How likely is it that I failed annealling?

[CEShooter]

Me, a propane torch, and a bottle of Tempilaq 750 just wrapped up our first attempt at annealing some .243 Win catridges. I timed the process to coincide with the Tempilaq changing colors and was feeling pretty happy with myself and then the devil on my shoulder started asking "Well how do you know that you didn't get the head of the cartridge too hot and now your gun is going to blow apart?"

While I track down a bottle of 450 deg Tempilaq to paint a stripe by the head for the next attempt at annealing, what is the practical likelihood that I got the head to hot? Specifically for .243 brass, to achieve something like getting the head too hot is that a moment of inattentiveness or is that a situation where you would have to get distracted by the doorbell and come back 10 minutes later and now it's too hot?

I want to start reloading the cases that I annealed but don't want to reload a bunch of potential failures either.

 

[Thegman]

Assumiming you used reasonably good practices, you're probably fine. Annealing isn't all that sensitive.

By good practice I mean keeping the case spinning in the flame, and heating at the neck obviously, not further down the case.

I've never used Tempilaq, etc., I just insure the neck color never changes beyond where I want it and cool immediately on a damp rag, and have never had a problem. I'm mostly doing annealing to soften the brass somewhat, I'm not looking for perfection.

I use a correctly sized socket on an extension to hold the case while spinning in the flame, and use a low flame.

 

[Castle Rock]

Post up a picture of the brass , there will be an obvious color change in the annealed portion

 

[Flymost]

Eric Cortina did a good video on this subject, cliff notes were if you’re paying attention at all you’ll be good.

 

[wapitibob]

There is zero chance you annealed the case head if the torch was on the neck, and you used tempilaq.
My AMP melts the neck when getting a code and still doesn't get the case head hot enough to anneal it.

 

[ArthurMorgan]

I'd say you're more than good, especially with a torch and if you kept it spinning. For some cartridges I anneal every 3 or so firings and I use a torch with an ugly annealer. I'm not really annealing per se, but more stress relieving the brass.