Equipment report: W.F.T. from Little Crow Gunworks

[rmcc]

It has been along time since I can say that I have used something that lived up to all its advertised claims!! Let me introduce you to one, the WFT from Little Crow Gunworks in Minnesota. If you have been reloading rifle cartridges very long, you know that after sizing most cases need trimmed a few thousandths. All cartridges have a given maximum and minimum lengths that must be kept within for safe use. Case stretching is a given, though how much depends on a lot of factors that I will save for another time. Trimming cases has always been the one thing about reloading I truly detest. A necessary evil that I rank right up there with fixing fence and baling hay!! I have tried almost every trimmer on the market, currently have 3, and they all get the job done but tedious to use.
The box came today with the two WFTs I had ordered from Brownells. I ordered one for 30/06 and the other for 223 Rem. At $69.99 for each caliber they are not cheap, but after using one on a couple of hundred cases, I find they are worth every penny and then some. Set up is easy. I trimmed a case to length on my old Herters trimmer first. I stuck the case in the WFT as per instructions and tightened down the 2 set screws in the side. Chucked it up in the drill and started trimming cases. It takes a little while to get the "feel" of when the cutter stops cutting but from then on I kept my case lengths within about .002" tolerence. That is pretty good for a hand held tool! Their instructions are clear and set up is easy. I can see that maintenance will be minimal. I would advise using over a towel or a cake pan, though. The WFT makes a lot of brass cuttings in a hurry! You still have to bevel the inside of the case mouth, but you have to do that with other trimmers too. Using boatail bullets this may not be needed, but I always found it made seating any bullet easier. If you are going to reload rifle cases, the WFT is a must have!!

rmcc

[jonk]

Thanks; I've been considering one of these for my common reloading calibers for a while. Much less moola than a Giraurd.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Try this: http://www.accurateshooter.com/gear-reviews/worlds-finest-trimmer-power-case-trimmer/

[DeanWinchester]

I bought one for doing .300 Blackout. It is AWESOME!!!!!!!

One problem I had was the jagged ends of the case after I cut it off. You simply cannot hold the case with your hand. I took a Lee case holder for .223 and I'll be danged, but the thing fits perfectly in a driver bit type screw driver handle. You know, the ones that hold the little magnetic interchangeable bits? Yeah, a drop of superglue and the thing is solid. Holds the case strong and its SUPER quick.

THere just aint a faster trimmer on the market. I love it.

[Love Life]

Thank you for the review on these. I have been eyeballing these for awhile, but the whole still having to chamfer/deburr thingy turns me off from them. I wonder if that will ever be an option...

[Jack Stanley]

I bought one for each of the calibers that I shoot more than I want to trim with a Redding trimmer . It is almost as handy as my Giraud but like the man said , not as much moolah for it . Sometimes I still need to deburr and sometimes not , it just depends how much is being cut I think .

It is money well spent I would agree .

Jack

[username]

I bought one and love it. Mine is attached to a 1/3 HP motor at 1750 RPM. I need to stop it and clean out the brass about every 50 cases. I deburr on a Layman prep center.

[garym1a2]

I got one for my blackout, it is very fast. With the blackout you trim a long ways and its very fast,

[gunsbrad]

I stick mine in my drill and mount in a vise. I use parallel jaw pliers to hold the brass. This is faster than the lee tool, which I tried first.

I was skeptical at first, but I had read some great reviews from some trusted sources so figured wth. I had 3000 military 223 cases. I ran them through the Dillon 650 to size and deprime then used the wft. Wow. I would recomend to anyone who has volume trimming to do. If I was only trimming 20 cases it is probably not worth it. I'm just glad I didn't have to do 3000 on my Bench mounted tool.

Brad Hurt

[DeanWinchester]

I stick mine in my drill and mount in a vise. I use parallel jaw pliers to hold the brass. This is faster than the lee tool, which I tried first.

I was skeptical at first, but I had read some great reviews from some trusted sources so figured wth. I had 3000 military 223 cases. I ran them through the Dillon 650 to size and deprime then used the wft. Wow. I would recomend to anyone who has volume trimming to do. If I was only trimming 20 cases it is probably not worth it. I'm just glad I didn't have to do 3000 on my Bench mounted tool.

Brad Hurt

The pliers are a good idea. Good thing is, you only ever have to do it once. Afterwards its easy to hold them by hand and fly through them.
The first trim from making them out of 223 brass is a small chore but maintenance trimming later on; I can do a thousand in an hour and half without pushing myself hard.

I use a drill for short runs but for extended periods of trimming, I made an arbor on the lathe that allows me to put it on a 1hp 110AC motor that runs 1750rpm. I mount it to the bench and get diggin'. It's SUPER fast.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have many ways to trim cases, from a milling machine, to drill press, to RCBS trim Lathe, the Lee trimmers, to more recently a Dillon setup. IE: I've got alot of ways to do this.

This tool looks like it would be best the way to go for volumn work. I would mount it in one of my lathes and run it a warp speed, like 3000 rpms and I bet you could do a bunch of cases in very short order.

There is no upper limit on the speed you can machine brass, so the faster you turn it the faster you get done. B&S screw machines run brass at 6,000 rpms and they only go that fast cuz they won't go faster.

The other point with respect to processing speed is how you set up your in and out boxes. The less hand movemnet the better, so you pick up a case (which is aimed in the right direction), stick it in the trimmer, pull it out and drop it strait down into the out box. Economy of motion is what I am preaching here.

The simple fact is when doing repetative work the number of movements you perform on one object, is multiplied by how ever many parts you do. No big deal when the numbers are small like 100 or less. Very big deal when the numbers are 1,000 or more!

That's where this tool will save much time pain and anguish.

On another note: I just got the new Rifle Mag yesterday. Inside of front cover is the new Lyman case trimmer, which is a direct knock off of the simple Lee case trim system! You gotta be desparate to think this is going to be a winner. I guess the patent finally ran out of that one.

I have questioned Lyman's marketing research and subsiquent product strategies before, and why they think the world needs another, and albeit more expensive, Lee Case Trim Tool is beyond me.

Goes to show that there are fools placed in positions of authority everywhere in our society.

Randy

[Ickisrulz]

I have a WFT for .223. It works very well and I have no trouble holding the case while it is trimmer. I do batches of 1000 at a time, and the Wilson was very hard on my hands.