Case Trimmers

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P.B.Walsh

P.B.Walsh

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Hello, I am currently using a Lee Quick Trim with cartidge specific dies in conjunction with a Lee deburr/chamfer tool.

While this works, it is not particuarly fast or consistent. For .223/5.56, my brass is anywhere from 1.750 - 1.762, with most being about 1.757. The book says 1.760 as the nominal length. On top of being inconsistent, it is not very fast.

While the minor inconsistency is fine for an AR, but not for a precision rifle which I am slowly setting up to reload for.

So in regard to that, what would be a good trimmer that will consistently trim brass to a certain spec.

I do not have a lot of funds, so lets try to keep a recommendation under $75, and possibly a different (more ergonomic) deburring/chamfering tool.

Note: I do not have a power drill, only two hands and a Lee classic single stage press.

Thanks,

- P.B.Walsh
 
If you reload several cartridges on a budget, the Lee trimmer is about the best. Either that or the Lyman kit that works the same way:
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/case-trimmers/ezeehandtrimmer.php
Do yourself a favor and get a drill to use with either one. Even a $16 Harbor Freight cordless will work.

Long-term, the Frankford Arsenal Trim center will save time and money:
http://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Platinum-Center-System/dp/B00HS7JEB4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448767344&sr=8-1&keywords=frankford+arsenal+trimmer

It will trim all your shouldered rifle brass with no additional parts required. It also gives you chamfer/debur stations as well.
 
I'm seriously considering buying that Frankford Arsenal platinum trimmer. I've been using the lee trimmers for years, but would like to speed up my case prep. Do you use it Maxx? Are you happy with it?
 
Gtscotty said:
I'm seriously considering buying that Frankford Arsenal platinum trimmer. I've been using the lee trimmers for years, but would like to speed up my case prep. Do you use it Maxx? Are you happy with it?
Click to expand...

I have had this a couple months, and have processed about 700 .308s and 1500 .223 cases. Initial setup for each caliber requires a bit of time, but once it is set, it is pretty consistent - +/- .002 for the ones I have checked. Under another reloader's advice, I replaced the trimmer that came with the kit with an RCBS carbide trimmer. Fits perfectly. Also, Lyman bits for their hand case tools work in the other stations if you need to replace them.

One of the stations has a bit of wobble to it, but the deburr tool still does its job there.

The amount of labor difference between this and the Lee trimmers is ridiculous. I am very happy with it. Just not having to deal with the shellholders makes it worth it. A Giraud would be better, but being able to switch calibers without buying parts is nice. Also, I have been collecting and depriming some Berdan brass for later. Now that I have a way to trim it (since it spaces off the shoulder instead of through the flash hole) I can see about getting some primers.
 
Those look good, but can they trim to a non-standard length? For instance, what if the best trim length for my .308 chamber is .05" longer than standard? Can these trimmers be set to stop at a certain length?

Thanks!
 
You have to set the trim length every time you set up a different caliber.

As far as consistency, I will pull the batch I just ran and do 30 of them. Since I mainly am cranking out AR rounds, I have not been that picky about length. I'll measure 30 to see where they range and post them up.

The Lee trimmer should be more accurate than you are getting. I am wondering if it is just using hand vs drill turning.
 
Thanks for the review on that trimmer, I just dropped an order for one on Amazon. It will be great to cut down my case processing time!
 
I've been running my Lee case trimmers with a cheap Harbor Freight drill for several years. So far so good.
My method is
1: Size all cases
2: Put case in Lee Shell holder.
3:Trim case-a couple of seconds spin with the drill
4: Chamfer inside neck- Just a blip on the drill
5: Debur outside neck- Another blip on the drill
6: Apply brass polish from corner of shop rag Blip again
7: Shine case and remove lube using clean portion of same towel - A couple seconds with drill spinning the case

Whole process after sizing cases only takes 15-20 seconds per case.
 
Might could invest in a cheap drill for this purpose, as of now it takes me about 1 minute or more per peice of brass. No fun when I have to do 100 peices...
 
I've been using one of the Lyman Universal Case Trimmers that comes with 9 different Pilots. The basic trimmer comes standard with a hand crank but they do sell a conversion rod that allows you to use a drill (saves a lot of wear and tear on your wrist if you trim a lot of brass). I have trimmed many thousands of pieces of .223 to 7mm magnum brass on mine and it is still going strong. I did have to replace a couple of parts over the years. The steel cutters seem to dull pretty fast, but saying that I did just trim over 1,400 pieces of .223 brass without having to change cutters. There is a carbide cutter but I haven't bothered to try one since I sharpen the steel ones. I did break one of the rods that holds the drill but it was my fault as I tend to leave the drill hanging on the rod for months at a time. If you shop around you could probably find one (shipped) for under $75.00. Hope this helps.
 
The standard Lee trimmer works very well, slow but accurate. I still use mine for 30-06. There are much faster options out there. Not any good cheaper ones that I know of.

If you want to adjust the length you would have to ether shim or trim the case length gauge. I don't think I would bother for five thousandths unless I could prove to myself on paper that it made a difference.


