Opinion on RCBS trimmer ?

[Boaz]

Thinking about buying RCBS Trim Pro-2 Manual Case Trimmer Kit , Mainly doing pistol cases and wondered if anyone could give an opinion or better option ? Thanks

http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/817007/rcbs-trim-pro-2-manual-case-trimmer-kit?cm_vc=ProductFinding

[dudel]

I've tried several trimmers, and settled on the Wilson trimmer. Does a great job for me. Has options to to reaming, chamfer, primer pocket reaming, power drives and more.

[jonas302]

I would have sold mine but lee doesn't make a trimmer for 204 ruger I like using the lee trimmer then chamfer and debur while the case is still in the drill Definitely get the drill adapter for the rcbs trimmer other than that it works fine

[Butler Ford]

Hard to get excited about trimming cases but I've had mine for many years and it does what I bought it to do. No complaints.

BF

[bhn22]

After having both types, I'd never get an unpowered trimmer again. Too much work.

[enfieldphile]

In manual trimmers, Wilson is the last word! I have 2 of 'em.

[JASON4X4]

I have one with the 3 way cutting head for my 223 shells. I made an adapter for my drill and it works great.

[Bayou52]

I prefer the simplest of trimmers - the Lee manual case trimmer with the brass chucked into an electric drill. The drill does all the work of turning - no cranking of a lathe device. The hand-held cutter is about $8 and each caliber-specific case length gage and shell holder is about $6 or so at MidwayUSA.

While the brass is chucked to the electric drill, it gets trimmed with the hand-held cutter (the one with the wooden ball handle), then I use my favorite chamfer and deburring tool and again use the drill to spin the case while using that tool.

I measure each trimmed brass with calipers, and for such a remarkably simple trim tool, the brasses are routinely trimmed to within one-thousandth of an inch. Not bad for about $15 worth of trim tools.

And yes, I have the exact RCBS Trim-Pro 2 manual case trimmer that the OP describes. It's been setting unused since I came across this simple Lee case trimmer tool after I bought it. Nothing wrong with it, and it works as described, but for me and in my experience, the simple Lee case trimming tools are both easier and faster.

http://leeprecision.com/case-conditioning-tools/case-trimming-tools/

Just my experience....

[Whiterabbit]

I like my RCBS and use it. Often it is the only tool for the job. But for pistol, I suggest a LEE trimmer chucked in a lathe or drill press. Simply faster.

[boltaction308]

I have a bunch of trimmers as well, including the gracy and one made on a taig lathe. I also have the lyman version of the RCBS manual trimmer.

I recently bought a used motorized version of the RCBS trimmer
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/693746/rcbs-trim-pro-2-power-case-trimmer-kit-110-volt?cm_vc=ProductFinding
And I really like it. I am working on trimming brass for making 45 shot shells and none of my other trimmers would work for this brass except for the manual one. When I started working on trimming 200 cases, I quickly determined the value of the motorized version.

[r1kk1]

I've tried several trimmers, and settled on the Wilson trimmer. Does a great job for me. Has options to to reaming, chamfer, primer pocket reaming, power drives and more.

+1

r1kk1

[Boaz]

I thank you for the hands on recomendation's , that's why I asked for opinion . I should have mentioned that it will be mainly used on pistol case's . The electric's sure do look handy , one of the first projects will be to trim down 9mm case's to 9x18 because the 9x18's are hard to come by .

[Fishman]

When I trimmed 9 mm luger brass to Mak length, I bought a Lee 9 mm case length gage and carefully shortened it 1mm. It worked just fine. Maybe Lee makes a 9 mm Mak case length gauge now.

[1hole]

I haven't been a reloading new guy for nearly 50 years but I still remember the worrying quandry of "what is best?" Fact is, I now know there's little difference in what can be done with any brand of reloading tools because they all work fine if used correctly; nothing works very well if it's NOT used correctly!

For trimmers, I can vouch for Lee's system plus the hand lathes from Redding, Herter's, Lyman and Wilson; they work fine. I haven't yet tried Lee's new trimmer die device but it looks good.

I most often use the older Lee system chucked in a battery powdered drill because it's so simple to use but I slightly prefer the Lyman lathe IF I'm doing largish numbers, only because of its universal case holder and optional carbide cutter. That's just a personal thing, I don't claim it to be the 'best'; unless your personal thing matches my personal thing, my preference wouldn't be best for YOU!!

But - I wonder why you want to trim handgun cases anyway. It's rarely needed and not really meaningful for most of us.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I had the motorized version of the trimmer you are looking at. After having it a few years, I sold it and bought a Dillon trimmer for my high volume trimming and did that on the progressive. Much, much faster. I purchased a Forster (though would have bought a Wilson if one had been available when I purchased) for low volumes because I could buy it with enough collets out of the box to do most of the cartridges I wanted to trim.

Frankly, trimming is NOT much fun, if any at all and is boring. So anything you can do to speed up the process is a good thing. I haven't tried the Lee product, but if it can be motorized by attaching a drill or drill press, then it would be a good thing.

Finally, unless you're shooting at 50 yards or better, you're probably not going to need to trim your pistol brass. Where it gets confusing is when reading new manuals, the men writing them try to do a general, includes all set of instructions for reloading. Unfortunately, reloading doesn't fit nicely into a general, includes all box. Rifle reloading and pistol reloading are quite different and you have to do things in rifle you don't need to do with pistol reloading.

Hope this helps you,

Dave

[winelover]

You can't go wrong with th RCBS trimmer. Warranty, best in the business. If you purchase the manual trimmer, eventually you'll upgrade it to the power trim. Trimming sucks, big time.

Winelover

[mac60]

I don't know about the manual version, but the power version is one of the things on my bench I couldn't live without. If I have over 50 pcs. of brass to trim I use the powered trimmer. For small amounts I use the Forster manual trimmer.

95225

The first time I picked up a magazine and saw an advertisement for the power trimmer I bought one. I know it was over 15 yrs. ago, probably close to 20. I convert 9 mm para. cases to 9x18 mak. also. When I do I use the Lee trimmer. Why pay for 9x18 brass when 9 mm para. is laying all over the range, free for the picking?

[engineer401]

I've used the RCBS manual and power trimmers. They both work well.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

No trimmer that holds the case at the base is going to be the equal of one that holds the entire case. I have four trimmers, two Lyman, [one you can attach a drill motor to]one Herters and a Wilson. The Wilson has no equal. It is the only one I use.