Bench Source or AMP Annealing machine

[ColinR]

I am considering splashing out more than I intended for an annealing machine. The two that are under consideration are the Bench Source Vertex and the AMP - one gas the other electrical induction.

The BSV is cheaper by some £300 and runs on gas and needs setting up for each cartridge with Tempilac. The AMP comes with a program which is the result of testing hardness of cases from all the major manufacturers and automatically sets the time.
The BSV seems much quicker as it has a rotating tray that you load as it goes round and then ejects automatically, while the AMP has to be loaded and removed by hand.

Do they both work as well?

[BooBoo]

Evening Colin,

After much deliberation last year, I opted for the AMP.

Whilst it may be more expensive, it takes all of the unknowns out of annealing and is of course induction rather than naked flame. It is not a chore to use... and you couldn't leave a hopper fed annealer in any case to just crack on by itself.

Like you, I'm also Wiltshire based and FCSA... so if you're on the next Javelin day then feel free to have a chat.

BW,

Simon

[The Gun Pimp]

I am considering splashing out more than I intended for an annealing machine. The two that are under consideration are the Bench Source Vertex and the AMP - one gas the other electrical induction.

The BSV is cheaper by some £300 and runs on gas and needs setting up for each cartridge with Tempilac. The AMP comes with a program which is the result of testing hardness of cases from all the major manufacturers and automatically sets the time.
The BSV seems much quicker as it has a rotating tray that you load as it goes round and then ejects automatically, while the AMP has to be loaded and removed by hand.

Do they both work as well?

No comparison - have a look at the AMP website and also the write-up on targetshooter.co.uk
I don't think you'll find the AMP too slow - takes less than 10 mins to do a box of 50.
If you want to properly anneal your cases, buy the AMP - if you just want to roughly anneal 'em go for a blow-torch and stop watch.

[ColinR]

Hmmm..... that seems a pretty conclusive vote for the AMP. Certainly more than I wanted to pay, but seems the way to go. Thanks for your advice. Simon I will certainly look you up when I am next on the Javelin range.

[ColinR]

I have just ordered the AMP from March Scopes - nice people to deal with and gave me an extra cartridge adaptor FOC. New stock arriving today so should be with me on Friday.
From my research and you guys this is definitely the right decision, but at £1125 it better be good!

[FredB]

I use an electric drill with a 4" nail in the chuck and a bowl of water.
Fred

[ColinR]

I use an electric drill with a 4" nail in the chuck and a bowl of water.
Fred

I read lots, looked at too many videos, but the consensus of the experts seems the same - if you are going to anneal you need to do it properly and consistently to get repeatable results. Gas does not seem to give consistent results and brass from different manufacturers will not give the same results from one setting. I want to preserve my expensive brass, Lapua .338 LM cases cost nearly £3 each. And I hope to reduce the ES and SD of long range loads and the AMP annealing machine has all the prospects of doing this. If not a complete waste of money and then I will revert to a 4" nail, maybe!

[FredB]

you can buy an awful lot of brass with the price of one of these machines. You can't anneal brass incorrectly---heat it and it softens. The quench is not needed but most of us find it convenient to use. I am still using brass bought in the 1980s which has been reloaded countless times.
Fred

[WelshShooter]

you can buy an awful lot of brass with the price of one of these machines. You can't anneal brass incorrectly---heat it and it softens. The quench is not needed but most of us find it convenient to use. I am still using brass bought in the 1980s which has been reloaded countless times.
Fred

Depends what brass you're using. If you're using fireformed wildcat calibres (i.e. anything "Dasher") then it will save you time from case forming. Some standard brass can be expensive too, for example, 6.5x47 Lapua costs around £1 per case and .338 Lapua Mag costs >£2.50 a case. Annealing your existing brass can extend the lifetime of your brass and also ensure that your brass stays uniform in terms of spring back etc.

Also, you can anneal brass incorrectly! If you overheat the necks you can cause the material to become too soft, and should not be fired in your firearm. In addition, you do not want to anneal too low down in the case, especially at the primer pocket. On the other hand, if you do not heat the brass enough, then it will make no difference on the brass. I've tried annealing by hand using a drill, case holder and a blowtorch. I could never get a consistent anneal case to case even though I would use a timer and ensure I held the case at a consistent standoff distance, so for me I don't bother unless I could find a way to automate it. The AMP is a nice device to use and the OEM have certainly done their homework in understanding the inputs which will ensure a perfect anneal every time, but this is a bit too expensive for my plinking.

Which calibre brass do you still use from the 1980's and how are you loading it? Pistol calibres such as .357 and .44 can be loaded over and over for gallery loads with no inherent damage to the brass. Max loads can cause them to split after a few loadings, so it all depends on what loads yo use.

[phaedra1106]

I use a cheap (relatively) automated machine from a nice chap called Lubo in Bulgaria, about £180 shipped to your door.

Works very nicely using a gas torch with a regulator and some Tempilaq.