Brass trimming with a Lee turrent

[sheepdog]

Whats the best way to go about this being the brass has to be sized first and primer removed. Been trimming then just skipping the up stroke on the sizing but feel clumsy, has to be a better way.

[wallenba]

Don't really understand the question, can you be more specific about what you are trying to accomplish with the turret press?

[sheepdog]

On the turret you have 3 or 4 holes for your die set. It indexes (ie turns to the next die) with each crank. The first crank up is sizing and depriming, down is priming. So to trim with a turrent in this approach you'd have to mount a case, size, unmount it, trim it, deburr it, clean pocket than put to back it to prime it. Only solution I see if a second press where sizing, trimming and priming is done in a batch than powder fill and seat back on the turret. This seems absurd since the turret is made for speed loading.

[wallenba]

Do you perhaps mean a Lee hand trimmer? You might find the case a little tight for the pilot if it is sized first. When I used them I used a Lee universal decapper first so as to not size the case down first made trimming easier.

Got it now, I posted this before I read your reply. Your reasoning is correct, I don't even have a decapping pin in my sizer dies anymore. I just decap my spent brass with the universal decapper, throw them in the tumbler and then trim them if needed. Then I can proceed to load them in the turret press without any hitches.

[DLCTEX]

I always size my cases before using the lee trimmer as I find too much slop with unsized cases. I rarely encounter a case that is tight enough to require twisting the length gauge into the case.

[mike in co]

whats a turrent ???

i size first, trim ...use everything from lee trimmers to lyman to wilson....but no turrents.

[sheepdog]

whats a turrent ???

i size first, trim ...use everything from lee trimmers to lyman to wilson....but no turrents.

http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/shoppingcart/%2706TurretPress.JPG

I meant turret

[Green Frog]

So, are you using your turret press like a progressive and going through all the steps for each case while it is in the shell holder (by turning the turret?) Otherwise, trimming depends on which method you wish to use. There are hardened file-type dies that allow you to put your case in and file off any part of the case mouth that extends beyond the preset length. Other than that style, I can't see any real advantage to trying to trim your shell in the press.

Froggie

[rob45]

If I understand correctly, you're trying to incorporate trimming into the rest of the semi-automated loading process.

I still haven't found a feasible way to do it, at least with my equipment.

Here is an idea, although I haven't tried it due to foreseen shortcomings:
1. Size and decap in station one on the upstroke, do not reprime on the downstroke.
2. Have a trim die in station two. While the brass is in the die, file to length. On the downstroke, remove the case once clear of the die. Chamfer, deburr, and tap out shavings. Inspect to make sure flash hole is free of debris.
3. Reinsert case and reprime by continuing the downstroke of station two.

The shortcoming: I own neither the Lee turret press nor a trim die, so I do not know how much room will be available to do the filing when the other dies are installed on the turret. Also, this goes under the assumption that you manually control the priming arm so that you are free to insert the primer at the station of your choice. I will assume you can, but you'll have to see for yourself.

IF this is possible to execute, it would the quickest foreseen way to incorporate trimming into your loading sequence (with the Lee turret).

Whatever you decide, something to keep in mind is that if you are sizing the brass, trimming needs to be done after the sizing. Sizing is the largest contributor to long brass.

Good Luck.

[JSnover]

Whatever you decide, something to keep in mind is that if you are sizing the brass, trimming needs to be done after the sizing. Sizing is the largest contributor to long brass.

Good Luck.

+1! I find a load I like and stick with it, firing that brass over and over in the same chamber. Sizing is minimal and trimming is almost never needed. But my current obsession is with light loads, your mileage my vary.

[Mk42gunner]

Best way in my opinion would be to buy a cheap single stage press, perhaps even a handheld one, to size and decap with. Then trim, chamfer, and debur. Put your sizing die back in the turret press and load as normal.

I bought a Lyman accupress for $15.00 at a gunshow, I only use it occaisionally.

Hope this helps,


Robert

[mike in co]

0k...got it..

clean your brass

size and deprime

spot check lengths...if trim requires...go trim

expand/bell////lyman m die!

prime

powder

seat

crimp

inspect


you are correct its hard do it on any kind of a progressive.

i process brass...thru prime. and then do the rest on a progressive...
most of my pistol brass only gets sized once.
rifle is a rifle by rifle deal.

mike in co

[MtGun44]

For pistols that have a straight or only slightly tapered case, I never trim and have never
found it to be an issue in 40+ yrs of reloading.