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/476992/lee-case-trimmer-cutter-and-lock-stud
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/107333/lee-case-length-gage-and-shellholder-223-remington
 
I do appreciate the replies, I am going to use my Lee QT until I can find one I can settle on. The responses have really helped me out.

Thanks!
 
Another place to look is the used market. I got my RCBS at a garage sale for $40 with all the pilots. Ebay and Craigslist are good places to check out. Patients yields rewards.
 
Just FYI. I measured 50 .223 cases from the Franklin Trimmer. Results:
1 - 1.746
4 - 1.747
10 - 1.748
14 - 1.749
21 - 1.750
 
P.B.Walsh said:
I do appreciate the replies, I am going to use my Lee QT until I can find one I can settle on. The responses have really helped me out.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I just realized I read your post wrong. Usually when folks talk about Lee trimmers, it is the Lee Case Length Gauge, Cutter,and Lock Stud. I have not messed with the Press-mounted Quick-trim setup.
 
I use a wft trimmer head chucked in a $12 harbor freight drill. It is actually enjoyable to trim brass now and doesnt leave any burrs so no need to chamfer/deburr imo. Mine is very consistent and doesnt vary a thousandth.
 
Since the Frankford trims based on the shoulder, some OAL differences are inevitable. Brass headstamp, number of firings, type of rifle fired in, and PSI of loads used will all change how well the brass springs back to some extent. Only a trimmer that has a length gauge that goes all the way through the primer pocket can be 100% accurate OAL-wise.

Luckily, the important measurement as far as actual firing is concerned is the shoulder->mouth measurement. I don't have a good way to measure this.
 
To all of you who use cheap HF drills, how do they hold up? I suppose it could be smart to not waste a new Dewalt on brass trimming.....
 
The RCBS trimmer chucked up to a drill is hard to beat. Trims to the same length every time and can be set for any trim length one wants.

I don't even measure my rifle cases to see what length they are I just set up my trimmer and start trimming. If I watch the cutting blades I can see if a piece of brass didn't get any trimming so I take it out and set it aside until I need a brake from trimming then I measure them to see how short they are.

Nice thing about the RCBS trimmer is for high volume trimming the 3 way cutter can be used which also camfers the inside and outside of the case mouth. Another plus is you don't have to wear out your fingers holding the cases.
 
PB

Go to Amazon and look up the WFT. It's in your budget. Then get the $12 harbor freight drill. You can't go wrong with that option.
 
P.B.Walsh said:
To all of you who use cheap HF drills, how do they hold up? I suppose it could be smart to not waste a new Dewalt on brass trimming.....
Click to expand...
I have an 18 volt Dewalt and an 18 volt Harbor freight drill. I've had the Dewalt for a lot of years and it has trimmed a lot of brass as well as usual drill driver chores. The Harbor freight I picked up a year ago as I was forgetting the Dewalt in my trailer where it was used to run the trailer stabilizer jacks up and down.

The Dewalt defiantly has more power and is faster running the stabilizers or driving a screw but the HF drill gets the job done, for brass prep there really is no difference in the drills except for price. Another bonus is a battery for my HF drill cost $15 where the Dewalt is around $100. If I remember correctly I think I spent $55 on the HF drill and extra battery.
 
Since you want to load for a precision rifle, here are a few recommendations that should help...

If you are loading for a precision rifle and want real precision (i.e. consistent accuracy), it will cost you some money, so forget about your $75 limit and save up for what will get you real accuracy. It's always better to buy good equipment once than buy cheap stuff and have to buy the good equipment down the road, hence spending a lot more.

When it comes to accuracy and more importantly, consistency, "fast" and "precision" are not found in the same sentence. Consistency is key.

You can get excellent accuracy and consistency with the set up you already have, and with some effort on your part you can make excellent ammo.

You also don't need to go crazy to get the precision you need. It's best to determine how accurate you need to be based on your intended application and that will dictate what you buy going forward.

If you want benchrest accuracy, then you can keep that Lee Single Stage Press and save money by buying Lee dies. They work very well.

I would suggest you look into LE Wilson Equipment. This is what the benchrest crowd uses.

Invest in an LE Wilson Case Trimmer Kit with the Micrometer. I have one and it is accurate and consistent to .001" every time. Excellent product.

I would also suggest you get an LE Wilson Case Gauge to check your work, it is an invaluable tool.

You will need to measure all of your bullets off the Ogive and sort them by length. Hornady makes a tool for this that clips onto your Micrometer and it works well. It's pretty cheap too.

Bullet seating is another area for investment. Benchrest shooters tend to use Inline Dies for Bullet Seating. LE Wilson makes an inline seater that works with either a Mallet (cheapest option) and an Arbor Press (more expensive and really not needed). An LE Wilson Inline Seating Die with the Micrometer Top will retail for about $100, but it will seat your bullets to .001" accuracy and do it all day long.

You will need to determine where the bullet ogive hits the lands in your rifle, back off .020 to .030" and then test your rounds to see what seating depth is most accurate.

So, for a small investment in quality tools, while leveraging your existing equipment you can get benchrest quality accuracy and consistency, assuming you can shoot and your rifle is up to the task.

I hope this helps...
 
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