 count, then tip over into the water to quench. Simple, highly effective. The Series II tip screws right onto a Benz-O-Matic propane bottle used by plumbers.

I've used this method after forming wildcat cases with perfect results. I've done over 600 17 Ackley Hornet cases from 22 Hornet, 22 K-Hornet from 22 Hornet, 17 Mach IV from 221 FB, .338-06 cases from 30-06, 223 Ackley, 243 Ackley, 7-08 Ackley, etc, etc. All cases have the color changes as seen on military arsenal cases. This is most likely the widest used method, and has worked for decades.

You can dink around with the temp strips if you want, but having NEVER lost a case using this simple method, I'd have to ask "why?" (For the record, in over 25 years in the shop welding, machining, and using the temp strips, I know they work.....I just don't see the need for them for the above task.)

Of note, this has been with Winchester brass, which, the primer pockets are usually done in the 3 to 5 firings anyways (as in loose pockets).

Again, I am NOT hotrodding the load.

acloco: Still some mystery here, as all my 204 brass is WW, and even the stuff loaded five times still has reasonably tight pockets, and I'm running them right at max. Wonder what's up? I'd think that chamber dimensions come into play here, and a SAMMI max chamber would quicky open up pockets, even with reasonable loads after a short while.

My brass with the split necks was also WW. I never had a problem with the primer pockets loosening up.

Rick
The temp strips are to help me sleep at night.Not knowing how hot they got would drive me NUTS. .

Hawkeye Joe

You can get the Temp Sticks at McMaster-Carr.com. Just do a search for 'temperature sensitive crayons'.

I anneal all my WW cases right out of the bag. The reason is because I spend so much time neck turning, uniforming, weighing, sorting, etc., that it HURTS to lose one to a split neck. I anneal REM and Hornady brass for the same reason.

I do not anneal Norma or Nosler right out of the bag because Nosler is a little too elastic new and the Norma brass is just right.

My opinion is that when it's time to bump the shoulders back, it's time to anneal. Let's face it, the reason we bump the shoulders back is because the brass is losing it's elasticity. If it's losing it at the shoulder, it's probably losing it at the neck. If you don't anneal it, you are just going to have to bump the shoulder back again sooner the next time and you're running the risk of a split neck.

Whether you use Rick's method of annealing or mine, you need to learn how to do it. It's really not that hard and it can make your brass last a lot longer. Give it a try. If you heat the brass to the point where it just turns a silvery blue, that's good enough. If you heat it until it turns red, you might as well pitch it. Over-annealed brass is dangerously soft. Annealing is the product of time and temperature. Color change to a silvery blue is an indicator you have achieved both.

Thanks Skipper.I know that yellow book well.

How old is your WW brass? Mine is less than 1 year old. I do not have batch numbers, but can search my empty bags and find out.

My RP brass will need a shoulder bump after the fifth firing, have been neck sizing up to this point.

Rick, where can I get the Todd Kindler Series II annealing tip?

I'm using the tip that came on my belt mounted torch and rotating the brass with a haemostat, then dropping it in ice water. It works but might be a tad faster with a better tip.

Only on my 2nd loading of Win brass for the 204, so I've had no split necks yet. I've lost only TWO .223 Rem cases over several years, and then after five reloadings.

I use a 3/8 in socket from a nut driver set. I can change cases real quick with my free hand.