Stan,
If you hold the cases in your fingers, by the head, and turn(twirl) them in the flame of a torch it is not possible to hold them until the heads are hot enough to anneal. Steel and brass work differently when annealing. Somone mentioned annealing cases causes them to buckle at the shoulder. This is a valid consideration, especially if the necks and shoulders are overheated and they are being expanded with the sizing die's expanding button. If overheated, but fireformed, buckling will not occur during the initial expansion. In severe cases of overheating and fireforming buckling may still occur when the expander enters the neck during the sizing for loading. This can be reduced by lubricating the inside of the neck and/or using a tapered expander. Generally, this sizing and the subsequent expansion when the cartridges are fired causes enough work hardening that buckling is not likely to occur afterward.
Mike
Thanks again, my friend. I do intend to expand the necks by fire forming, so shouldn't have any problem with buckling as the forces involved will be acting in different directions than when using an expander button in a die. I had watched a video showing how someone used a torch and did it as you say, by hand. That is the method I will use. I may do a few this morning, load them up, and try the procedure. To be continued ........
