Weird ring on brass

[joelpresmyk8]

I'm still new to reloading and have no idea what could be causing this on my brass.byou can see the color change and there is a little bit of a raised ring too. This case is on its 3rd firing. Hopefully you can see it in the pic

[forepaw]

I'm still new to reloading and have no idea what could be causing this on my brass.byou can see the color change and there is a little bit of a raised ring too. This case is on its 3rd firing. Hopefully you can see it in the pic

Normal compression during full length sizing. This is where the die body can't size any further because it is stopped by the lock ring clearance setpoint. If you sized further toward the shellholder, you might collapse the case.

 

forepaw

[joelpresmyk8]

Thanx forepaw! So it's not abnormal or bad?

[firstcoueswas80]

Until the brass starts to split there. My 7 LRM brass is splitting there, but it's on loading #5.

[WampusCat]

The "case head" or "web" starts near that line as well. The brass is a bit thicker there and doesn't expand at the same rate. It can begin to separate at the junction when overly worked.

 

You can take a straightened paper clip and bend a small 90 deg at one end to insert and "scratch" along the inside of the case near that line. You will be able to feel when the split is getting ready to occur.

[Pine Donkey]

You can reduce the stress on your brass at that point by neck sizing rather than full length sizing. Also make sure you are not 'bumping' the shoulder too much.

[joelpresmyk8]

Ok awesome thank you everyone for the information. Would you mind elaborating pine donkey?

[forepaw]

Thanx forepaw! So it's not abnormal or bad?

It is perfectly normal, and you should be good for a number of reloads as long as you keep charges below max. according to your manual. I would recommend annealing your cases after every 4th or 5th firing. To do this, get a household candle and a damp paper towel, hold the case in your fingers (by the base or rim) and heat the neck in the flame. When it becomes too hot to hold any longer, pull it off the flame, and quench with the wet paper towel. That's it. Be sure and check your case length, and trim any time they go beyond SAAMI spec. In fact, by the 3rd firing you probably need to trim, unless you have a minimum dimension chamber, and have been using mild loads.

 

The other posters have given some good info, and it would be a smart move to research your manual or the internet for what the different terms mean, and how to "read" your brass. Some of the clues can be pretty subtle, and you are doing the right thing by watching for pressure and failure signs.

 

As long as the fired case chambers easily in your rifle, and you set your die up according to the instructions, you should be fine. Don't forget to check for case neck splitting, it is common unless you are using premium brass. Neck splits go in the recycle bin, don't try to trim them.

 

Hope that helps.

 

forepaw

[AverageJoe]

Well a candle burns at around 2000 deg so why couldnt it be used?

[5guyshunting]

Seems like people like the candle if you look it up.

[5guyshunting]

OK, my apologies to forepaw first and foremost. A candle can definitely anneal brass. But.....I burned the crap out of my fingers while trying with a .223, .25-06, 7mmRM and .300RUM case. It took about 30 seconds for the .223 to burn my fingers, with no annealing achieved. In a vice grip, I held it at the point of the flame for 1:00 with no color change visible. At 1:30, a very slight color change appeared on the neck (probably annealed at the neck only). At 2:00, neck and shoulder annealed. For a 7mmRM case:I could hold it for 55 seconds before it burned my fingers. No annealing visible. In a vice grip, @ 1:30, neck looks annealed. At 2:00, neck ad shoulder annealed like my torch does at 6 seconds. I only had one .300RUM case that was not annealed, so I had to use the same case for all the tests. I could hold it for 1:15 before I burned my fingers. No visible color change or annealing. At 2:00, neck and shoulder annealed to my liking. .25-06 burned my fingers at 50 seconds. No visible annealing. 1:30 showed signs of neck annealing. 2:00 shows neck/shoulders annealed like my others. So a candle CAN anneal brass. I still stand by my response that I cannot hold case with my fingers and get proper annealing. And the efficiency is not there at all. I can do a case in an average of 6 seconds, vs.2 minutes with a candle. Bottom to top: 0:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30

Do you think a "Lee" lock stud for case trimming would work good for holding and turning the case with witchever heating choice you choose?

[HuntHarder]

Problem is you used 7-up as your beverage... Change that to Coors light and you can hold the case longer.

[AverageJoe]

OK, my apologies to forepaw first and foremost. A candle can definitely anneal brass. But.....I burned the crap out of my fingers while trying with a .223, .25-06, 7mmRM and .300RUM case.

 

It took about 30 seconds for the .223 to burn my fingers, with no annealing achieved. In a vice grip, I held it at the point of the flame for 1:00 with no color change visible. At 1:30, a very slight color change appeared on the neck (probably annealed at the neck only). At 2:00, neck and shoulder annealed.

 

For a 7mmRM case:

I could hold it for 55 seconds before it burned my fingers. No annealing visible. In a vice grip, @ 1:30, neck looks annealed. At 2:00, neck ad shoulder annealed like my torch does at 6 seconds.

 

I only had one .300RUM case that was not annealed, so I had to use the same case for all the tests. I could hold it for 1:15 before I burned my fingers. No visible color change or annealing. At 2:00, neck and shoulder annealed to my liking.

 

.25-06 burned my fingers at 50 seconds. No visible annealing. 1:30 showed signs of neck annealing. 2:00 shows neck/shoulders annealed like my others.

 

So a candle CAN anneal brass. I still stand by my response that I cannot hold case with my fingers and get proper annealing. And the efficiency is not there at all. I can do a case in an average of 6 seconds, vs.2 minutes with a candle.

 

Bottom to top: 0:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30

 

Here are some 7RM cases. Top is 1:30 seconds over a candle. 3 on the bottom are 6 seconds in a MAPP gas torch.

Kudos to you for actually trying and proving it. Very good info and thank you

[ctracingraptor]

Lance i want to come to your house and have you show me your ways to anneal my 7RM brass. Ill bring whatever drinks you want and a bottle of MAP.... Pretty please..

[WampusCat]

It took about 30 seconds for the .223 to burn my fingers, with no annealing achieved. In a vice grip, I held it at the point of the flame for 1:00 with no color change visible. At 1:30, a very slight color change appeared on the neck (probably annealed at the neck only). At 2:00, neck and shoulder annealed.

 

For a 7mmRM case:

I could hold it for 55 seconds before it burned my fingers. No annealing visible. In a vice grip, @ 1:30, neck looks annealed. At 2:00, neck ad shoulder annealed like my torch does at 6 seconds.

 

I only had one .300RUM case that was not annealed, so I had to use the same case for all the tests. I could hold it for 1:15 before I burned my fingers. No visible color change or annealing. At 2:00, neck and shoulder annealed to my liking.

 

.25-06 burned my fingers at 50 seconds. No visible annealing. 1:30 showed signs of neck annealing. 2:00 shows neck/shoulders annealed like my others.

 

So a candle CAN anneal brass. I still stand by my response that I cannot hold case with my fingers and get proper annealing. And the efficiency is not there at all. I can do a case in an average of 6 seconds, vs.2 minutes with a candle.

 

So it would only take me 200 minutes to do a normal batch of 100 cases.

 

Great example of "ya its possible" vs "practical use of time".