RCBS Trim Pro Power Case Trimmer!

[MCMXI]

I bought an RCBS Trim Pro Power Case Trimmer three or four months ago and finally got around to using it this weekend. All I can say is WOW!! This thing is excellent. I ordered .22 and .30 caliber three-way cutters based on some reviews and they're well worth the extra $30 each. The trimmer is VERY easy to set up and I'm amazed by how accurate and repeatable it is. I trimmed a bunch of .223 cases to 1.750" ... well actually that's not quite true ... my first case came off at 1.752" so based on past experience with manual case trimmers I figured I'd leave it there since some were bound to be under and some over. Boy was I wrong ... ALL cases came out at 1.752" .... and the three-way cutter does a great job of deburring the inside and outside of the case mouth at the same time. It took about 15 seconds to insert a case, run the trimmer and remove the case. At that rate I should easily be able to trim 200 cases in an hour. Now I'm planning on trimming about 1000 cases which is something that I NEVER would have considered using a manual trimmer.

RCBS Trim Pro Power Case Trimmer

 

[rich0372]

WOW I guess I should get the three-way cutters for mine because I just got mine also and it takes about 30 seconds for each case plus I have to debur....but your right it's very consistent. Now that I think about it I was doing 308 brass, maybe that's why it took longer.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

Good luck, I just swaged and trimmed 3000 223 and now IM burnt out, my 223 three way cutter works OK, cant seem to get the inside to work well, my 270 cutter works great, maybe mine has a defect.

correction outside trimed

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Chevelle,

You probablly just have to adjust it a bit. If you look close and go through the instructions, it'll make more sense and you can get it set up to cut the 223 a bit better.

Regards,

Dave

 

[MCMXI]

rich, I haven't tried .308 cases yet but I can see them taking longer. Anyway, my manual case trimming days are OVER!!

CHEVELLE427, you can move the pilot out (away from the face cutting tool) which will affect the insider chamfer. Mine is all the way in on the .22 three-way cutter and it's working fine. I like the design on the pilot, there's a screw (radial) to lock it in place and a small screw (axial) for fine adjustment to move it out.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

you can move the pilot out

correction , i was having trouble with the outside not the inside

Have not tried that, didn't have any problems with the 270 trimmer but this one has ate my lunch. Said heck with it and did all the 223 with an outside hand reamer after they got trimmed.

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Chevelle,

Sounds like the setting for the outside trimmer is too deep. If you look close, you'll realize the problem is the adjustment screw for the outside trim "blade" has a lot of backlash. Play with it until you figure the backlash out and you'll be able to get it adjusted. What I do is get it close, then use my finger tips to move it within the backlash "slack" to get the absolute correct adjustment, at which point I tighten down the set screw.

Regards,

Dave

 

[MCMXI]

Dave/Chevelle, I found it easy to adjust the outside cutter but a feeler gauge (with same thickness as the case wall at the mouth) really helps to get it in the "perfect" position so that it only removes the burr on the case mouth and not the case material as well.

My only complaint is that I wish RCBS had three-way cutters for more calibers, particularly the pistol calibers. Actually, all they'd have to do is offer chamfer pilots in pistol calibers such as 9mm, .357, .429 and .451 since the rest of the cutter should work fine. Currently they only offer the following chamfer pilots.

.17
.20
.22
6mm
.25
6.5mm
.270
7mm
.30
8mm
.338
.375

These are fine for rifle calibers but aren't much help for popular handgun calibers. I did order a couple of Redding Titanium Nitride coated high speed steel cutters to use on handgun brass without a three-way cutter.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

i have played with it for some time now even used a magnifying glass to see up in there, it either does nothing or it starts to cut into the case too much, really starting to think it is the cutter, rcbs has a good warranty service but will have too see if this is covered

 

[shooter762]

just curious if rcbs got you taken care of chevelle?

 

[CHEVELLE427]

cant say yet,
seems my life got dumped up side down the past 4-5 weeks have not contacted them about it yet, just now got the reloading station set back up.

just yesterday started looking to see were i left off with the 223.

i should be back to reloading in the next few days i hope.

thanks for posting this . it helprd to trmind me what i was doing before SHTF here.

 

[rich0372]

1858 you were right

What a difference...I just got my 3 way cutter from Midway today. It did take a few minutes to set it up but WOW it really speeds things up. just about 15 seconds maybe a little less for each case and no more deburring after each case. It's also very consistent trimming to 2.005 everytime.

 

[Micksis]

I know this thread is a little old. But i have some questions i have a manual RCBS case trimmer. And well my cases are varying in length about .005" or so. Is this about standard for a manual case trimmer or do you guys have some suggestions that would make my cutting more uniform?

 

[MCMXI]

Micksis, welcome to THR! The issue that you're having is one of the reasons that I upgraded to the Trim Pro. Like you, I also had a hard time obtaining consistent case lengths, and frankly, I found that turning that bloody locking handle got old real quick. The collets and locking system on the RCBS manual trimmer just aren't conducive to accurate case lengths and it's just too much like hard work.

 

[chuckfw]

1858.....You trim straight wall pistol cases???? Why, do you find that they stretch? I have never trimmed any and have been reloading the calibers you mention for match, combat and pleasure shooting with no problem for over 30 years.

Also, do you guys (using the RCBS power trim pro) trim after sizing/depriming the case or before?

 

[MCMXI]

1858.....You trim straight wall pistol cases???? Why, do you find that they stretch? I have never trimmed any and have been reloading the calibers you mention for match, combat and pleasure shooting with no problem for over 30 years.

Also, do you guys (using the RCBS power trim pro) trim after sizing/depriming the case or before?

I haven't trimmed any pistol brass yet with this trimmer and may never need to. Like you, I haven't trimmed any pistol brass in many years but I'm now shooting hot .45 Colt and .454 Casull loads and lots of .45 ACP in USPSA. I'm picking up all kinds of brass during the match so some of it may be out of spec.

I size and deprime all my rifle brass BEFORE trimming.