Trimming brass is the worst

[Dieselhorses]

I gasp for air when I read the price on a Giraud. Then I recount what my many trimmers and collets and pilots and holders all cost and I clam up, LOL!

This is what I have in inventory:

Trimmers:

Pacific (got dull)

Lyman Universal (added a carbide cutter when the original got dull)

Forester (set up for outside neck turning)

RCBS (bought it used figured on buying the three way cutter head but did not yet)

Hornady case prep center that has a case length unit built in (bought used)

Four Wilson case trimmers (came used in a package deal, long story)

Various Lee cutter kits

I won’t try to match up collets, pilots, mandrel, and holders etc. but I am sure it’s a pile of cash but then I load for some 30 different cartridges and the Giraud certainly accommodates them but at perhaps even a bigger bundle of $.

If I was a volume shooter in a few cartridges I would have to go fast, there is no doubt.

If I had not “fell into” four Wilson’s, I would at the most gotten just one.

So it boils down to need. I am a coyote and squirrel shooter, the latter getting more rimfire action.

Three44s

That’s a lot of trimmers! I only have an old Lyman, some Lee Quick trimmers and my new Frankfort Arsenal which I’m beginning to like. The Hornady trimmer you have sounds interesting but I think they’re like 600.00.

So what do reloaders do with .223 cases less than 1.75” (1.74”+)? They were already fired so they musta been short to begin alas being short even after sizing…


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[uscra112]

I gasp for air when I read the price on a Giraud. Then I recount what my many trimmers and collets and pilots and holders all cost and I clam up, LOL!

Three44s

So I couldn't stand the suspense - I went and looked:

$500 for a case trimmer, and that does only one cartridge?

I would have to be charging myself $100/hr. for my labor to make that pay!

[Three44s]

I gave 200 and the original owner kept the free bullets he got from Hornady as an inducement to buy it (I think they were a hair over 400 with the free bees)

I have a couple of ways to fire .222 Remington and if I want, I can go and reform them into 7.62X25 mm and shoot in a CZ 52 pistol.

Three44s

[Three44s]

So I couldn't stand the suspense - I went and looked:

$500 for a case trimmer, and that does only one cartridge?

I would have to be charging myself $100/hr. for my labor to make that pay!

I was trying to spare you the agony!

Best regards!!

Three44s

[Dieselhorses]

It’s a shame a manufacturer hasn’t discovered a way to adjust cutting teeth on a cutting barrel yet. I always tell my students when using a thickness planer to feed wood into planer at random spots to maintain blade integrity. When you trim hundreds of brass of same caliber, that brass is hitting the same spot.


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[Three44s]

Dieselhorses,

Various manufacturers of the case trimmers do offer re-sharpening of their cutters for a reasonable fee. There is a percentage in having a local machine shop sharpen them as well. I spoke with an owner of one of our shop owners and he was very willing to try one of mine.

I have a hard time seeing that the wear pattern can be altered or shifted in considering the task of case trimming.

I can tell you that my Lyman Universal trimmers steel cutter got dull in just a few years of use. I bought the carbide replacement about 30 years ago and it’s still going strong. It was spendy, but I am glad I went that way.

Best regards

Three44s

[Dieselhorses]

Dieselhorses,

Various manufacturers of the case trimmers do offer re-sharpening of their cutters for a reasonable fee. There is a percentage in having a local machine shop sharpen them as well. I spoke with an owner of one of our shop owners and he was very willing to try one of mine.

I have a hard time seeing that the wear pattern can be altered or shifted in considering the task of case trimming.

I can tell you that my Lyman Universal trimmers steel cutter got dull in just a few years of use. I bought the carbide replacement about 30 years ago and it’s still going strong. It was spendy, but I am glad I went that way.

Best regards

Three44s

True. I tried to sharpen my cutter on Lyman crank trimmer but I think I did more harm than good. Yes, "carbide" is the way to go as opposed to HSS. I just wish I could find one for my FA trim/prep center that was carbide.

[gifbohane]

I used the Wilson lathe trimmer for a long time. It is great but takes a lot of time inserting and removing the brass, even with the drill. Also he trimmer head got dull rather fast. Finally broke the checkbook out and bought a Giraud. Worth it? Yeah, if I do not think about the price.

[Three44s]

I used the Wilson lathe trimmer for a long time. It is great but takes a lot of time inserting and removing the brass, even with the drill. Also he trimmer head got dull rather fast. Finally broke the checkbook out and bought a Giraud. Worth it? Yeah, if I do not think about the price.

