Trimming rifle brass on the (progressive or turret) press

[ATLDave]

I hate rifle/bottleneck brass loading as compared to pistol/straight-walled stuff. Why? Because of the size-measure-trim process. My current process requires me taking brass off the press to measure and trim, and then putting it back on. I detest this.

For those of you who are trimming without taking the case off the press after sizing, what tool(s) are you using? What trimmer? And what press?

 

[Muddydogs]

I don't trim on the press but can tell you if you just make trimming brass a whole step and trim every piece it saves time and frustration. Set your trimmer up and start trimming, there's no need to measure every piece as you can tell if a case is to short by watching to see if the trimmer makes contact with the case mouth and a quick glance at the case mouth will show weather its been trimmed or not. Your whole rifle reloading would probably speed up if you would do batch reloading where the first pass on the press just resizes the cases, clean then trim the cases and finish reloading them.

 

[GT1]

I don't think there is an on press trimmer that can run during the reloading process. The trimmings would foul up everything. It is only a lot for mass loading of .223 or maybe .308. For my .223 after the first resize they get taken down to min length, and while I will check a few after resizing them again each time they don't seem to need it so far. I will probably get split necks first. I'm loading medium power and they just don't grow much unless you are loading near max. Then things get more involved anyway, and I don't need max loads for range fodder.

 

[SamT1]

Deprime and trim once as a single stage operation. You can load them several times before having to go through the process again. They should all be growing at a similar rate.

 

[jak67429]

I trim and size using the Dillon sizer trimmer. then clean. then load on progressive. I usually prep 2-3000 pieces of brass at a time.

 

[Walkalong]

Dillon

https://www.dillonprecision.com/rt1500-electric-case-trimmer_8_8_26196.html

 

[Blue68f100]

Even if your going with the Dillon trim setup, most make a second run through the press to load. A cheaper route is to go a drill press mounted trimmer and run them all through. It's quicker than measuring and sorting.

 

[Walkalong]

most make a second run through the press to load

I don't know, the one who recommended it to me trimmed/loaded/primed all in the same run.

I still size only through my LNL first, then prep brass and tumble it again, then hand prime, then load it on the LNL.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

I don't think there is an on press trimmer that can run during the reloading process. The trimmings would foul up everything. It is only a lot for mass loading of .223 or maybe .308. For my .223 after the first resize they get taken down to min length, and while I will check a few after resizing them again each time they don't seem to need it so far. I will probably get split necks first. I'm loading medium power and they just don't grow much unless you are loading near max. Then things get more involved anyway, and I don't need max loads for range fodder.

Lee has a trimmer that’s a die that mounts on the press then a cutter is placed in it.

That said, as you point out it wouldn’t make much sense. Using it you’d, still need to pull the brass out to clean the shavings and crud from trimming and chamfering and deburring.

I use a LCT as part of my 223 loading but it’s still a batch process.

I typically take my brass and rise it and clean it when I get home. Basically not to get shiny but to clean out dirt and crud.
I then decap, resize and trim, as batch processes.
I then clean the brass.
Next step is to hand prime while I’m relaxing watching TV

Primed brass is then set aside until I decide to load. Then the charging, and bullet searing is done on the press.

Now this probably isn’t even close to the most efficient method, but I can load when I feel like it and not feel rushed. And as long as I load more than I shoot in a week, I’m never needing to worry about it.

Now, the bad is that I’m planning on shooting a lot more so at some point I’ll need to come up with a more efficient method if I can’t keep up, or load more during the winter when I’m not shooting.

 

[SamT1]

Dillon

https://www.dillonprecision.com/rt1500-electric-case-trimmer_8_8_26196.html

Man that would be worth every penny if it works good converting 223 to 300blk, but after seeing that I wonder if some brass I bought was converted on one. Someone has trimmed it so aggressively I smoked 2 Lyman chamfer tools and still haven’t got 1000 of them loadable

 

[cfullgraf]

I still size only through my LNL first, then prep brass and tumble it again, then hand prime, then load it on the LNL.

This is basically what I do as well. Among other things, I like to clean off the lubricant before reloading the cases.

I resize and prep cases shortly after shooting, small batches process quick. I then store the cases away for a future mega-loading run.

Works for me. Not everyone likes it.

 

[Toprudder]

For range pickup brass I will wet tumble, without pins, for about 15 minutes just to get the outside clean. Then I lube and size all of them. Then back into the tumbler, with pins, for about an hour to do a good cleaning and get the lube off. Then I will trim/chamfer/deburr on the case prep center. Any crimped pockets go through the swager. All of this is done before it goes to the press for the rest of the loading process.

