Case trimming technique

[Wally]

With my pistol cartridge cases I don't like having to trim them all that much. However it is a good idea to try to keep them all at the same length, as by doing so one can obtain consistent crimps. I have a technique that others might find useful.

I bell all my cases, after adjusting the bell die on a case that is at or near maximum length. I then insert in my seater die--it should easly drop down onto the crimper cut in the die without scrapping against the inner wall of the die. Then, while watching a TV program I will manually insert each case into the seater die--those that go in tight and scrape against the inner wall, I keep on the side. They are all over the maxium length--I then trim with a Lee trimmer, attaching the case to a drill, to do so. This works very well and beats having to run each and every case through the trimmer. Hope others will find it useful as well.

[montana_charlie]

You only have to run (say) half of them through the trimmer, but you have to run all of them through the seater die...after running all of them through the bell die.

So, in order to trim fifty cases in a lot of one hundred, you have to handle cases 250 times.

Have I got that right?
CM

[Wally]

You have to bell the cases to load. After I bell, I manually press each one in the seater die while watching TV--those that are snug, I trim.

[Shiloh]

I load 'em and shoot 'em.

Years ago I trimmed some .357 cases and .45 ACP cases for accuracy experimentation. The difference was negligible if at all with my particular pistols. I'm not saying that this is the case with other guns, just mine. A lot of work to find this out.

Shiloh

[RP]

Well I think I understand what you are saying you have to bell to load and while watching TV you fiddle with the cases to find the one needed trimming. And yes it is true you handle the brass more but for some of us reloading is a hobby and if we get dont to fast we have nothing else to do. Myself I reload to get away from everyday crap heck I even clean brass for guns I dont even own.

[TAWILDCATT]

I have never trimmed a pistol case and have shot in compitition.I roll crimp.
at 50 ft they stay in the X ring.course now I can't ,getting to old but can still shoot rifle.:coffee:[smilie=1:my cases are 40 yrs old.

[Wally]

That is amazing---to use cases that old and never having had to trim them.

I have found that when I bell a batch of a thousand or more some will be under-belled, other over-belled. No matter how I adjust the bell die, this always happens. The under-belled will not allow a bullet base to enter--the over-belled drag on the inside of the seater die. So I developed this technique that has worked well for me. After using it on a batch, the next time that I do so (on that same batch), there are very few cases that need to be trimmed.

[FN in MT]

The only handgun cases I currently trim are .454 Casulls/.45 Colts and .44 Specials that are used in my two Freedom Arms revolvers. The FA's are capable of such fine accuracy that I prep the cases as I would varmint or big bore hunting ammo; trim, uniform primer pocket, etc. Does it matter? Probably not.

Years ago (one particularly COLD MT winter) I trimmed ALL of my .41 mag, .44 mag and .45 Colt brass to a uniform length. Surely made consistent crimps a lot easier.

I do my trimming with either a LEE hand trimmer or my Forster bench trimmer.

FN in MT

[fourarmed]

Normally I don't trim either. Except for the silhouette revolver. When you are trying to shoot a revolver 40 with cast bullets, even the voodoo incantations are important. I hadn't thought of using the diameter of the mouth as a gauge, but I do my trimming after belling. My theory is that will produce the most uniform crimp.

[Buckshot]

.............It seems that pistol cases down't really grow that much, but they CAN. Whether or not it makes a lot of difference depends on the firearms ability. My Ruger BH 357 is nowhere near as accurate a revolver as my K38. The Ruger will show a difference in grouping between full on match prepped brass and loads vs my regular pistol ammo loading. Yet for the difference it really isn't worth the effort.

In fact it shoots regular loaded stuff about the same as a bunch with the same charge and boolit but 2-3 different headstamps. The K38 on the other hand will make you WANT to load a better quality of ammo :-).

The fact remains though, your confidence in your ammo will have an impact on how well you do with it. Safety concerns aside, if trimming your pistol brass makes you feel better about it, then it's a good thing to do, and a step you shouldn't miss.

...............Buckshot

[Hardcast416taylor]

I agree 100% with Shiloh, "Load `em and Shoot `em". If I started trimming all my pistol cases - all 8 cal. at last count- I`d have less hair than I do now on a bald head. I retired to take life a little easier on myself, not harder. I have a few trophies and award placks of achievement in shooting to prove, at least to me, that pistol cases really don`t need trimming.:Fire:

[EMC45]

I only trim revolver cases to get a known length for crimp. Then leave 'em alone!