I have a 6.5x55 sweed ( Carl Gustaf) I can only get 2 to 3 reloading on my RP brass before the necks start splitting, I do not reload hot I stick with the books. I have tried annealing the brass that does not work. The rifle shoots 1 1/4" groups at 100 yards( I'm not as steady as I use to be.) Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank You

Could just be that lot of brass.

Back in the 70's I hand a couple boxes of Rem 357 brass split on the first loading.

Anneal the case necks, verify the fired case neck diameters they might be very oversized and require excesive resizing all factors working against case longevity.
BB

I stopped using Remington brass for this reason.
Too many case failures.
When using Privi brass I have never had any problems with reloading and case failures.

Try this:

Heat your brass to anneal

THEN: lay it aside to AIR COOL

Do NOT Quench it! That just rehardens it.

George

Try this:

Heat your brass to anneal

THEN: lay it aside to AIR COOL

Do NOT Quench it! annealing is supposed to Soften.
Air cooling keeps it that way.

George

use your measuring tool.

quote:

Heat your brass to anneal
THEN: lay it aside to AIR COOL
Do NOT Quench it! That just rehardens it.

Metallurgists know that this is simply wrong. The poster is thinking about ferrous metals like steel, not noble metals like brass. While dropping hot cases into water may not be necessary, doing so does not harden brass. SMH.



.

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
Try this:

Heat your brass to anneal

THEN: lay it aside to AIR COOL

Do NOT Quench it! That just rehardens it.

George

Quenching brass doesn't harden it

quote:

Metallurgists know that this is simply wrong. The poster is thinking about ferrous metals like steel, not noble metals like brass. While dropping hot cases into water may not be necessary, doing so does not harden brass. SMH.

This issue of quenching brass in water is confusing to some. Yes there is no need to quench in water after heating brass case shoulders and necks to anneal (soften) them, the only benefit is a safety one i.e. no hot cases rolling around on a bench to burn ones fingers if accidentally touched or picked up. I do quench when annealing for this reason.

The only thing that hardens brass is aging and working it. If brass is being overly worked i.e. generous chamber dimensions in the neck area, then annealing before reloading each time maybe required.
In 300 win's case, it could well be that the case neck is being expanded excessively on firing and then resized back to specification exactly as bigbull has proposed.

My early Kynoch 404 Jeffery factory ammo suffers some case neck splitting on first firing just due to age. I anneal unsplit cases and get good long life from them with regular annealing.

I want to thank you Gentlemen for all the Information. I have anneal then quench on the new brass and once fired brass it does make a difference they still split after 2 to 3 times. I'm going to anneal and let cool as suggested by Georgeld and see if that helps. If not maybe it is the RP brass.


Thank you again

quote:

Originally posted by 300 win:
I have tried annealing the brass that does not work.

Try a higher temperature. I get the necks to glow a dull red in a dark room, and this does the trick.

There is plenty of info available on this subject.

forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2511043/m/5931089822

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...GixIgBCJiu2KjB4oSJEQ

Watch my video
I like intermittent heating

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...GixIgBCJiu2KjB4oSJEQ

Watch my video
I like intermittent heating

Generally not required to heat brass to a red colour for successful annealing but doesn't do any harm provided not taking it too far and burning some of the zinc from the brass.

I successfully silver solder up neck splits in my old Kynoch .404J brass, after about 1 in 5 cases in factory ammo splits necks on first firing. Once 'repaired' this way and with regular annealing these cases last for quite a few more loadings with cast bullets. The case necks get to medium red temperature when silver soldering.

You can buy markers at your local welding supply that are temperature sensitive. Mark your necks + apply your heat until the marks tell you that you have reached the required temperature.

annealing needed before splits. If brass is damaged from chemical, annealing will not help.


Avoid ammonia, vinegar, ethanol, alcohol containing products.

Eagle27, do your old Kynoch cartridges have mercurial primers? I've heard they may help destroy cases.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Eagle27, do your old Kynoch cartridges have mercurial primers? I've heard they may help destroy cases.

No the primers are non-mercuric and non-corrosive as per below. I think it is just old brass, date of manufacture being 30 Jan 1963.

Maybe your resizing full length and your chabmer is large thus over working the brass as its stretching when fired and resized..Happens mostly with belted cases, but can appen with any rifle wherein the case does not match the chamber..

Just try it as I explained.

Then expand the necks and see which

one's split or don't.

as I stated Know it all's will start arguing.

Sure proved right huh? NFF!

George

"Seasonal cracking" caused by ammonia reacting with the brass. First described when military brass cracked because of contact with ammonia in horse urine then exacerbated in high humidity environments. The necks typically crack because they are under stress. The degradation of smokeless propellants also liberate ammonia which causes this. The biggest culprit is ammonia in ammonia containing solvents used to clean copper from barrels. Never use "Brasso" or other ammonia based copper cleaners on ammunition brass. I have old packets of collectors ammo where all the necks have cracked in the packs.

I would think it would be the “bad “ batch of brass myself. If you are getting about three loads out of the brass I would think that would be pretty good.