Need some advice on trimming .38 Special brass
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I don't know about the s&b 38spl brass either. Just figured I put it out there that some of their other brass/brass looking cases are actually steel. Just found it odd that the op was having a hard time trimming s&b brass.
Blue68f100
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If your cutter is acting dull check to see if any brass is sticking to it. If so clean it off and go back to work. Brass is a gummy material and likes to stick to cutting edges. Does not hurt to put a light coating of oil on the cutter to keep it from sticking.
Varminterror
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I haven’t read every post in this one, but I DO trim pistol brass, and my process seems to be quick enough.
I prefer to sort by headstamp to better ensure consistent internal capacity. Then I size everything, and lock a set of calipers at minimum trim length, and start sliding cases into the jaws. Anything which doesn’t fit goes right, anything which slides through with clearance goes left. If in the end I have too many in the left bucket and not enough in the right, I consider shortening my standard, maybe scratch off 5-10 thou and rerun the left bucket into a fresh right bucket. If it adds a sufficient amount, then I set my trimmer to that length and add both right buckets. If there’s not enough additional brass to be worth my time in the “short spec” bucket, then I carry on with what I had from the first culling.
It’s quick enough I sometimes will pick a “halfway between max and min trim,” length as my starting point instead of minimum trim length, and work from there. I can pass cases across the calipers WAY faster than measuring every case individually, it’s just a specification spanner at that point.
Another method which is fast - but wastes more energy unless you have a powered trimmer: size and trim all of the brass to your desired spec and rack them. Any which didn’t get trimmed will be obvious by the tarnished mouth, rather than fresh cut brass. If your brass is too clean, rack them and roll an ink roller or press an ink pad onto the rack to give witness fluid to your mouths. I prefer the former above because I only trim what is in spec, which is the greater time vacuum in my set up.
I prefer to sort by headstamp to better ensure consistent internal capacity. Then I size everything, and lock a set of calipers at minimum trim length, and start sliding cases into the jaws. Anything which doesn’t fit goes right, anything which slides through with clearance goes left. If in the end I have too many in the left bucket and not enough in the right, I consider shortening my standard, maybe scratch off 5-10 thou and rerun the left bucket into a fresh right bucket. If it adds a sufficient amount, then I set my trimmer to that length and add both right buckets. If there’s not enough additional brass to be worth my time in the “short spec” bucket, then I carry on with what I had from the first culling.
It’s quick enough I sometimes will pick a “halfway between max and min trim,” length as my starting point instead of minimum trim length, and work from there. I can pass cases across the calipers WAY faster than measuring every case individually, it’s just a specification spanner at that point.
Another method which is fast - but wastes more energy unless you have a powered trimmer: size and trim all of the brass to your desired spec and rack them. Any which didn’t get trimmed will be obvious by the tarnished mouth, rather than fresh cut brass. If your brass is too clean, rack them and roll an ink roller or press an ink pad onto the rack to give witness fluid to your mouths. I prefer the former above because I only trim what is in spec, which is the greater time vacuum in my set up.
OP
OP
1KPerDay
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99.999% sure these are all brass, and the ends look like brass when trimmed, but I'll drop a magnet into the bucket of cases and check. Thanks for the idea.
OP
OP
1KPerDay
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They are all brass. No brass on cutter. Tried a couple different headstamps and they all feel the same. I noticed that the S&B cases I am trimming first all start at about 1.145 and I'm trimming to 1.142 so it's just the last couple thou that are taking such effort. When I start with a case at 1.15 it trims the excess quickly then slows down the last couple thou. I wonder if I'm expecting too much from the trimmer and should adjust it out a little.
FROGO207
Member
It only takes a few plated brass to dull your cutter a fair amount. I learned this with my Lee trimmer system. Then the rest of the brass will trim slow. I load my DEWC to just be a bump out of the case mouth (double fingernail width of bullet wall showing above case mouth on most rounds) and use what taper crimp I get with my seater die so I do not work the case mouths excessively. I do not use hot loads and find that bullet tension holds things together without bullets pulling so I find no need to trim/crimp mine. Sounds like a lot of extra work to go through for a few hundred odd bullets. I would just sort a couple hundred cases with the same length out and load those over till the bullets were gone.
OP
OP
1KPerDay
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It's all brass... no steel...
AR-Bossman
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What are you guys using to trim pistol brass? In my time, I've never seen anyone do it, nor have I seen any parts listed to do it... like dies for any trimmer I own. It's all necked rifle stuff. Maybe I just never paid enough attention.
George P
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No, you just realized for 38 spl it is a waste of time.....
I'm using the Lyman E-Zee Trimmer; available at Amazon, Midway, or Brownells
https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Zee-Trimmer-Handgun-7821892/dp/B00AU6C9JE
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012883614/lyman-e-zee-trim-hand-case-trimmer-handgun-set
https://www.brownells.com/reloading...ng/case-trimmers/e-zee-trimmer-prod55618.aspx
I use this for revolver brass, https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/7...MI1_6a4ZLb4AIV6B-tBh221gKrEAQYASABEgLMEvD_BwE
The times they are a changing.
Most newer revolver brass can vary over .01" after sizing, while acp brass is close enough for me as it head spaces on the case mouth. I'm guessing that revolver brass that head spaces of the rim does not need to be as precise. With more recent factory crimps that are not effected by case length variations, manufactures no longer require consistent case lengths for revolver cases.
OP
OP
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ArchAngelCD
Member.
I really like the Forsters trimmer kit. It nothing trims brass but you can add tips for cleaning and cutting primer pockets, adding hollow points, neck reamers and probably some more.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/614276/forster-original-case-trimmer-kit
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/614276/forster-original-case-trimmer-kit
I use 3 different case trimmers. 1 lyman case trimmer and 2 forster case trimmers. All 3 work for trimming cases but the forster's are head and shoulder above the lyman trimmer.
I put the hp in these 230gr hollow based swc's (keith design 429422) 44cal cast bullets turning them into a 210gr hp hb swc using the forster hp tool. The bullets are designed for a snubnosed 44spl/1000fps load.
I put the hp in these 230gr hollow based swc's (keith design 429422) 44cal cast bullets turning them into a 210gr hp hb swc using the forster hp tool. The bullets are designed for a snubnosed 44spl/1000fps load.
OP
OP
1KPerDay
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Those look like they work! Cool
Ya, actually they're pretty impressive. A side view shows not only does the hp expand, the base/body/lube grove of the bullet compresses and expands also.
Without getting into thread drift:
That compression you see is the foundation/mechanics of a cast bullet. And goes to the core/heart of what makes an accurate bullet/load combo.
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