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Thread: How do you work with shorter than trim to case lengths

  1. #21
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    RogerDat's Avatar
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    Trim to shortest or size to stretch. I only need to do straight walled once to have consistent crimps for the life of the brass. This is mostly range P/U or used, but new also every once in a while. I use an inexpensive caliper as a go no-go gauge. I can tolerate a bit of variation in the roll crimp without it making a difference, I'm not so accurate a shot that it will matter. I just don't like crimps that are above the groove, below the groove, and in the groove. Top, bottom, or middle of groove itself is fine with me.

    I guess a few powders that are more dependent on pressure for good burn it might make more of a difference.
    Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.

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  2. #22
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    In olden times when we had only 3 American ammo companies that made brass. It was all pretty uniform. The once fired rifle brass all needed to be trimmed on first reloading.
    Handgun brass was different. The only cases that grew were repeated full power loadings of .357Mag, .41Mag and .44Mag. When you load stuff so hot that It's not even close to what's in the Manuals today.
    I trimmed those cases usually every other loading.
    There were no TAPER CRIMP DIE'S back in those days.
    Roll Crimps needed a uniform length for a uniform crimp in a revolver case. Too long and the case bulged, too short and the bullets pulled out of their cases under recoil.

    .454 Casull was the worst. Tolerances were so tight in a Casull cylinder that you had to trim cases to minimum, And crimp at the top edge of the bullets crimp groove.
    Else the bullets would protrude from the cylinder, trying up the bullets on the forcing cone.
    At the other end you needed to have a supply of cotton swabs to keep the rim recesses clean. I had to turn down the expander ball to .447 to get a tight enough bullet pull. .45 ACP TAPER CRIMP DIE'S were around by 1987, so by then keeping bullets crimped in their cases wasn't as hard.

    Today things are Very different. There are many different makers of brass cases, most seem to go in and out of business just long enough to get their product into general circulation. Just like a lot of the small ammo companies.

    The quality of brass has suffered. Some is long or short, shorter and shortest. Never any inconsistency. And some is so hard you have to practically stand on the press handle to size a .44MAG case in a T/C die.

    If brass is too hard it doesn't seal the chamber, so It's not doing it's job.

    I know just about everyone in enamoured of a certain brand of brass. It's less expensive then just about every brand. So low price breeds popularity.

    I tried some .45-2.6 for making .40-82WCF, I had to anneal every case.
    New brass that has to be annealed before first use. Something is wrong with the manufacturing process if that is the case.

    I've since found out from a VERY reliable industry source, that said manufacturer DOES NOT anneal their brass.

    So even though it is more expensive, I buy REMINGTON or WINCHESTER. Federal's ok too
    They have worked well for me, My DAD, and MY Grandfather.

    Of course This is just one Man's opinion. And 60+yrs experience.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

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  3. #23
    Boolit Mold DangerousDave's Avatar
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    I have reloaded tens if not hundreds of thousands of rounds of pistol cartridges over 40+ years and never found the need to trim any of them yet. Waste of time in my humble opinion.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    For me if the ones gose in wheel guns is not over max and not below the min.I let it alone and load. If below I will see about to load with a different load that I come up with. As for pistol I have only for now 9mm and 32acp. I do not bother with 32acp to trim or anything. For 9mm if it is below the min .I will use them in a wheel gun that I got just for that and any other 9mm round and light loads. As for the 32 acp for what is not right for the pistol I use in my 327 .It all works for me.as for rifle that is different
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  5. #25
    Boolit Master 243winxb's Avatar
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    Revolvers- SAAMI trim length is maximum minus .020"
    A variation of .005" between cases , should fit in most crimp grooves.

    If the variation in trim length is over the .005" and brass is to short to trim, buy a taper crimp die.

    Neck tension holds the bullet and keeps it from moving, for the most part.

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master

    gwpercle's Avatar
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    When I was new I trimmed them but slowly discoved it a waste of time ...unless you shooting for money.
    I haven't trimmed a straight wall (or even the tapered 9mm luger ) in about 30 years.
    See post #20

    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by DangerousDave View Post
    I have reloaded tens if not hundreds of thousands of rounds of pistol cartridges over 40+ years and never found the need to trim any of them yet. Waste of time in my humble opinion.
    My experience mirrors yours. Just a few days ago, I reloaded 300 .38 cases and most were over 40 years old....never trimmed...but I only load mid-range. But I never trimmed full power 9mm or .45’s either. I have not loaded maximum loads in .357 or .44 Mag so cannot comment on those.
    Don Verna


  8. #28
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    Tom W.'s Avatar
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    Once, a pretty long time ago, I has some stomach surgery that left me as weak as water and bored silly. I couldn't even pick up my rifle without it hurting really bad. Sooooo...... I decided that I was going to trim all of my .44 Mag revolver brass to minimum length.

    I have never been that bored since....
    Tom
    μολὼν λαβέ


    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  9. #29
    Boolit Master


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    One of the worst calibers I have ever dealt with as far as cartridge length is the .30 Carbine in the Ruger Blackhawk. Both military and commercial bras is all over the spectrum as far as length is concerned and it makes a big difference as this cartridge headspaces on the case mouth in the Blackhawk.

    I sat down and measured a bunch of cases and recorded the extremely short cases. I then settled on a length that was below "trim to" length that I could live with , trimmed and loaded a box and they did all right. I have one of the Forster drill press trimmers and ran the whole batch through that and from then had no problems.
    .30/30s drove me nuts as once fired cares are all over the place as well. This tends to really mess things up when crimping. I trimmed to "trim to length" and set my die to that. Crimping was accomplished by screwing the seating dies in and out as needed due to the feel and that resulted in good crimps and no buckled necks.
    Trimming to me is only to achieve good crimps. The remainder don't matter in pistol calibers so much but in rifle calibers, the .222 Remington and .220 Swift tend to grow on you and the pressures in the Swift mount up quick. Had a friend using a Swift once and he was having problems with primers. He was loading hot and was getting automatic de-priming with every shot. A friend had a set of calipers in his box and we measured some cases. Way long. We helped the old boy and pulled that batch and trimmed and next week, things went back to normal.
    I might take the time to sit and trim .38 Special cases for wadcutter loads if I'm loading a bunch to my "match" specifications but other than that, I leave pistol calibers alone./beagle
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  10. #30
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Beagle,

    Star used to offer a taper crimp die for .38 to address the need to worry about slight case length variations on match ammunition.
    Don Verna


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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check