Trim or not (pistol brass)?

One of the things that make loading pistol ammo for me is not having to trim brass

This question gets ask every few months. The answers are mostly the same, never for semi-auto rounds and once, maybe, for magnum revolver rounds.

higgite said:

lefteye42, will the rims of the offending cases enter the mouth of the gauge when inserted rim first? If they do, then again I ask what are the measured case lengths?

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ATLDave said:

Will that work with a tapered 9mm case? 9x19 is not a true straight-walled cartridge...

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Yes, just trying to see if the rim is hanging up on the gauge mouth due to an extractor burr or from being flattened and spread out. Not trying to get the whole case into the gauge backwards.

Ah, as long as one has space to lay down and sleep you can't have to much brass.

And it looks soooo lonely there in the dirt I just have to give it a home.

I do not bother trimming cases 9x19 or most other cases used in semi-auto handguns.

I trim 38/45 Clerke cases when forming them from 45 ACP cases to square the mouth of the case, then never again.

I trim revolver cases where I plan to load near maximum levels to help insure reliable, consistent ignition. Mid and light revolver loads, I do not bother trimming the cases.

Walkalong said:

That would most likely be one that's simply too fat to fully enter the gauge.

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Yup. Plunk testing or case gauging before sizing won’t really help you.

Personally??
I've never trimmed common handgun brass.

The only exception is brass that I reformed.
233 into 7.62x25

I’ve loaded tens of thousands of 9mm rounds and never trimmed any or cleaned primer pockets. I’d guess some of the cases have been loaded ten to fifteen times.

This question gets ask every few months. The answers are mostly the same,

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I expect at least a dozen “what progressive” threads for every “trim pistol brass” thread, it’s just proper etiquette.

Some of the exceptions to my no trim policy would be 45 ACP shot shells from 308 family brass.



And 380 ACP shotshells from .223 brass.

Walkalong said:

Yep.

Many times, yes, especially when I don't shoot nine.

Shot three test loads yesterday and picked up around 200 .223 brass at the hundred yard range, didn't even bother to stop in the pistol pits, no telling what I missed.

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You sound just like me. I have more brass in some calibers than I need, but I still can't help myself.

After Trap yesterday, I hit the Pistol range on the way out and scored way more 9mm (Which like Walkalong, I don't have one of) and .40 (ditto) than .45 ACP. I did score two older issue .45 ACP ball boxes, though. (I dive the trash cans as well as scour the ground.)

entropy said:

After Trap yesterday, I hit the Pistol range on the way out and scored way more 9mm (Which like Walkalong, I don't have one of) and .40 (ditto) than .45 ACP. I did score two older issue .45 ACP ball boxes, though. (I dive the trash cans as well as scour the ground.)

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Ok, you win! Someone is worse than me!!

The best way to decide if you should buy a gun in a new (to you) caliber, just pickup all the brass you find at the range, and when you have X amount of a given caliber, it is time to buy a gun in that caliber.

Seriously, though, this is a good way to determine if a given caliber is shot much at your range, and that more brass might be forthcoming.

Walkalong said:

Happened to me with .44 Spl.

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You all are evil, evil I tell you!
I have a coffee can full of 44 Spcl brass, and another full of 44 Mag. And, dies, even. Oh My!
But, no 44s at my door.
I would probably consider some 44 Spcl revolver, and have glanced, well, fondled is more like it, the 44 Mag lever Marlin at the LGS, a time or two.
With my small hands I don't care for the bruising of a 44 Mag revolver and a Lever gun would just cry for a companion sidearm. And while I would probably jump on a Desert Eagle in 44 at a good/great price, I don't think it would be in any way correct for the partner to a lever. But, alas, no 44s to adore.

Now, if that lever gun would have been in 45 Colt, it would have been home a long time ago to keep the Ruger BH company!

Oh, and about the OP -- though I'm not one of the "old-timers" here, I have over 20K 9MM loaded with no trimming - ever.

I don't own a case gauge and I don't use my barrels as a substitute.

All "new-to-me" pistol brass is checked for length when I first process it. I set a caliper to a length shorter than the maximum case length (but longer than the trim-to length - the exact measure you choose will come with experience) and then pass each case through the caliper jaws. Any cases that won't pass are trimmed, chamfered and deburred.

After that, I know from experience the case will be be 1) lost to the weeds, 2) the primer pocket will get loose, or 3) the mouth will split, before it grows enough to need another trimming. Straight-wall cases and even cases with a slight taper like 9mm and 30 Carbine usually don't lengthen enough to require repeated trimming.

I have never trimmed my 9mm. For my higher end 357 loads, I will trim them to a consistent length so I can get a good consistent crimp.