I keep my previously processed brass separate, since I know I will not have to swage pockets, and probably won't have to trim again for several loadings. When I was first getting started loading 223 (not that long ago) I was collecting all the brass I could find. At this point, I'm pretty well stocked on 223 brass and am looking forward to saving some of the effort.

Even if money were no object and I could afford the on-press Dillon trimmer, I don't think I would want to run everything on the press in one pass. There are several stages in the process where a quick inspection gives me some added confidence in the end product.

 

[ATLDave]

I don't trim on the press but can tell you if you just make trimming brass a whole step and trim every piece it saves time and frustration. Set your trimmer up and start trimming, there's no need to measure every piece as you can tell if a case is to short by watching to see if the trimmer makes contact with the case mouth and a quick glance at the case mouth will show weather its been trimmed or not. Your whole rifle reloading would probably speed up if you would do batch reloading where the first pass on the press just resizes the cases, clean then trim the cases and finish reloading them.

That's what I do some of the time. I hate that, too.

 

[Dudedog]

typically take my brass and rise it and clean it when I get home. Basically not to get shiny but to clean out dirt and crud.
I then decap, resize and trim, as batch processes.
I then clean the brass.
Next step is to hand prime while I’m relaxing watching TV

Primed brass is then set aside until I decide to load. Then the charging, and bullet searing is done on the press.

This, except I do a rinse then a quick pass thru the wet tumbler.

 

[Ireload2]

If you can't reconcile yourself to doing the job right just trim the cases about .020 short and forget trimming them for several cycles. There is no other way around the thing you hate unless you can make the RCBS X die work. If you can't be happy with the necessary process you might consider quitting reloading. If you can't live with the necessary steps you may eventually make a serious error.

That's what I do some of the time. I hate that, too.

 

[ATLDave]

If you can't reconcile yourself to doing the job right just trim the cases about .020 short and forget trimming them for several cycles. There is no other way around the thing you hate unless you can make the RCBS X die work. If you can't be happy with the necessary process you might consider quitting reloading. If you can't live with the necessary steps you may eventually make a serious error.

I think you've misunderstood. I've been reloading about a decade. I've loaded many, many thousands of rounds without a "serious error" (not that there isn't a first time for anything). I've trimmed a fair amount of rifle brass (although I load probably 50-100 straight-walled cases for every bottleneck case). I'm pretty compulsive about reloading stuff. I case gauge and weigh every finished round, sort brass by headstamp, etc.

I'm quite familiar with all the batch-processing workflows that people have laid out. Some variation of those is what I do with rifle brass.

I'm not looking to avoid "doing it right" or skipping "necessary steps." I'm looking for a more efficient process that still accomplishes all the necessary steps and seeking constructive input from those who have done so (or who have attempted to do so and found it not to work). Your mention of the RCBS X die is interesting. I was not familiar with it, and it seems to somewhat address the same problem I've identified but from a different direction. I appreciate that portion of the post.

All that said, I take the balance of your post in the spirit with which it was intended. You perhaps believed I was looking to cut corners, and reloading isn't really the space for that. I'm not, I'm just trying to find out if there are more efficient lines to take around those corners!

 

[ATLDave]

I don't know, the one who recommended it to me trimmed/loaded/primed all in the same run.

All the people I know who use the Dillon trimmer have it mounted on a 1050 (in fact, a number of them picked a 1050 for the numerous stations making it easy to include a motorized trimmer). This seems very efficient, but it's a pricey setup.

 

[jmorris]

If I am doing a bunch of cases I use the Dillon trimmers. Size, deprime and trim around 1000/hr. As others have said, it’s faster to trim them all than sort. The main drawback to them is that they are loud, not to mention the vacuum.



The one on the left is a special tool head that incorporates the vacuum manifold into the tool head for the short 300 blk case. I do rough cut them first vs making hundreds of brass Brillo pads clogging up the vacuum. I have automated that process too.

 

[SC_Dave]

If I am doing a bunch of cases I use the Dillon trimmers. Size, deprime and trim around 1000/hr. As others have said, it’s faster to trim them all than sort. The main drawback to them is that they are loud, not to mention the vacuum.

View attachment 790637

The one on the left is a special tool head that incorporates the vacuum manifold into the tool head for the short 300 blk case. I do rough cut them first vs making hundreds of brass Brillo pads clogging up the vacuum. I have automated that process too.

You never cease to amaze me.

 

[Ireload2]

No I have not misunderstood.
If you hate it to the point of avoidance what other things will you also hate to do?

