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Thread: Case trimming the neccessary evil...

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master


    stubshaft's Avatar
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    I'm with you! I enjoy making new wildcat rounds but HATE trimming the old standards. When I do get around to it I usually use the Lee trimmer and pilot mounted in a portable drill, sitting in front of the television!
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy

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    Quote Originally Posted by dverna View Post
    I am looking at using RCBS X-dies for the above calibers as I understand no trimming is needed after the initial trimming. IIRC Larry Gibson did some testing with them and was impressed with how well they worked.
    I like X-dies, and use them whenever possible. (They're not available in all calibers.)

    If I have to trim more than once, I figure the brass I take off the front is really coming from someplace further down the case, and the lost brass would eventually turn into a weak point.

    I have not yet had a case separation. (Knock on wood.)

  3. #23
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    You can put me in the camp of dreading the task of case trimming.
    Rifle brass gets trimmed and the amount of cartridges I trim at one time is small enough that a manual bench mounted trimmer works for me.
    Handgun brass isn't worth the effort. I've trimmed handgun brass in an effort to squeeze the last little bit of accuracy out of the process and decided that it generally isn't worth the effort.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    How can anyone “like” to trim brass?

    However, one can desire a result from it.

    Call it a necessary evil or whatever you want, I trim!

    For virtually all the autoloading hand gun cartridges, not very much if any but everything else? Yes!

    I have noticed that Remington cut my 788 and a friend’s 700 both in 22-250 short on the neck and long on the ogive (my 788 magazine is short) so I take nothing for granted as to neck/chamber lengths.

    In .223, I have bolt guns, semi-autos and a couple of Contender barrels thrown in for spice. I do not have the tooling to measure the bolt face to neck step in a chamber other than observing brass markings on fired cases. That’s how I figured out those 22-250 chambers were short (bright marks on the case mouth) and when I say short, I mean SHORT as in cases trimmed to minimum or trim length, it still was not enough. Also these were cases that were collet sized, not neck sized and trimmed to get a full stop on excessive lengthening.

    With revolver I want a consistent roll crimp and also do not want my seating depths all over the place. One trim and you will not be re-trimming anytime soon with straight walled brass.

    To country gent’s point about drill presses I could not get a consistent length. I would like pictures how he created a positive depth stop but I realize he is a heck of a machinist but not in love with posting pictures.

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  5. #25
    Boolit Master 444ttd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    I do not like trimming cases, in fact I have posted in the past that I loathe and detest case trimming.

    I don't like doing it with run of the mill standard rifle cartridges, and don't usually bother with normal handgun rounds.

    However, I don't mind doing it when making wildcat or otherwise unobtainum cases, like my current attempt at making .380 shotshells from 5.56mm brass. Weird huh?

    Anybody else like me that doesn't like to trim normal, easily available cases; but finds it somewhat enjoyable to make oddball rounds?

    Robert


    i'm with you brother. i hate trimming cases. but i luv wildcat rounds!!!!!!!
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  6. #26
    Boolit Master

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    I really detest case trimming for anything but rifles. I will trim 41 and 357 mag, need to trim 380 and will never trim a 9mm, will throw it away first.

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy
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    check out the new lyman trimmer
    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020728567?pid=258707

    this thing is the bomb. I never trim straight wall cases (rifle or pistol) so it works for about everything I need it for.
    for the REALLY mass production, though, it's hard to beat the dillon trimmer. pricey, but worth every penny.
    CH4D (ch4d.com) also makes dillon trim dies for calibers that dillon doesn't and for about the same price.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    I do not like trimming cases, in fact I have posted in the past that I loathe and detest case trimming.

    I don't like doing it with run of the mill standard rifle cartridges, and don't usually bother with normal handgun rounds.

    However, I don't mind doing it when making wildcat or otherwise unobtainum cases, like my current attempt at making .380 shotshells from 5.56mm brass. Weird huh?

    Anybody else like me that doesn't like to trim normal, easily available cases; but finds it somewhat enjoyable to make oddball rounds?

    Robert
    Sounds exactly how I feel.

    For my .380 shotshells I was trimming to .985 and that worked in my Sig... I found that for some guns .975 worked better, so now that's the length I use.
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  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Good to know, I was going to start at .980", but .975 won't lose too much shot capacity. I swear I think .380 pistols breed faster than .22 rifles, I have three at last count to try to get the loads to work with.

    Now if it ever gets cool enough for me to try making my die inserts, something about working in a tin roofed shed in 95+ degree days doesn't sound fun anymore.

    Robert

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Thank you fish for bugs and dogmower!!! I looked for the Lyman trimmer and saw it was on sale a Midway USA for $119, so I ordered one. I had just finished 300 223s , but when it came I ran about 50 cases just to see how well it works. It is just like sticking a rifle case into an electric pencil sharpener. I have been used to really running through the sizing of 223 cases as fast as I can. Well it shows up when indexing on the shoulder to trim with this trimmer. Not the trimmers fault. So in the future I will slow down on 223 cases as I do with bigger cases and have even read that a 2-3 second pause in the die will assure that the shoulders will all be in the same place. I had been using a lee tool with the pin that goes through the flash hole and I like this method as I can get all my cases to the same length .001-.002. but the lee tool is so slow. I have a Wilson trimmer and could not get even close to the same length but I suspect it needs a new sharp cutter. The lyman is my go to from here on out.
    .

  11. #31
    Boolit Master
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    My right hand has been cramping for days after finger wrestling with a case trimmer , drill , and a pile of 308 brass . In the end I won the battle , and got the whole lot trimmed , but there were casualties . Thank goodness its for a bolt gun and I won't lose it in the grass .

  12. #32
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    worst trim job for me was 30-30 to 357 Herrett. I ended up cutting a chunk off with my dremel, then onto the case trimmer. only needed to make a few boxes, so not so bad. dremel saved a lot of time.
    Barry

  13. #33
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have Dillon trimmer, so no problem at all - size and trim one a single pull of the handle.


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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
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GC Gas Check