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Annealing Nickel Brass

Can nickel brass be annealed as you do yellow brass?

I have many more split case necks in nickel brass than yellow brass, especially in the WSSM's.

Thanks for any input on this subject

Comments

  • cpermdcpermd Member Posts: 5,273 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes.
    I use a Brassomatic so it is timed since you can't go by the faint orange glow.

    CP
  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Brown Bass Hunter,

    Having the same problem as you. Rather than continue to go nuts annealing my brass I decided I would change to a neck sizer. I went top notch with a Wilson neck sizer. So I am now sizing all my brass with that. I know that it's going to need annealing again all too soon, but this will help. I figured the die was less than the cost of 100 cases. So, if Winchester decides not to support this case anymore I can extend the life of the brass.
  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Bringing back an OLD topic!

    I read, today, that annealing actually hardens the nickel plating.

    I annealed some today, using the same time as I use for the brass, and wondered if anyone has actually damage a chamber or sizing dies using annealed, nickel plated brass.

    Thanks for your input....positive or negative.
  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,572 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nickeled brass splits sooner because it's layered. I don't usually buy nickeled brass because it fails sooner. Cartridges in leather loops resist corrosion better if nickeled. Bad chamber guns can work better if you use nickeled brass.

    Other than those 2 specific uses I avoid the nickeled stuff.
  • FEENIXFEENIX Member Posts: 10,559 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
    Bad chamber guns can work better if you use nickeled brass.


    Interesting[?]

    Can you please elaborate? Thanks!
  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by FEENIX
    quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
    Bad chamber guns can work better if you use nickeled brass.


    Interesting[?]

    Can you please elaborate? Thanks!


    I believe he is referring to chambers with pitting and or tooling marks that cause extraction problems. Nickel being harder than brass has less tendency to flow into these defects.
  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,572 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It is also slicker, so weak extractor design or ejector springs can work better.
  • FEENIXFEENIX Member Posts: 10,559 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by asphalt cowboy
    quote:Originally posted by FEENIX
    quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
    Bad chamber guns can work better if you use nickeled brass.


    Interesting[?]

    Can you please elaborate? Thanks!


    I believe he is referring to chambers with pitting and or tooling marks that cause extraction problems. Nickel being harder than brass has less tendency to flow into these defects.


    quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
    It is also slicker, so weak extractor design or ejector springs can work better.


    I hear what you're saying and in theory you would think so, however at 55,000+ PSI, it will likely imprint any
    chamber defects and in reality be just as hard to extract as standard brass ... and maybe even harder.

    A bad chamber will only increase the flaking problem IMHO, so fix the problem and re-chamber.
  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,572 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well my theory has been proven to me at the range. My dad was a show me state guy, some of that must have rubbed off.

    Working better doesn't mean that magically your crappy chamber now functions flawlessly, it means that you might be able to get a second shot without ripping the head off or punching the case out with a ramrod every time.

    Cases are cheap, new barrels or setting them back and re-chambering not so much. And if it's a collector you just trashed the value.
  • FEENIXFEENIX Member Posts: 10,559 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
    Well my theory has been proven to me at the range. My dad was a show me state guy, some of that must have rubbed off.

    Working better doesn't mean that magically your crappy chamber now functions flawlessly, it means that you might be able to get a second shot without ripping the head off or punching the case out with a ramrod every time.

    Cases are cheap, new barrels or setting them back and re-chambering not so much. And if it's a collector you just trashed the value.


    Good for you then!

    I didn't mean to spark anything sensitive other than expressing another point of view.

    Cases might be cheap but the opportunity of a hunt of a lifetime or a life saving opportunity to depend and take unnecessary chances on a crappy chamber might not be ... but we all have to make those choices count and the consequences associated with it. My late Dad was not a show me state guy but he always make me think and rationalize things, some of that must have rubbed on me. [:p]

    BTW, I'm no collector nor an expert, just an ordinary man willing and able to learn.
  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    FWIW, I annealed 50 of the nickel plated brass, loaded and fired them, as part of a load workup for my 25WSSM.

    If there were any issues, I am not smart or skilled enough to notice them.
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