I have been wanting to start annealing my brass, especially brass that I am converting from 5.56 brass since the new neck of the 300BLK is brass that was below the shoulder of the 5.56 and not as soft as it should be.

Annealing machines are expensive and other methods I have seen do not anneal the brass evenly, so I built my own setup. For about $80 total I put this together.



I used Tempilaq to test out several pieces of brass to determine how long it would take to properly anneal the neck without overheating the middle of the case.

After cutting the neck off the 5.56 brass, I annealed it by putting the brass into a deep socket in a cordless drill and slowly rotated it in the flames for 6 seconds.



I then chamfered, deburred, resized, and trimmed the brass. Now I have a properly annealed 300BLK brass from 1 time fired 5.56 brass. I intend to anneal my 300BLK brass after every 3 reloads.

Dang Norman,that is way better than the single torch I used back in the seventies on some 3006.
I used the mapps gas and it heated fast and them I tipped brass in to water.

quote:

Originally posted by 45 Cal:
Dang Norman,that is way better than the single torch I used back in the seventies on some 3006.
I used the mapps gas and it heated fast and them I tipped brass in to water.

Thanks 45Cal. Yeah I like using the drill so it rotates the brass in the flames and I didn't list it but then I drop it into a pan of water like you stated.

I want to get the full life out of my brass but could not justify dropping $300-$400 on a machine when I can do something like this.

Nice. Took the Remington out again today. Nothing major, just popped a few rounds through it as I continued to hone my skills on the 30.06. I let my neighbor shoot it and he liked it as well.

quote:

Originally posted by TKO:
Nice. Took the Remington out again today. Nothing major, just popped a few rounds through it as I continued to hone my skills on the 30.06. I let my neighbor shoot it and he liked it as well.

I wanted to shoot this weekend, but I did reloading tasks all three days of this long weekend. I loaded a lot of ammo, converted a lot of brass, and did a lot of annealing.

I need to practice my pistol skills as it has been a LONG time since shooting pistols. I have never shot a 30.06 but own a 30-30 that I have never shot; I just haven't got enough ammo yet to practice. Soon I also wan't to get a .308 rifle; it just never ends!!!

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:

quote:

Originally posted by sandman76:
The one I was talking about is the gage being discussed in this thread.

http://www.300blktalk.com/foru...1&t=81348&hilit=gage

It's made by a guy on the site.

He sells them direct and they are also sold here as well http://www.bradswarehouse.com/....php?p=1_2_Buy-Brass

Just wondered if that was the one you use.

I like my Wilson case gage but I am going to look further into this gage you referenced.

I got both of those gauges.

The WILSON is for headspace (and length) checking of the empty brass cases.

The Sheridan Engineering gauge is for checking loaded ammo.

They are both "good stuff."

Aloha, Mark

quote:

Originally posted by ma96782:
I got both of those gauges.

The WILSON is for headspace (and length) checking of the empty brass cases.

The Sheridan Engineering gauge is for checking loaded ammo.

They are both "good stuff."

Aloha, Mark

I agree they are both good gauges and I use them both, although I use the Sheridan more now.

Today I worked up a load using the Hornady 110gr V-Max using Hodgdon H110. The load data says to start at 18.8gr and 20.0gr is the max. 19.0gr is what worked well with my rifle and I began seeing pressure signs at 19.4gr and 19.6gr so I did not even shoot the loads of 19.8 or 20.0 that I brought.

Noveske 10" 300 Blackout
Pistol length gas system
1/7 twist
Hornady 110gr V-Max
Hodgdon H110 19.0gr
2.040" OAL
Remington 300 BLK Brass once fired
Remington 7.5 primer



19.2gr was really good suppressed but I like the 19.0 overall.

How many times can you reload factory 300blk brass without annealing?

Also, how many times can you reload cut-down 5.56 brass without annealing?

Nice setup Norman!!!

quote:

Originally posted by ViktorVaughn:
How many times can you reload factory 300blk brass without annealing?

Also, how many times can you reload cut-down 5.56 brass without annealing?

Nice setup Norman!!!

Well first I am not an expert and many people have different opinions on when to anneal.

Some people anneal every time they reload and some do it x number of reloads. The average I hear is about every three reloads.

Without annealing, probably around 10 reloads as an average but that also depends on the quality of the brass, how high of a powder load it has, and if it is subsonic or supersonic. I have not reloaded 300BLK enough times to personally find out my own average of case life.

The number of times you can reload either factory 300BLK or cut down 5.56 brass would be the same as long as you anneal the cut down 5.56 brass the very first time you reload it. To me it is very important to anneal the cut down 5.56 brass because the neck you now have for the 300BLK is from an area on the 5.56 brass that is harder than what a case neck should be and needs to be annealed. Once it is annealed, it is the same as factory 300BLK brass.

