Annealing Question - Body Anneal for Unformed Brass?

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markr6754

New member
I need some 6mm ARC brass. My initial source, aside from expensive 6mm ARC ammo, was 6.5 Grendel, which forms easily to 6mm ARC, but that is nearly as rare.

Starline has 6.5 Grendel "Basic" brass, meaning it's the right head size and length, but isn't final 6.5 Grendel brass - and no headstamp which suits me fine.

Here's the note from Starline: This brass has not been annealed, and will require a body anneal prior to forming, and possibly a neck anneal after forming, depending on how far it is necked down.

I do have an annealing center, but it is set for necks. I can't find any reference to performing body annealing on brass and am hoping one of our brass experts can advise on a way to do this. Would one merely heat the brass until it reaches an appropriate temperature measured above the extraction groove? Or is this something for specialized equipment?

Thoughts?
 
4

44 AMP

Staff
I'd say you need to talk to a tech rep at Starline and have them explain exactly what they mean.

I have an idea what they MIGHT mean, but don't know for sure. Generally, case bodies are "softer" than the case head. Intentionally.

Starline might be calling that process "body annealing" (sounds sensible to me), and I expect it might involve a SLIGHTLY different heat treat process than neck annealing.

Call Starline. A few minutes on the phone might keep you from buying the wrong stuff, or possibly wrecking what you bought because what you thought they meant was different from what they actually meant.

Good Luck!
 
U

Unclenick

Staff
You never want to let a head anneal. If you do, it can blow out upon firing, causing damage and distress. You probably want to anneal about a quarter inch below where the bottom of the ARC shoulder will be but do follow the advice to talk with Starline about it.

One way to protect heads is to stand the cases up in a pan of water while annealing them. I would more likely opt to spin them in a wrench socket on an electric hand drill that leaves them uncovered only at and above the desired location. As long as your flame is hot enough to get the job done quickly, that should protect the head, and you can drop them straight into water afterward to arrest heat traveling back toward the head.
 
T

tangolima

New member
I would just try a couple without annealing. It may just work.

Sounds like the shoulder needs to be pushed back (ok to say that right?) a little. That's probably where it needs annealing.

Is 6.5 grendel that difficult to find? I remember seeing them for sale recently among members on different forum. I believe its parent brass is 7.62x39. Conversion may be an option.

-TL



Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
E

ernie8

New member
Since the 6.5 Grendel case is a different head size than the 6.8 SPC case , that does not help much other than you saw some .
 
J

jetinteriorguy

New member
Aha, I see now they just list it as Grendel. I was looking for it to start with 6.5. My bad, I just didn’t want anyone to make a mistake due to possibly reading the chart wrong.
 
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