Trimming in one form or another is a necessary evil. To speed it up you can either automate it or you can partially avoid it. I dislike trimming too. I measure the true length of my chambers and ignore the length of my brass for several reloadings since it takes a while for it to stretch.
You can mow off .040 or so of a long necked round and ignore the case length for a long time.
I have a rifle that has a chamber .040 longer than factory brass. Trimming that brass is a waste of time. You can neck size only with a neck bushing die so that the sizing is only enough to retain the bullet. This will stop most case lengthening.
The last is a method used by BPCR single shot rifle shooters. They do not size their brass at all. They drop a new bullet in on top of a black powder charge and apply a light crimp to retain the bullet enough to permit single loading.

Schutzen shooters push a new bullet into the throat of their single shot rifles. Then they stuff an unsized case with the powder charge into the chamber. I have never tried the practice but I have read that a single WW case will last 30 or 40 firings while a Remington case will last 150 to 200 firings due to no sizing. I would assume there is no trimming either. Gets rid of trimming but you wind up with a different loading and shooting process.

I think you've misunderstood. I've been reloading about a decade. I've loaded many, many thousands of rounds without a "serious error" (not that there isn't a first time for anything). I've trimmed a fair amount of rifle brass (although I load probably 50-100 straight-walled cases for every bottleneck case). I'm pretty compulsive about reloading stuff. I case gauge and weigh every finished round, sort brass by headstamp, etc.

I'm quite familiar with all the batch-processing workflows that people have laid out. Some variation of those is what I do with rifle brass.

I'm not looking to avoid "doing it right" or skipping "necessary steps." I'm looking for a more efficient process that still accomplishes all the necessary steps and seeking constructive input from those who have done so (or who have attempted to do so and found it not to work). Your mention of the RCBS X die is interesting. I was not familiar with it, and it seems to somewhat address the same problem I've identified but from a different direction. I appreciate that portion of the post.

All that said, I take the balance of your post in the spirit with which it was intended. You perhaps believed I was looking to cut corners, and reloading isn't really the space for that. I'm not, I'm just trying to find out if there are more efficient lines to take around those corners!

 

[jmorris]

No I have not misunderstood.
If you hate it to the point of avoidance what other things will you also hate to do?

Trimming in one form or another is a necessary evil. To speed it up you can either automate it or you can partially avoid it. I dislike trimming too.

He said he hated it compared to pistol/straight walled stuff, looks like you agree with him. I also didn’t see avoidance in his post, he’s just Looking for a way to make the experience more pleasant.

He’s not missing any steps or doing it incorrectly, lots of ways to get the job done correctly.

Muddydogs method of running every case through, is the same thing I do with the Dillon trimmers. If they are too long after sizing, they get cut. If they are the right length after sizing, they don’t get cut.

 

[Ireload2]

He is clearly trying to avoid a normal operation.
Raise kids or manage people and you will recognize that trying to avoid normal work sometimes leads to short cuts with unpredictable results.

I think you might want to stay out of the conversation. He did not claim that he trimmed straight walled cases. Most people don't.

He said he hated it compared to pistol/straight walled stuff, looks like you agree with him. I also didn’t see avoidance in his post, he’s just Looking for a way to make the experience more pleasant.

He’s not missing any steps or doing it incorrectly, lots of ways to get the job done correctly.

Muddydogs method of running every case through, is the same thing I do with the Dillon trimmers. If they are too long after sizing, they get cut. If they are the right length after sizing, they don’t get cut.

 

[someguy2800]

He is clearly trying to avoid a normal operation.
Raise kids or manage people and you will recognize that trying to avoid normal work sometimes leads to short cuts with unpredictable results.

I think you might want to stay out of the conversation. He did not claim that he trimmed straight walled cases. Most people don't.

Settle down.

 

[someguy2800]

I trim in batches prior to resizing or loading. I trim .020” shorter than the max length and the cases do not grow nearly that much from sizing. After the first firing I set a caliper to the max length and lock it and use that as a no go guage to check brass length. It usually takes 4 or 5 loadings before I do them again and rarely ever have to do them a third time. Usually by that time I throw them out.

 

[ATLDave]

He is clearly trying to avoid a normal operation.

So your theory is that I posted a thread asking for how people who trim on the press are trimming on the press because I am trying to skip trimming altogether? I've done some goofy things in my life, but even for me that would be odd.

I'm not trying to skip anything. I'm trying to make an annoying process less annoying. Like when I set up autopay on my mortgage. I'm not about to skip paying paying my mortgage because I find it annoying. But I will try to figure out an efficient approach to it.