Not trimming a bottlenecked rifle case WILL blow up a gun eventually. I have done one
(stupidly using someone else's handloads - first and last time ever) and watched two
others happen, all three different rifles in .223 cal.
With .223 in the Dillon 550 I just have given up and a size and decap as one step, then
either run them thru the Dillon trimmer that I sometimes borrow from a friend, or put them
in a #10 can. I have a Lyman hand lathe type trimmer, too. I will watch TV with a office
storage box lid (~12" x 20" with a 2" rim) in my lap as a chip tray and the trimmer mounted
on a 8x10 piece of plywood. I dump the cases into the lid, pick them up and trim, mindless
work while watching TV, and drop the trimmed cases into the can.

I prime with the Lee Autoprime the same way. THEN they go into the second stage on the
Dillon 550B and cycle thru the rest of the process.

A PITA, but after destroying one AR and watching a Mini14 and Bushmaster Bullpup blow up
due to untrimmed brass, I trim EVERY time.

Bill

[Recluse]

For pistols that have a straight or only slightly tapered case, I never trim and have never found it to be an issue in 40+ yrs of reloading.

I occasionally, on the very infrequent side, will trim my "match" .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and get this. . . .44 Special brass every once in a fourth blue moon.

But I also anneal those particular batches of brass somewhat regularly. However, any trimming I have done has been microscopic in nature. Probably unnecessary and excessively anal on my part, but on those rainly Sunday afternoons in the shop with a football game playing in the background, it kinda mikes me feel like an old world craftsman. :)


A PITA, but after destroying one AR and watching a Mini14 and Bushmaster Bullpup blow up due to untrimmed brass, I trim EVERY time.

Bill

I've never personally witnessed a gun blow up from untrimmed brass, but I've heard about it on more than one occasion. Like you, I trim EVERY piece of bottleneck brass.

Probably also the reason why I don't load a helluva lot of .223. . . I get so dang tired of case prep on that little itty bitty cartridge that it makes me want to scream more often than not.

For calibers like .308 and 30-06 and .303 where I only load up ten or so at a time, I actually enjoy the prep work. But I also have little use for the .223 and only load it enough to stay proficient--at both loading and shooting.

:coffee:

[sheepdog]

Only reason I'm being careful about trimming all my brass is because I cant get consistent OAL on seating with a crimp unless I trim my brass. I know I can switch to FCDs but that also sizes down your projectiles on occasion. Its also added cost and another stroke for each cartridge. But might just have to go that route. On bottlenecked cases I plan on single stage anyway.

[mike in co]

Only reason I'm being careful about trimming all my brass is because I cant get consistent OAL on seating with a crimp unless I trim my brass. I know I can switch to FCDs but that also sizes down your projectiles on occasion. Its also added cost and another stroke for each cartridge. But might just have to go that route. On bottlenecked cases I plan on single stage anyway.


are you seating and crimping in one action ?

you are correct that miss matched brass lemgth will provide poor unifomity of crimps...whinc may change oal.

mike in co

[sheepdog]

are you seating and crimping in one action ?

you are correct that miss matched brass lemgth will provide poor unifomity of crimps...whinc may change oal.

mike in co

Yes, both in one. I recently bought the deluxe die set and even crimping with the FCD was better but not perfect. Seems like if you're using range pickup you better be trimming

[MtGun44]

RIFLE FCDs are a totally different design from PISTOL FCDs. I have never owned
a pistol FCD, but based on reading here they are carbide sizing dies with a crimp shoulder
but dimensioned to control the loaded round final dimensions. Significant numbers of
folks have managed to run into problems with pistol FCDs, apparently with thick brass
and a tight chamber and some wound up with poor neck tension, even some having
boolits push in during feeding.

Rifle FCDs (which I use and like a lot) use a four segment steel disk which snaps over center as
the case neck hits it and provides a crimp much like their collet type neck sizer sizes the whole neck.
I presume that one design lead logically to the other (collet sizer and rifle FCD, no idea which came
first). Rifle FCD is more tolerant of case length variation and cannot collapse a case
neck into the shoulder like a conventional crimping shoulder in a seater die can sometimes
with too long a case.

Bill

[Ekalb2000]

On the pistol FCD, knock out that carbide sizer. That is the culprit. I hear its good for j-words, but it most definatly will size down a boolit.

The rifle FCD is a godsend, IMO.