If you want some more up-to-date information on brass annealing, including the chemical basics (which often vary from "common knowledge") there's an entire chapter in my BIG BOOK OF GUN GACK II. This includes the result of various methods from Fred Barker's candle technique to the A.M.P. (Annealing Made Perfect) electronic machine from New Zealand, which runs around $1500. The book is available from www.riflesandrecipes.com, and also includes quite a bit of other handloading information.

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