Annealing just got better with the new AMP MARK II DB! It’s no secret that a precision-minded reloader should be annealing to get the most performance and life out of their brass. The AMP Annealer has had a home here at Ultimate Reloader for years for just that reason, and we just got the upgrade. That’s right, AMP has taken their MARK II Annealer to the next level, and since we have one of the first AMP MARK II DBs to hit the United States, we’re going to check out the upgrades and put it to work.
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The AMP MARK II DB
This is the first time we’ve been able to get hands-on with this unit, but it’s not the first time you’ve seen it! Matt gave me a complete tour of this machine at SHOT Show this year. First things first, let’s see what’s in the box!
What’s in the Bpx
When you receive your AMP MARK II Annealer you can expect the following to be included:
- AMP MARK II DB Annealer (Includes Aztec Mode & Database)
- 4x feet for bottom of unit (adjustable leveling)
- Grasp for the shell holder
- Dust Cover
- Power cord
- USB Cable
- Printed Material
- A hat!
Features and Specs
In case you aren’t familiar with the AMP Annealer, here’s a simple rundown. The AMP annealer offers inductive, non-contact annealing, which means there’s no flame! The engineers at Annealing Made Perfect (Matt, and Alex) have done something incredible in the annealing space, they’ve created Aztec (See this article). Aztec was developed by AMP to take a case to just before melting point to pinpoint the ideal setting for annealing.
While Aztec technology is at the core of this annealer, the upgrades are shaping up the experience quite a bit! So what’s the latest? The AMP annealer is now outfitted with a full touch-screen display, increased circulation, and most importantly — a database!
Side by Side: AMP MARK II vs AMP MARK II DB
So what does the MARK II DB offer over the original MARK II?
- The database! (Store and retrieve your custom data on demand)
- Touch screen display
- Increased cooling
- USB-C
It’s awesome to see innovators like the Annealing Made Perfect engineers paying attention to the details and making these type improvements. Let’s get to work with the new unit!
Set-Up
To set up the unit, I read through the instructions, and installed the feet. The feet do allow you to manually level the unit on your bench.
We decided to anneal some Lapua 6mm Creedmoor cases. The shell holder goes into grip, and you tighten the base. Make sure you select the correct pilot — in this case the #17 pilot for 6mm Creedmoor.
Menus
Walking through the menus is quite simple, and intuitive. Your main menus are:
AZTEC
Let’s take a look at the Aztec menu so we can anneal with Aztec. You have two options to run Aztec. You can analyze for a new case (and then store that in your database), or anneal based on previously acquired data using the database!
- Analyze: Determine optimal annealing setting
- Run: Anneal based on something from database
How to Analyze
First, enter the correct pilot (17 in this case).
Then, enter the correct suffix (B in this case) for the correct caliber (6mm Creedmoor).
Insert your case and let Aztec do the work! Once your analysis is complete, you’ll get the results!
The analysis returned Setting 0148. You can run on autorun on or manual mode. I noticed auto run is pretty fast, and this was rather fun!
The Database
So let’s take a quick look at the database! To use acquired data in the AMP MARK II Database, first select “Aztec,” then select “run,” and finally, select “database.” The cases in your database will appear on screen and you will then have an option to select the desired case!
Conclusion
Annealing is a critical step in the brass life journey. If you’ve worked with AMP products before, you are familiar with the lengths the engineers at AMP go to in order to achieve the best results and make the experience enjoyable. The MARK II DB is an awesome next step in the lineup of products. The slightly higher price is totally reasonable based on the upgrades.
Be sure to check out all the other AMP content here on Ultimate Reloader with the AMP Press, the AMP MARK II & the AMP Mate!
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Thanks,
Gavin Gear
