Re: Drying brass in the oven...Yay or Nay?
One thing I've noticed about conventional ovens is that the heating element will run at maximum (burners or coils) up until the metal interior reaches the selected temperature. This means that even if set at 150°F, the heating element will be at full blast up until the time the thermometer shuts it off which can be up to five minutes, and anything above it will consequently absorb this heat.
The best method would be to "pre-heat" the oven to say 150° - 200°, shut it completely off, then place the brass inside. The oven will retain sufficient heat to evaporate the water without fear of the heating element coming on.
Still, the best foolproof method is to put it ouside on a hot sunny day, although this is obviously not always possible.
Two hours to dry the brass seems a little excessive to me. Even with .223, it only takes me about 1/2 hour. Geographics (humidity) perhaps?