Case Trimmers
- Thread starter Savagehawg
- Start date
I do bulk trimming in 223 and 308 so it would cost me another $200+ to speed up my process considerably ?? 
Although it does take a long time for me to trim 1k cases . Just don't know if I want to spend ANOTHER $200 .
Before you all say I should have bought them first , I say no cus I still need to trim all those other cases so I still need the other trimmer .
I think I'd need to use one to convince me of their worth .
Although it does take a long time for me to trim 1k cases . Just don't know if I want to spend ANOTHER $200 . Before you all say I should have bought them first , I say no cus I still need to trim all those other cases so I still need the other trimmer .
I think I'd need to use one to convince me of their worth .
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Marco Califo
New member
Yes, they index on the shoulder, and I read in their User Guide they are only for full-length resized brass.
LC MGF 7.62 need quite a bit of trimming. I think the Giraud Tri trimmer will be much quicker for 7.62 I do not plan to buy others. Bit I have no plan to buy the 223; those do not need as much trimming.
LC MGF 7.62 need quite a bit of trimming. I think the Giraud Tri trimmer will be much quicker for 7.62 I do not plan to buy others. Bit I have no plan to buy the 223; those do not need as much trimming.
Case growth is a function of how loose the chamber is and how much you shorten the case during resizing. Resizing is what grows the neck as brass is extruded from the shoulder into the neck during that operation. Small-base dies make you trim more for that reason. Neck-sized-only cases seldom need trimming for that reason. There is usually little point in trimming as-fired cases since they will grow during any subsequent resizing and need trimming again. For this reason, the fact the Giraud shoulder adapters are sized for resized cases isn't a particular disadvantage.
The Giraud trimmer has separate case guides and cutters so you can have separate cutters set up for each chambering you want to use it with. That saves time and having the first five or six cases being a little off or become rejects as you dial the cutter in for the first time. But once in place, ten cases a minute trimmed, chamfered and deburred isn't bad.
I use a Wilson trimmer and do manual deburring and chamfering of my low volume cases.
The Giraud trimmer has separate case guides and cutters so you can have separate cutters set up for each chambering you want to use it with. That saves time and having the first five or six cases being a little off or become rejects as you dial the cutter in for the first time. But once in place, ten cases a minute trimmed, chamfered and deburred isn't bad.
I use a Wilson trimmer and do manual deburring and chamfering of my low volume cases.
Stand alone and manual case trimmers are great solutions for case prep in low volumes.
If you prepare 50+ cases each time, I would suggest to take a look at Lee's Quick Power Trim. It might be not as precise as some but it is quick, easily integrated into deprime/size sequence, deburr/chamfer in the same operation, costs less than other mechanized solutions (especially when used for multiple calibers) and causes significantly less fatigue.
If you prepare 50+ cases each time, I would suggest to take a look at Lee's Quick Power Trim. It might be not as precise as some but it is quick, easily integrated into deprime/size sequence, deburr/chamfer in the same operation, costs less than other mechanized solutions (especially when used for multiple calibers) and causes significantly less fatigue.
Marco Califo
New member
I ordered a Giraud 308 Tri-Trimmer to mount on a drill. They have a 2 week backlog, and add $9 for shipping: $114.00.
Man, you sure don't believe in skimping on plywood quality! Must have cost you a pretty penny. Looks very nice and neat.
You won't be able to insert an image until you are a "senior member", which doesn't take being very senior. You've long since passed the time requirement, and as soon as your post count passes 25, you should see your member status change to Senior and then you will get the option in the Go Advanced composition window to Manage Attachements, inluding uploading photos. Once uploaded, you right click on the link and tell it to copy the location, and then back in the composition window hit the little photo icon that appears and paste that location into it to get the photo to be part of the post body. If you don't take the last two steps, there will still be an icon for each photo at the bottom your post for people to click on.
You won't be able to insert an image until you are a "senior member", which doesn't take being very senior. You've long since passed the time requirement, and as soon as your post count passes 25, you should see your member status change to Senior and then you will get the option in the Go Advanced composition window to Manage Attachements, inluding uploading photos. Once uploaded, you right click on the link and tell it to copy the location, and then back in the composition window hit the little photo icon that appears and paste that location into it to get the photo to be part of the post body. If you don't take the last two steps, there will still be an icon for each photo at the bottom your post for people to click on.
Marco Califo
New member
Have you measured them? A case gauge will tell you if they are too long. My 223 do not require much trimming.
If they are not too long you don't trim them.
If they are not too long you don't trim them.
I've used the Wilson for a lot of years (mine is from the 60s). It is OK.
I recently came across a product called the Worlds Cheapest Trimmer" - looked superior for trimming large batches. The WCT is $23.50 including shipping.
I confess that I haven't receive mine yet, but when it arrives there is a big bag full of 223 brass to be done.
I recently came across a product called the Worlds Cheapest Trimmer" - looked superior for trimming large batches. The WCT is $23.50 including shipping.
I confess that I haven't receive mine yet, but when it arrives there is a big bag full of 223 brass to be done.
Well we all live and learn.
I started with a Lee trimmer, then my brother gave me his old RCBS, then I bought the WFT from him (after he got the Gearrard Motor Trimmer)
So then I wouild go out to his place and trim them on his Gerrrd.
At that point it was the heck with the money, this is the only way to go.
So I got the drill one (I load a lot fewer calibers than he does)
I got the drill one for the 308. Then the WFTII because no drill type in Gerard.
My take is you spend too much time adjusting the ones that will do common shoulder setups. Others may disagree.
The big jump was to put the Gerard drill in the Corded Drill, upside down and clamp in the vice and now I am as good and fast as the Gerared Motorised unit.
