Lee Trimmer Trimming Short...Will it hurt

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cencrunner

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I have a lee trimmer that you put in your drill with a shell holder. The cutter has a screw in shaft to set the trim length. It is cheap, simple and quick.

My holder has been used so much that the steel rod that controls trim length has worn a divot in the base of the shell holder. The trim length for 223 is 1.750 and it is trimming it to 1.744. I am going to get a new drill insert(or whatever they call it) but I can't find one in town right now and I don't want to spend more on shipping than the part.

Question is will it hurt anything to trim the brass slightly short. I am shooting this through an AR, if that makes any difference.
 
I have never had problems with trimming that much short just adjust your OAL a bit to compensate for it, but you may also want to pick up a new cutter as i have found that when my Lee trimmers were trimming short it was usually due to the cutter and not the case length gauge or lock stud.
 
Try and see if you can unscrew the stop rod and adjust it back out.

My threads wore loose and kept cutting shorter and shorter.

I finally figured out what was going on and adjusted it to the right depth again.

Lock-Tight has kept it there for about five years now.

PS: A dab of case lube on the shell holder depth stop will stop wearing a hole in it.

rc
 
1.740 is still in spec. A lot of people trim to 1.74 so they don't have to trim as often. I've seen factory brass that is 1.735" after being once-fired and resized.
 
cencrunner, I know of the divot you mention. What I have done is shim the pilot rod at the shoulder with whatever thickness is needed to achieve a longer trim length. I have used various materials made with hollow punches and a punch tool. I have never had to do this with anything smaller than 30 cal, so working with a sub 22 cal sized shim might be a little tedious unless a pre cut, thin micro washer is found/laying around. Good luck.
 
Why not just resurface the shell holder. Chuck it in a drill press if you have one. Run it against a file then sand paper. If that is to much work for a $6 tool then go back to the plan of buying one.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I will have an order to Midway in a couple of weeks (well, whenever they put Dogtown bullets back on sale) so I am just use as is until then. You don't shoot this much with a bolt gun, but the AR just makes it too easy.
Frank
 
kingmt said:
Why not just resurface the shell holder. Chuck it in a drill press if you have one. Run it against a file then sand paper. If that is to much work for a $6 tool then go back to the plan of buying one.
Click to expand...

The surface that the pin rides on may be surface hardened. Resurfacing it may remove the hard surface and it will where quicker. The hard surface may be compromised anyway.

A short term solution until a new case stud is obtained.
 
But that lock stud part of the shell holder is what the depth stop pin wears on.
It is steel, and the aluminum shell holder screws down on it.

rc
 
Went with the idea of resurfacing the lock stud. Used my hand drill and a piece of sand paper. Got it back to 1.749 and all is good for now. I only have about 80 pieces of brass to trim. Will get a new lock stud and cutter from Midway in a couple of weeks.

Thanks to all for the replies and ideas.
Frank
 
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