By using the Lee Collet Die exclusively my brass lasts a long time. However, the batch of over 200 I use for matches and much of my experimenting now has been reloaded 58 times and I have had two split necks in the last couple of thousand reloads so annealing the necks may make sense.
I had a nifty set up of an old 45 RPM turntable that rotated a cake pan of water. I set the cases in the middle and played a propane torch on them until dull red then tipped them over into the water. Since i hadn't used it much since switching to collet dies it stayed in Maine when we moved.
I know the necks should be brought up to the right temperature not just guesstimated by the shade of red. I have heard of dipping the necks into the lead pot with the lead set at that "right" temperature. That method seems like the ideal way to get the temperature right.
Is anybody using this method? What are the pros and cons? What is the right annealing temperature for cartridge brass. Any information, advice, or suggestions will be appreciated.
John