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Why shoukd I buy an AMP annealer

hollywood1981

Let them hate as long as they fear
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 22, 2020
126
40
San Antonio, TX
Why should i drop a shit load of money ie. 1400 bucks on this machine. I know its all about consistency and making brass last i get it. Im not a PRS shooter and F class shooter. I do not shoot thousands of rounds a week eithier. Im just a normal dude, that shoots occasionally and deer hunts. I reload all my rifle rounds. Tell me why i should drop the cash on this, and is there a cheaper route i can go for the same result. Thanks
 
I shoot prs and I'm still not sure if its worth it. I don't think there are any test that proves annealing does anything.
 
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Just get Lapua brass. People get like 10 reloads without issue. Yes it is more $ to start but well worth it in the long run. You can also anneal with a drill and propane torch.
 
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Never annealed any brass before, the idea is to keep the necks malleable so they don’t split from work hardening. I’ve only seen one batch of cases split before, and it was 6mm bulberry that was loaded 30 years ago. Necking down 30 cal to 243 and then sitting for a few decades caused the splits.

If you feel you must anneal, a propane torch and some tempilaq will get you going. If you must anneal regularly, one of the progressive annealing machines would come in handy.

If you are ocd and love to spend money, get the amp by all means.
 
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Never annealed any brass before, the idea is to keep the necks malleable so they don’t split from work hardening. I’ve only seen one batch of cases split before, and it was 6mm bulberry that was loaded 30 years ago. Necking down 30 cal to 243 and then sitting for a few decades caused the splits.

If you feel you must anneal, a propane torch and some tempilaq will get you going. If you must anneal regularly, one of the progressive annealing machines would come in handy.

If you are ocd and love to spend money, get the amp by all means.
One side of me wants to buy the amp, and then I think why am I spending all that money when I coukd have got a benchsource annealer for more than half the cash. I'm leaning more towards the benchsource and save the excess cash on new brass and powder.
 
Never annealed any brass before, the idea is to keep the necks malleable so they don’t split from work hardening. I’ve only seen one batch of cases split before, and it was 6mm bulberry that was loaded 30 years ago. Necking down 30 cal to 243 and then sitting for a few decades caused the splits.

If you feel you must anneal, a propane torch and some tempilaq will get you going. If you must anneal regularly, one of the progressive annealing machines would come in handy.

If you are ocd and love to spend money, get the amp by all means.
Not one person I know anneals to combat split necks.
 
I bought a Giraud in 2011, I think I was one of the first on here discussing the benefits of annealing. Today I have an AMP and could not be happier. By what you are telling us, I would save my money and replace brass when it does not seem right. Reason being, I would up my game in shooting before upping the anti in equipment and then trying to justify it.
If you have 300 or more pcs of brass for a rifle, think about it, if you have 100, forget it, buy new brass.
 
If you dont shoot much, then annealing shouldnt be a priority. I use my amp every firing on all my brass. 223, 6 dasher, and 6.5 SAUM. It gives me peace of mind i have taken all the steps i can to make the best ammo I can. So when i miss, its all on me.
 
I used a Ken Light BC-1000 for years and always wanted an AMP but they could not do 50 BMG so I held off. When the AMP Mark II came out, I went ahead an purchased one. Great machine and so much easier to set it up and use it while producing more consistent results. Granted, the initial purchase price for the unit and the associated pilots are a bit steep but it is a quality tool that has never caused me any issues. Getting ready to finally hand down the BC-1000 to the neighbor.
 
I don't think there are any test that proves annealing does anything.

Granted, it’s an article written by the manufacturer but it does provide some insight in the process.

 
If you're not competing and shooting many rounds a year, it's not necessary. Just use your brass until it wears out. Probably get as many as five reloads. That fourteen hundred dollars will buy lots and lots of new brass.
 
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The amp is a really cool piece of engineering. I have a bench source I owned first and will keep as a backup. You’ll like it if you buy it. You’ll live if you don’t.
 
I tested the Annealeez, the Benchsource and the AMP using the same components, lot of powder, primers and bullets loading them all during the same reloading session. I tested them on a target over a chronograph and there was absolutely NO difference in the loads. My take away was that there is some flexibility in annealing and that any of the methods/machines would do the job.

Set up was easy on the AMP but it is a single feed machine. No torch means you can anneal inside but this comes at the higher cost. The Benchsource is a very good machine that uses 2 torches and which requires you load the turntable continuously. It will anneal a lot of brass quickly and is a little more less than 1/2 the cost of the AMP. For the money, the Annealeez does an outstanding job and would serve most shooters well.
 
Lemme take a swing.

I bought an Amp because it’s fast/easy/dummy proof.
The Aztec software allows me to pickup near any caliber I want. Burn one up to generate a code and then off to the races.
No messing with propane bottles/ torch angles/ flame distance/ reading Templac/ dwell time....it’s just a better machine, Full stop. Period.

I have a Benchsource that I rarely used. Now Annealing isn’t a exercise in mystery (under/over Annealing) it just a minor step in my process.

It is a big upfront investment, but if you care about your reloading & want to do as much as you can without a metallurgist degree, then the Amp is worth it.
Now if it will make a huge different in your ES/SD......well maybe not. Lol, but every lil bit helps.
 
Just do it you won’t be sorry, it’s not rocket science. You‘ll figure it out pretty quickly, it’s a great machine.
538B8693-E4D3-49BB-898B-136C064668C0.jpeg
 
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I used the torch and drill for a few years, then switched to an Annealeez. I love it. I added a better arm with adjustments so I can setup any caliber faster. Stack up all the brass and enjoy a beer while it does all the work.
 

I just finished a similar build.