[jhansman]

Hey all-
I have about 1K pieces of '06 LC .223 brass that needs trimming. Up til know I've been using an old RCBS lathe-type trimmer that is fine when all you have to do is small batches. What can I use to get all this brass trimmed that won't take as long or require an elbow replacement when I'm done? I saw this vid on YouTube, but I don't know that it would be that much better : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZGkWUtKz4k

Any other ideas on how to most efficiently get this brass down to size? TIA!

[Roccobro]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42nDelSKf8

http://www.possumhollowproducts.com/kwick-case-trimmers.html

This is what I use. I'm thinking of making a die type setup and a Dremel for use in my press somehow so I don't have to rely on my crappy cordless drill. :(

Justin

[Hiaboo]

You could buy an Giraud trimmer but that's $400.. I just use a lee trimmer with a collet bit that holds the shell in a drill, does it quick for me. The drill's a ryobi corded so no problems there yet with about 3000 shells, takes a bit yeah but after that you dont have to do it so often.

[JGAreddog]

For a progressive press with a automatic case feeder. The Dillon power trimmer is perfect. A little pricey but to me well worth it for trimming massive amounts of cases. The quality to me, is not as good as the stand alone Giraud trimmer but still, very good.

[jhansman]

Thanks, guys. Since I posted, I found the Dillon solution, but no way am I spending $200 on a tool I'll probably only use once. I do like the Possum Hollow tool in a cordless drill. Has to be better than cranking away.

[DJW]

Unless it has to be accomplished immediately you could always do 50 and go into the air conditioning and have a soda and cool off before going back and doing another batch.

[jhansman]

Unless it has to be accomplished immediately you could always do 50 and go into the air conditioning and have a soda and cool off before going back and doing another batch.

True, true. Still, I'd like to get this particular task behind me so I can turn my attention to more enjoyable things (HINT: She is soft and has a higher voice than I do).

[dmftoy1]

Imagine how much more you'd appreciate her if she did all your trimming for you. :)

[DJW]

OK, skip the soda and allow her to be your break! DO NOT let her read this. On second thought, do 100 cases then allow your attention to be diverted. If you stopped every 50 you might expire before the entire batch is trimmed.

[04JRB]

I was looking into a faster way when I had a lot of lake city .223 to process too. After a while I figured that without spending a ton of money I was doing fine with the lee stuff and a drill. I really dont like the brass trimming part of handloading that much, but who really does like looking at a pile of 1k cases to trim, lol. I try to do 50 here and 100 there when I have the time and it goes fairly well.

Im still interested if someone has the perfect solution for a reasonable price. I wish I could get my wife to let me buy the Girraud, LoL.

[rbernie]

Lee trimmer.

[rcmodel]

+1 on a Lee .223 trimmer.
I ran over a thousand .223 cases over a two day period last year. About two hours each day.

I chuck the shell holder in my hobby lathe, and the trimmer pilot in a magnetic tip screwdriver handle. It has to be shimmed to a tight fit because for some unknown reason, Lee uses a different size hex then a standard screwdriver bit.

Anyway, I set a mixing bowl full of brass, and an empty gallon coffee can on a stool by the lathe.
I can trim them almost as fast as I can pick them up, chuck them, hit the switch & trim, and throw them in the empty can.

I have done the same on a drill press.
Just chuck the cutter in the drill, and hand-hold the cases on the drill press table. The table itself is the depth stop instead of the Lee shell holder.

For everything else, and less volume, I use a crank type adjustable trimmer with an electric drill attached.

rcmodel

[lgbloader]

RC, Thanks for the drill press idea!!!

This will go even faster than using a cordless drill since you have to tighten the shell holder on each case you trim. Very cool...

Cheers, Mate.

[Idano]

jhansman,

If you're using a RCBS X-Die to resize then only have to resize once during their life time so I would go with the Possum Hollow case trimmer that Roccobro suggested or stay with what you have. However, if your using any other resizing die then Giraud that Hiaboo mentioned or the the Dillon that JGAreddogsuggested because you'll be trimming them more then once during their life time. I personally use the Possum Hollow chucked up in my drill press with this adapter form sinclair for about $13.50:
http://www.sinclairintl.com/images/gold/thumb/WSA.jpg
The RCBS deburing tool also fits into it; I can process 1,000 rounds in about two hours and that includes cleaning the primer pockets.

[toecutter]

Few things to keep in mind... The Giraud and the Gracey Trimmers (I have the gracey and a dillon) both deburr as well as trim. If you are looking to just get a bunch of brass done, the dillon is likely the way to go. I used to use a drill press and the lee case trimming stuff, but the problem there is when you are done you need to go back through and deburr the damn thing. Ever since I bought the gracey I have barely been stressed about case trimming. Also: I trim a heck of a lot more brass at a whack than 1000PCS. In an evening it's pretty easy to do about 3000+, that's a production rate the lee couldn't even pretend to match, and again, deburring still required.

It's worth mentioning that I use the gracey for .308 and .223 match ammunition, that I will use in competition. For stuff I'm just going to go out and make noise with the dillon trimmer is just fine, and I have it set up for .223, .308 and .30-06. Caliber conversions for any of these trimmers are a bit pricy compared to either the hand-crank units or the lee trimmers, but they are SO WORTH IT!!! If you are just doing 1000 rounds and are never going to see that kind of quantity again, use the lee, if you are doing large quantities, buy the gracey if you are loading single stage, dillon if you are doing it progressive.

[trickyasafox]

I used to do the lee trimmer on a drill- I saved and saved and got a giraud trimmer-

it is great.

h**p://gunzandshi*.blogspot.com/2008/05/giruad-trimmer-awesome.html

thats a link I wrote about my giraud on my blog.

replace all the * with T's and you'll get my addy. The naughty word filter censors my website.

[Jacka L Ope]

Since you're already using an RCBS lathe-type trimmer, it's very easy to upgrade it by adding the power conversion unit (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=228870&utm_source=nextag&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9315). It has a spring fed cutter that requires no pushing or feeding pressure for nearly hands-free trimming.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a62/lakcaJLOpe/RCBSTrimProPowerCaseTrimmer.jpg

Or whatever other solution suits your fancy. Cheers! http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a62/lakcaJLOpe/beerchug.gif

[Peter M. Eick]

Get the above and a 3 way cutter and you are in fat city for cranking out brass that is nicely trimmed.

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/eickpm/loading_bench.jpg

Here is mine all set up and cranking away doing 30/30's. You can trim a piece of brass in the time it takes to hand prime another and auto dispense a charge and seat a bullet. It works slick!

[RustyFN]

I like the Lee trimmer. I can trim, chamfer and debur one case in around five seconds. I put the lockstud in a battery drill and can trim fast. 1K 223 brass can be done in a few hours.
Rusty

[amlevin]

I too had a pile of .223 brass (4500 rounds) to be trimmed. I sized it all through my XL-650 with only the de-prime/sizing die installed. Then I trimmed all using my RCBS lathe type trimmer only to speed the OVERALL process I installed the RCBS 3-Way Cutter head. That way I trimmed, chamfered, and de-burred, all in a single process. Since I owned the lathe type trimmer already, adding the 3-Way Cutter was only $40. I trim about 5 per minute or 300/hr. Nice clean case mouths with the proper chamfer and NO burrs. Several evenings of work but well worth it. Won't need to be done for a couple of shootings and to top it off I didn't have to spend $200-$400 for another machine.

[Zak Smith]

Go Giraud and don't look back