It probably also depends on if you are shooting subsonic or supersonic. I hear that people who do not anneal get many more reloads on brass that is shooting subsonic compared to supersonic, but I plan to go with every 3 reloads.

By annealing, you can double the life of the brass if not more from what I have researched.

Hmm. Im gonna guess that the reformed 5.56 brass I bought wasn't annealed. I reckon Ill need to get set up to do that with the ones I have left.

Thanks for the info Norman!

I had read some stuff about annealing a few months ago but I was kind of overwhelmed and intimidated especially because it seemed like the people doing it, disagreed with each other about various matters in the process. I will revisit the issue soon though.

Not specific to 300 blackout, but I hear lots of talk about "how many reloads can I get out of X caliber of brass without annealing?"

It seems to me that the majority of us probably don't shoot enough to have that worry. I mean, really. I have 3000 pieces of AR brass. If I can get 5 or 6 loadings our of them without annealing, that means I've sent what, 15,000 or 18,000 rounds downrange? That's enough to last me for at least the next 5 years, if not more.

I just see this whole annealing thing as a non-issue in terms of case life.

Now, OTOH, if you're a precision shooter, and are doing it for uniform case neck tension or some other reason, by all means.

But to increase the number of reloads per case from 5 or 6 to perhaps 10? For the additional expense and time of it all? I'll just buy more brass when the time comes. It's not THAT expensive.

quote:

Originally posted by exx1976:
Not specific to 300 blackout, but I hear lots of talk about "how many reloads can I get out of X caliber of brass without annealing?"

It seems to me that the majority of us probably don't shoot enough to have that worry. I mean, really. I have 3000 pieces of AR brass. If I can get 5 or 6 loadings our of them without annealing, that means I've sent what, 15,000 or 18,000 rounds downrange? That's enough to last me for at least the next 5 years, if not more.

I just see this whole annealing thing as a non-issue in terms of case life.

Now, OTOH, if you're a precision shooter, and are doing it for uniform case neck tension or some other reason, by all means.

But to increase the number of reloads per case from 5 or 6 to perhaps 10? For the additional expense and time of it all? I'll just buy more brass when the time comes. It's not THAT expensive.

I agree with everything you said; it is definitely a personal choice. My main thing is to anneal converted brass but I also want to anneal my practice reloads to get everything out of them I can as that extra brass I buy goes towards having a good amount of defensive ammo on-hand.

5 more weeks Mike!!!

quote:

Originally posted by TKO:
5 more weeks Mike!!!

YUP!! Looking forward to it!! I am going to try to make the Dallas SigForum shoot this Saturday. I will be out of town this week and come back on Friday but I can drive up Saturday morning.

I just realized that I have to get "Permission" from the ATF to transport my SBR to another state so I mailed off the form today and sure hope I get it back in time. That would suck if I can't bring my 300 BLK!

I was reading where the NFA branch is closed as a non essential service. No confirmation of that though.

All else fails bring your upper. Alan has an SBR'd AR lower and I have the 9mm lower that I could convert back.

OK so I went ahead and got me a 300 blackout upper.

It is a 1:7 twist 14.5" barrel with a 51 tooth AAC blackout flash hider permanently attached. It has a carbine length gas system with low profile gas block under a 13" troy quad rail.

I would rather had gotten an SBR upper and probably will, but I have been waiting on the approval to come back for my AAC SDN-6 since early February. I think I am in the window for it to come back any time. Seems the ones coming in now on NFA tracker are late Jan to early Feb right now. I just didn't want to go right back to waiting again on an SBR, so 14.5 with pinned FH was as close as I could go and I can use an existing lower for now.

Been reading this thread and some others on other boards to get caught up on loading for 300BLK. A local gun shop said they have some AA1680 in stock so I am going by after work to get some. Next week after pay day I plan on picking up some redding dies, shell holder and bullets. Probably just get some processed brass on line for now, but will eventually get the harbor freight mini chop saw and 'the jig" to make my own brass. Planning on getting some 220gr SMks to start but will get some 230gr Bergers when they become available. I will probably load suber sonics too, but mainly Subs. I mean ins't that the whole point of 300 Blakcout anyway?

Any Advice before I start gathering supplies and equipment?

quote:

Originally posted by C Swimm:
Any Advice before I start gathering supplies and equipment?

It looks like you have researched it well and are doing pretty good. I would recommend getting a Little Crow WFT to trim brass cases; it is the best.

I would also suggest a Sheridan Case Guage.

Well sure enough the local shop had 3 1# bottles of AA1680 on the shelf. It was $26.95 so I got one to try out. I would have gotten all 3 but I am a little thin on cash until Wednesday.

They also had several boxes of Remington UMC in 300 Blackout 115gr but at $38 per 20 round box, they can keep them.

Hope the other places still have the dies, bullets, and everything else I wanted in stock when I get paid. Usually by the time I get the money the thing i had in my wish list are out of stock.