anealing hornady brass

Tomm

Well-Known Member
hello, I've been offered a load of hornady 204 brass, I'm told that this is crap for reloading because it is to hard and brittle, would anealing it make it useable and last longer? thanks
 
It might. I have some Hornady 204 here also, but I had to buy loaded ammo to get it. I'll be reloading it shortly. It can't be that bad.

Been trying to get an RFD to order me 100 rounds of Norma ammo, just so I can shoot it and save the brass.

The Hornady factory is shooting under half an inch, so not bad at all.
 
It might. I have some Hornady 204 here also, but I had to buy loaded ammo to get it. I'll be reloading it shortly. It can't be that bad.

Been trying to get an RFD to order me 100 rounds of Norma ammo, just so I can shoot it and save the brass.

The Hornady factory is shooting under half an inch, so not bad at all.

Would it not just be easier and cheaper to buy 100 empty Norma cases, or am I missing something really obvious?

Norma USA Reloading Brass 204 Ruger Box of 100 (Bulk Packaged) - 25510-3 (100) - Midway UK

£78.18/100
 
if they had them in stock i would buy 500 but unfortunatley they dont think they will be getting any for the foreseeable future
 
hello, I've been offered a load of hornady 204 brass, I'm told that this is crap for reloading because it is to hard and brittle, would anealing it make it useable and last longer? thanks
Been reforming Hornady 204 brass down to 17 Rem without annealing - no splits, forms without issue. I think what you have been told is 'crap'!
Annealing will improve case life, [I anneal every couple of loading cycles]. The 17 is generally a candidate because the brass is like rocking horse poo.
 
I would say it might help. I have done it in the past but it's not very easy to get a consistent heating of the cases with a flame. How do you go about it J0e_bl0ggs?
 
Have you tried going from 223 to 17 Joe? If so with what results? As 223 cases are relatively cheap this would seem the route to go
 
Have you tried going from 223 to 17 Joe? If so with what results? As 223 cases are relatively cheap this would seem the route to go


223 to 17 is a piece of pi$$, perfectly acceptable even if 30 thou short in the neck - it forms without any problems and case capacity is damn close to the 17 Rem too.
I wanted to have a unique headstamp for a certain application hence the 'messing around' with the Hornady 204 brass.
There was one small hiccup and that was that I had to make an inside neck reamer for the 204 brass - all sorted now - perfect 17Rem cases and not at £60+ per 100!

NSreamerSmall.jpg


I would say it might help. I have done it in the past but it's not very easy to get a consistent heating of the cases with a flame. How do you go about it J0e_bl0ggs?

Like this...
Motor runs continually and pneumatics drive case into the flame for whatever time I set [around 5.5 seconds] then pulls case out of flame.
Actually find it quite cathartic to use!
Heath-Robinson1.jpg


Made out of junk I had laying around.
 
That looks a fancy bit of kit. You must be an engineer. I have been looking at the electric furnace route since meeting someone who makes them. If it's viable I'll get him to knock up an eggcup sized one, but I think the development team may want more than can be justified. If it comes to anything I will post the results.
 
Is this fallout from the Yanks going nuts in Cabelas and Wal-mart?

Nonsense. Nobody ran out to stock up on 204 brass and 20 cal components. The hardest 204 brass to get is Winchester. People like it better than Hornady for half the cost. If you can't get Hornady brass it's probably because they aren't producing it in the same quantities they were; concentrating on the faster selling items.~Muir
 
Hi Joe.

I watched your video clip - great set up!

But I can't see any water in the bath, so unless this is just a demo for the vid, you are not annealing, but wasting gas and electricity.
 
Hi Joe.

I watched your video clip - great set up!

But I can't see any water in the bath, so unless this is just a demo for the vid, you are not annealing, but wasting gas and electricity.

They are annealed, you do not need a water bath. The 'in flame' time is controlled with a timer to only heat the neck and top of shoulder to the correct temperature.

17_204_AnnealSmall.jpg
 
I stand corrected and thank you.

My training included quenching - but there was also an element of pickling in the bath.

That did not stop me from using a water quench on each and every on of the thousands of cases I have annealed in the last 40 years or so!
 
I stand corrected and thank you.

My training included quenching - but there was also an element of pickling in the bath.

That did not stop me from using a water quench on each and every on of the thousands of cases I have annealed in the last 40 years or so!


Water quench only makes the brass wet, now the old fashioned way of standing the cases in water and playing blowtorch over the necks ensures that the case body does not get annealed.
 
On reflection, I'm going to continue quenching.

I'm used to it and can be fairly certain that annealing too far down the case is stopped.

I am however inspired to make a gadget like the OP and if that becomes part of my kit, I can stop quenching.

Joe B - are you saying that standing the cases in water up to the neck does not get the brass wet?
 
On reflection, I'm going to continue quenching.

I'm used to it and can be fairly certain that annealing too far down the case is stopped.

I am however inspired to make a gadget like the OP and if that becomes part of my kit, I can stop quenching.

Joe B - are you saying that standing the cases in water up to the neck does not get the brass wet?

You will note the heat sink which protects the case body from any direct heat.
Nope, I said standing cases in water only makes the cases wet, I've already had to dry them once after cleaning.
If you look at the pictures of the cases you will see the 'discolouration' is where it should be.
 
Joe B - I was being a tad facetious.

However, you are now saying that you've had to dry them once after cleaning.

Wouldn't the heat of annealing do that?

Oh bo**ocks, there I go again.
 
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