Looking for a case trimmer

[TonyAngel]

I was looking at getting a better case trimming setup than I'm using now. What I'd really like to find is a hand held trimmer that trims, deburrs and chamfers all at once. I'd also prefer it to be round.

My plan is to chuck it up in my lathe and use that as the power. I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a Giraud, when I remembered that I had a lathe in storage.

I'm thinking maybe something like the Possum Hollow trimmer, but that would deburr and chamfer too.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[rcmodel]

Cheap & dirty, but I use bits & pieces of a LEE .223 trimmer in my little lathe.

Use the shell holder/depth stop in the lathe chuck.
Use the cutter & gage in the tail-stock chuck.
Leave the tail-stock free on the bed so you can slide it back and forth.

I also use the same cutter/pilot in my drill press and just hand hold the cases on the drill table.
It becomes the depth stop.

I use a chamfer/deburring tool in the lathe and just stick each case against it with it running. I can trim & debur cases that way as fast as I can pick one up and throw the other one in a bucket.



rc

 

[GW Staar]

For a lathe no, for a drill press, yes!

Forster Power Case Trimmer

with the Forster 3-way Cutter head

 

[TonyAngel]

Thanks guys. I've been looking some more and it doesn't appear that what I'm looking for is available. I'll either go on the cheap and get the Possum Hollow trimmer and the L.E. Wilson deburring/chamfering tool and use them in my lathe, or just bite the bullet and get the Giraud trimmer and be done with it.

I've gotta say that from what I've seen, the Giraud would cut my total reloading time by more than half.

 

[Hondo 60]

I bought a Lyman Power Trimmer on eBay. Cost was just under $200.
I've used it to trim about 500 .223 cases & so far I like it very much.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their case trimmer.

 

[dmazur]

...get the Giraud trimmer and be done with it.

I still have my Hornady for straight-walled cases, but the Giraud is terrific for bottleneck.

And, just like a big pencil sharpener, it contains all the mess inside instead of scattering it all over the bench...

(If you get the Giraud, you should definitely get the quick change cutter heads, so you don't have to adjust the little blade when you change arbors.)

 

[Win1892]

+1 on the Giraud. Have run thousands of .223, .308

 

[alfack]

I just got the Giraud too, after suffering with the Wilson/Sinclair setup. I will never go back. What used to take all day, now takes an hour or two. I made up my investment in time alone already.

 

[MEHavey]

+1 +1 +1 on the Giraud.

Fast, absolutely accurate (relative to your resize settining) and 1-stop everything

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Tony,
Like "rcmodel" I use Lee equipment but with one addition, I use the Lee Zip Trim (Part #90899). I bought it for under $20 and along with the other Lee tools have done many many cases over the past few years with it. I use the Lee cutter with the ball attachment (Part #90275) instead of the drill setup. The Lee chamfer too and primer pocket cleaner are a few dollars each. I think I paid a total of $30 excluding the case length gauge and shell holder for each caliber which will run you ~$4 a piece.

Like RC said, it's cheap and dirty but it all works well...

 

[Walkalong]

If I had money to burn, I would get the Giraud. I may someday. Right now I use a Possum Hollow. I chuck it up in my hobby lathe and it works great under power like that. Then I deburr and chamfer with my RCBS tool. The trimming goes very fast, and the other can be done while watching TV or whatever. Not bad at all.

Since you have a lathe, I think you will be pleased with a PH trimmer. I have one for .223 that I also use for .222 Mag. (I record the depth of the cutter in the body so I can move it to just the right spot). I also have one for .308. I have not tried it on .30-30 yet. AC

 

[HOWARD J]

I'm with hondo 60
I have had a Lyman power trimmer for about 30 years.
It is easy to use, very accurate & still works great after all these years.
Today it is abit $$$$$.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

I just bought the Hornady power trimmer, and it is very nice. Not as fast as a Gured about 1 minute a case compared to the Gured , but the primer pocket cleaner, flash hole deberer, and primer pocket, trimer are all powered. If it wasn't for the extra options that are avalaible the Gured would of been the hands down winner.

 

[TonyAngel]

I just wanted to update. I got the possum hollow trimmer. I decided to go with that instead of the Giraud for now. I have a new scope that I have my eye on, so the Giraud will have to wait a bit.

Anyway, I chucked the PH trimmer into my lathe and blew through 500 rounds in about half an hour. I dilemma now is that the cut is so clean, I'm wondering if I really need to debur and chamfer. Although there is square edge at the neck of the case, there is no burr that I can detect with my fingernail. All I load is boat tail bullets so seating won't be a problem.

Do you guys think that seating without chamfering will deform or scrape enough off of the bullet to affect accuracy?

 

[Muttt]

I picked up an RCBS Trim Pro Trimmer on evilbay for 70 bucks (with free shipping). You really can't beat it. It came with all the shellholders and guide pins. Just look through ebay. Do a search for case prep or case trimmer and you will find a ton of stuff for much lower than retail. Plus, by going RCBS, even if it messes up you can send it back to get fixed. Can't go wrong buying RCBS on ebay. Even though I hate ebay. There are always estate sales on there.