If you have a lot of brass in certain calibers and you shoot them a lot, I can see the Giraud.

For me it’s many different cartridges fired some, so it’s a flip.

My 4 Wilson’s came easily so that is a factor. I am first and foremost a varmint/predator hunter so that’s also a factor.

When the crazy is over, I want to buy the inside mouth chamfering tool for the Wilson. Then with a case length cutter and the primer pocket cutters (large and small) that I all ready have, I would set up a chamfer cut, a length cut and a pocket cut on three of them. I have home made bases set up for the Wilson “lathe”s that are retired plastic food cutting boards.

That base makes changing brass in and out of the case holder a breeze.

Ultimately I will have one install into the holder and three operations done, then back out of the holder.

And tapping cases in and out of an exposed section of cutting board could not be easier.

Three44s

[lightman]

You can trim 10-15 cases per minute on any power trimmer provided it has a carbide head. I was basically doing that pace on my drill press with hardly any variation in length. Not familiar Giraud but does it chamfer and deburr also? If not then add the time for that.
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The Giraud does deburr both the inside and outside of the case. It also indexes off of the shoulder so consistent resizing is important.

I don't measure every case any more but I have. But I do spot check several random cases out of every batch. So far I have been able to maintain .001 in length.

Expensive? Yes!!! But when you are looking at trimming enough cases for a weeks long Prairie Dog hunt once or twice a year it starts looking cheaper and cheaper.

[Dieselhorses]

The Giraud does deburr both the inside and outside of the case. It also indexes off of the shoulder so consistent resizing is important.

I don't measure every case any more but I have. But I do spot check several random cases out of every batch. So far I have been able to maintain .001 in length.

Expensive? Yes!!! But when you are looking at trimming enough cases for a weeks long Prairie Dog hunt once or twice a year it starts looking cheaper and cheaper.

I respect that but like I tell everyone with Dillon presses and all the glory that comes with them, there has to be a unique balance between automation and user intervention. I tried the spot checking routine and found that a few of the ones I didn’t spot check were.002+. Not saying a Giraud is not worth the money, I just have to chime in on the QA often.


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[oley55]

I can tell you that my Lyman Universal trimmers steel cutter got dull in just a few years of use. I bought the carbide replacement about 30 years ago and it’s still going strong. It was spendy, but I am glad I went that way.

Best regards

Three44s

I too have done the same, BUT the pilot hole is oversized and causes the pilot to sit off center (mine is probably 8 years old). That off axis wobble just plain bugs me (a lot), so much so that I have reverted back to the tool steel cutters.

Based on Midway USA reviews, others report the same:

Center hole is OVERSIZED! Pilots are significantly off center when tightened and wobble case when cutting. Big money for a tool with this price tag! No reason for a pilot hole to be oversized other than just quality control issues. Some may be good and some bad. It's appears to be a coin toss.

I have no idea if they have corrected this issue, but I can't see spending another $45 to find out.

[Jsm180]

I too have done the same, BUT the pilot hole is oversized and causes the pilot to sit off center (mine is probably 8 years old). That off axis wobble just plain bugs me (a lot), so much so that I have reverted back to the tool steel cutters.

Based on Midway USA reviews, others report the same:


I have no idea if they have corrected this issue, but I can't see spending another $45 to find out.

I have one on the way from Amazon for $40. If it wobbles it will go back. Made in china right in the listing.

[Three44s]

I bought my carbide Lyman cutter back the ‘80s and it seems centered and pilot stems fit fine. Sad that there are new ones out there that are third rate!

My only issue is that my Lee FL die sizes my 223/556 case necks tight enough to make my Lyman “22” pilot hard to insert. There fore, I rough trim unsized brass on the Lyman Universal and then switch to my Wilson trimmers for post sized brass since they do not use a pilot.

Three44s

[oley55]

I have one on the way from Amazon for $40. If it wobbles it will go back. Made in china right in the listing.

I will be watching for your report.

[762 shooter]

I like prepping brass.

762

[Jsm180]

I will be watching for your report.

Got carbide cutter today and the pilots fit fine.

[GregLaROCHE]

Small drill press has worked very well for me the pictures may be side ways I don't know why I turned 30-06 in to 308

I like your method of holding your brass. I may use it for holding other things in my future projects.

[marlin1895]

I use the RCBS trim pro & hate it. necessary evil

[oley55]

Got carbide cutter today and the pilots fit fine.

Sounding hopeful. The oversized pilot retention hole was/is not hugely oversized, but when the set screw is tightened down you will notice the wobble when the pilot enters the neck case. Did you trim any cases yet?