Trimming cases what a pain

[btroj]

Just finished trimming, chamfering, and Deburring 250 to 300 30-30 cases. Some where existing cases, some were new to me once fired cases. Some needed ALOT trimmed off in order to bring them all to the same length.
I hate trimming cases, having lots of them to do with some needing lots of trimming makes it worse.
Even with a power drill for the trimmer it took a few hours.

At least this chore is done for a while.

Brad

[cavalrymedic]

I've never trimmed that many cases, but I concur, it is tedious and time consuming. The part that takes so much time is loading the case to be trimmed into the case holder. I wish there were a faster way.

[Olevern]

Just finished 300 32 H&R mags, I feel your pain. Now have a box of 600 .357 mag cases lookin at me for the same treatment.

[Firebricker]

I went to the RCBS 3-way cutter that trims,chamfers and deburrs at once it saves a lot of time. Still would like a Giraud but can't justify the cost. FB

[stubshaft]

You haven't lived until you have to turn necks too!

[Von Gruff]

You haven't lived until you have to turn necks too!

And uniformed primer pockets and de-burred the flash hole.

I had 300 222 cases that I put through a shortened 222 neck die, then a full length sized in 221 die. Trimmed to length sized, necked down to 204 , turned the necks, THEN set out to final trim, chamfer in and out before primer pockets were unified and flash hole deburred. I had 300 prepared 20 VarTarg cases and they shoot very nicely.

Von Gruff.

[akajun]

Well I know a Giraud is expensive, but it is well worth it, especially with the volume you have to trim. You could have done that in 20 minutes.

Even a gracey would be better, and half the price, but Ill say this, I sold my gracey to buy a Giraud, and it was well worth it.

[onondaga]

I find the Lee Zip Trim with the optional 3 jaw chuck faster than an electric drill and Much less tiring.

Gary

[thx997303]

I attempted to do 250 new starline 45-70 cases by hand with the lee cutter and lockstud.

Without the wooden ball.

After a few blisters, I grabbed an electric screwdriver and was able to finish.

[DCM]

Fred Bertelsman makes a couple of different tri-cut trimmers that work very nicely and he is a class act!

[btroj]

I use a Wilson for most of my trimming. For this volume and the amount some cases needed removed I used the old Pacific because it is very user friendly with a drill.
I would consider a Giraud but they are pricey.

Brad

[Storydude]

Possum Hollow and a drillpress.

Done.

[geargnasher]

Brad, I can do 50 in seven minutes comfortably with this:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=28957&d=1296281781

Trim, outside debur, inside debur, and brush the inside of the neck.

Gear

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Last yr I did 2,000- 7mm/06, 5,000- 357, 3,000-44 mag. I feel your pain.:Fire::Fire:

[dk17hmr]

I have a Hornady trimmer and dont mind it most of the time my trimming is just a skim cut to square things up. For my 30 Herret I have a trim die and that is great to use run my dremel with a cut off wheel around the case to take the bulk of and than touch it up with a file.

[looseprojectile]

Doesn't anyone use the drill press?
Grab the shell holder in the drill press vice set the stop and away we go. I use the cutter and pilot from the Forster or Lyman trimmer.
Never has been a chore for me. I use this method for when I am forming cases from longer ones. I do have the Forster and Lyman trimmer for the light duty trimming.
When I need to do a bunch it is worth setting up the drill press.

Life is good

[HeavyMetal]

Lee trimmer with the big wooden ball on it and a 3 jaw chuck in my 18 volt cordless drill.

I always take a few thousandths odd the pin end where it goes into the flash hole to assure that all case's are trimmed and trimmed to the same length. Anything that doesn't get cut gets culled!

I also ream primer pockets and deburr flash holes with this set up. Basically it's a variation of batch loading:

First: I trim them all because if one is short everything eles is a waste of time

second: deburr flash hole

third: deburr case mouth inside and out.

The nice part is I can do all three of these steps as a one stop operation so I will do this to all case's.

Then I will recharge the drill battery and ream the primer pockets.

Now that wood ball Lee puts on the trimmer is the best idea they have ever come up with!

I can usually get 300 to 400 per battery charge depending on how much trimming is actually required.