The tough decision is the Drill Type or the Motorized Gerard (my take, others of course do their own takes, this is just to help a decision process)
Its about 5 drill type to the Motorized Gerard. I think my brother has 6 trim calibers.
Gerrad does offer the 7.5 Swiss in the motorized. Probably would have gone that way but I am not behind (yet).
At most I will do one more caliber 6.5 something). So pretty much break even cost wise and the corded drill in the vice is as good and maybe ergonomically better (I can sit on my stool and its at the right level). You don't have to stuff in in the top, its horizontal.
I can hang the drill up and the Motorized Gerrard takes up bench space all the time.
Kind of a coin flip.
I am not unhappy with my progression. To me the Tri Trimmers are the only way to go.
I can process a heck of a lot faster and get to the shooting part sooner.
Some find solace in the reloading process. I don't. I don't mind it but its not soothing either. Shooting is the goal.
So I gave the WCT a go on a couple hundred pieces of 5.56 brass.
PROS
CONS
So after a handful of attempts at finer adjustment, I left it cutting to 1.742" and finished the job. My overall impression is "meh".
PROS
- - $23.50 including shipping.
- fast - used an old corded drill running about half-speed.
CONS
- Set screw in delrin wont handle much force.
- Very difficult to setup unless you set the cut using a casing cut to the desired length.
- Adjustment is difficult to do finer than .005" unless you do some tricks with feeler guages as shims.
So after a handful of attempts at finer adjustment, I left it cutting to 1.742" and finished the job. My overall impression is "meh".
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Marco Califo
New member
New Tri-Trimmer
I received my Giraud Tri-Trimmer, slapped it into drill, and trimmed the first 7.62 case I saw: a 68 WRA. Just stuck it in until it didn't cut anymore.
My question is: What do you other Tri-Trimmer users hold the cartridge head with? It spun in my fingers a bit, but squeezing tighter stopped that. There is a recommended RPM and I am under the impression you want it spinning fast, the slip it in until you get contract. Stop when there is no longer contact.
That piece of brass had been sized after ejecting from its maiden firing in an M-60. I just went to my garage and grabbed some raw mostly LC once-fired, and those will not go in far enough to engage the cutter.
I like the cut: length and, inside and outside.
I received my Giraud Tri-Trimmer, slapped it into drill, and trimmed the first 7.62 case I saw: a 68 WRA. Just stuck it in until it didn't cut anymore.
My question is: What do you other Tri-Trimmer users hold the cartridge head with? It spun in my fingers a bit, but squeezing tighter stopped that. There is a recommended RPM and I am under the impression you want it spinning fast, the slip it in until you get contract. Stop when there is no longer contact.
That piece of brass had been sized after ejecting from its maiden firing in an M-60. I just went to my garage and grabbed some raw mostly LC once-fired, and those will not go in far enough to engage the cutter.
I like the cut: length and, inside and outside.
Has the mostly-once-fired brass been resized yet? Resizing is when the neck grows.
I use the motorized Giraud and have no problem holding on with my fingers. I just push in and roll it forward between my thumb and the side of my hooked index finger. I believe the pully ratio is about 2:1, so a standard 4-pole 1800 rpm motor is spinning the cutter about 3600 rpm. But I'll have to open mine to check that I am remembering that correctly and I don't have time just at the moment. The Gracey trimmer uses and 1800 rpm motor and that's about as fast as hand drills normally go. So unless they altered the cutters for slower speed, you are looking at something like maximum drill speed with the drill-powered version.
I use the motorized Giraud and have no problem holding on with my fingers. I just push in and roll it forward between my thumb and the side of my hooked index finger. I believe the pully ratio is about 2:1, so a standard 4-pole 1800 rpm motor is spinning the cutter about 3600 rpm. But I'll have to open mine to check that I am remembering that correctly and I don't have time just at the moment. The Gracey trimmer uses and 1800 rpm motor and that's about as fast as hand drills normally go. So unless they altered the cutters for slower speed, you are looking at something like maximum drill speed with the drill-powered version.
Marco Califo
New member
No. Those are mostly LC, and, all unsized, are still in the bag Jeff Bartlett shipped them in, 15 years ago. Those will not go into the trimmer No reason why I should expect them to.
That WRA case I did trim, originally came in the same bag, but I must have been one of a smaller group I sized and processed. Sizing and processing 1000 MG fired brass is more work than I wanted, so most have sat. That one loose case probably was sized twice now.
I am really not wanting to trim unsized brass. They would need to be trimmed again.
Thank you for confirming the finger hold is appropriate. I do like the drill set-up. $115 including shipping. It comes setup with a sample trimmed case. My HFT cordless drill says it does 900 rpm with no load. I have a corded one that does 3000 rpm. I just found the cordless one first.
That WRA case I did trim, originally came in the same bag, but I must have been one of a smaller group I sized and processed. Sizing and processing 1000 MG fired brass is more work than I wanted, so most have sat. That one loose case probably was sized twice now.
I am really not wanting to trim unsized brass. They would need to be trimmed again.
Thank you for confirming the finger hold is appropriate. I do like the drill set-up. $115 including shipping. It comes setup with a sample trimmed case. My HFT cordless drill says it does 900 rpm with no load. I have a corded one that does 3000 rpm. I just found the cordless one first.
You'll like the corded drill's work better. A lot of guys set those up on a drill press running at maximum rpm so they can hold the case down. Clamp a block of 2×4 to the table, use a spade type wood boring bit to make a shallow case head-size recess in it to index the cases with. Then put the trimmer in the chuck and go to town.