[oldhickory]

Case trimming is a chore that I despise, so I made it as painless as possible. RCBS case trimmer with conversion to the newer lever type, RCBS 3-WAY trimmer head, and a 1/2" DeWalt 14.4V cordless drill, (no need for any fancy part from RCBS-Just remove the crank handle and chuck the drill directly to the shaft). 400 finished cases per hour with 1 battery change. [smilie=w:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn179/krag1894/Picture017-1.jpg

[winelover]

Trimming is my least favorite chore, even with the motorized RCBS "Trim Pro". I significantly cut down on it by purchasing RCBS "X" sizing dies. Trim all cases to minimum lenght, adjust X die and case stretching is kept at a minimum. I use them for 338W, 308W and 243W. I don't find them necessary for 270W.

Winelover

[WILCO]

I find the Lee Zip Trim with the optional 3 jaw chuck faster than an electric drill and Much less tiring.

Yep. Me too. Good stuff to have for that job.

[AaronJ]

Im with oldhickory, the three way cutter makes trimming so much easier its almost tollerable now.

[lbaize3]

You might consider the WFT (World's Finest Trimmer) from Little Crow Gunworks, LLC (320) 796-0530. I purchased one for my .308 (cost is $75) and it is awesome.... I trimmed a bit over 500 .308 cartridges in about an hour. I frequently put off loading until I have a big bunch to load. I also have the Possum Hollow Kwik trim in 30-06 and .223. They cost about $30 each and you can buy the unit to put it on your drill for $10. I have a kwik trim in 30-30 ordered, too. Will let you know about it when I get it. The only downside to the Kwik trim is that it rubs the shoulder of the case slightly.... not enough to effect anything I can see.

I suggest you do this trimming outside where you have a fan blowing the brass particles away from you. I managed to ruin my glasses (darned plastic lenses...) and breathed in a good bit of brass too. I am in the process of designing a holder for the drill and a box to connect the vacuum cleaner to suck the brass particles away. I hope to take pictures of the rig when I have it perfected. You still need the Lee trimmer for straight walled cases and I also have a Hornady trimmer for all others.....

[kyswede]

I used my table top drill press to convert 500 9x19 cases to 9x18. I held the Lee shell holder/stud in a vise and put the cutter in the chuck. Much easier on the hands.
kyswede

[RP]

Removing the primer crimp from 5.56 brass is a chore and then theres the hand cramps from holding the small brass.

[10x]

Brad, I can do 50 in seven minutes comfortably with this:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=28957&d=1296281781

Trim, outside debur, inside debur, and brush the inside of the neck.

Gear

I put the Lee cutter and stud in my drill press. - Opposite of what you have there.
I find it works much faster to just leave the drill press run.....
I have yet to find a faster and slicker method than the Lee cutter and stud chucked in a drill press.

[derek45]

I spray lube lots of 500 with home made case lube.

shake 'em up and pour all 500-1000 into my DILLON XL650

set the toolhead up with:
1. universal decapper
3. DILLON 1200B electric trimmer
4. redding neck sizer.

All I have to do is crank the handle, and each time it fills the bin with a de-capped, resized, trimmed case.

I don't have to touch the cases, so my hands don't tire or get real dirty

then I tumble 20mins to remove the case lube.

change out the toolhead with the powder die and bullet seater and make LOTS OF AMMO


I can easily do 1000 rounds of 55FMJ in one night

LIFE IS GOOD

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/derek45/dilloncasetrim2.jpg

[geargnasher]

I put the Lee cutter and stud in my drill press. - Opposite of what you have there.
I find it works much faster to just leave the drill press run.....
I have yet to find a faster and slicker method than the Lee cutter and stud chucked in a drill press.

I used to do that on everything, but found that off-center or oversized flash holes cause case mouths to be cut crooked, especially on .45 Colt cases. If you turn the case and hold the cutter this isn't as much of a problem with the Lee tools. I also got tired of chamfering in a separate operation, with the setup I use now I just hold the trigger on the drill (set in low range), trim, then touch the outside and inside deburring tools and run it over the brush, takes about five seconds to lock in a case and process it.

Gear

[bbqncigars]

All my trimming and pocket crimp removal is done on my Wilson with a cordless drill. Ditto on the X die. I wish they made one for the .50 BMG.

[Jal5]

Converting 9x19 to 9x18 cases for the Mak is a PITA on my Lyman Accutrimmer. But the deburring was really the chore until I purchased the Lyman accessory for that purpose-inside/outside deburr in one shot. I haven't modified the Accutrimmer for my cordless drill yet, that is the next project.
Has anyone done that? How difficult is it to modify?