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Old April 30, 2011, 01:36 AM   #26
Jim243
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i hate trimming brass

Welcome to the Club.

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Old April 30, 2011, 02:01 AM   #27
FrankenMauser
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From information on his site, he is a one man machine shop. He makes a couple of other things, like a folding target scope stand, and this business is a second job for him. He has a full time job as a design engineer.

I have no idea of the volume a one man machine shop can turn out, but it doesn't sound like a good way to get rich quick.

It sounds more like a guy who came up with the thing because he wanted one, and then sells a few on the side to help support his shooting habit.
I think you're right.

My gunsmith is the same way. He is a machinist by trade, makes his "bread money" off his day job, makes the "good" money off custom machining, and is just a gunsmith on the side (turned a hobby into a slightly profitable venture). He sells a few "machinist's" tools (primarily assembly jigs, from what I understand) for extra cash, but he never created them with the intent to make money. He made them for himself first, and decided to make the product available to others some time later.
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Old April 30, 2011, 06:31 AM   #28
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Has anyone used the RCBS x-dies and do they really work the way the manufacturer advertises?
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Old April 30, 2011, 07:05 AM   #29
Peter M. Eick
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I just gutted it up and bought an RCBS power trimmer with the 3 way cutters. It is expensive but works great. No regrets.
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Old September 8, 2012, 09:29 AM   #30
rebs
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I have the Lee case trimmer that I chuck in a cordless drill, but the cases keep coming loose no matter how much I tighten them. What could be wrong or what am I doing wrong ?
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Old September 8, 2012, 10:14 AM   #31
m&p45acp10+1
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Rebs there is nothing wrong with trimmer. I would lay a hefty wager on bent, and/or thin weak rims. For .223 Rem I have found AR fired Remington brass to be the worst about doing this. In fact if I see a head stamp of R-P on .223 I scrap it for just such reason. Some others will do this as well I just scrap them due to the fact that I have so much .223 brass anyway.

If your cordless drill has a setting for lower speed try it on the lower speed it helps to prevent some of the wobble effect from badly bent rims.
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Old September 8, 2012, 11:40 AM   #32
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I don't know anyone who enjoys trimming brass
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Old September 8, 2012, 11:46 AM   #33
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Lee case trimmer, would be nice if they beefed up the shell holder, or just put a handle on the lock ring.
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Old September 8, 2012, 12:40 PM   #34
Clark
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When I started handloading I got an RCBS rockchucker press kit that came with an RCBS case trimmer.

I was resizing .223 and 308 by having the die touch the shell holder [ lots of should push back, for those in Rio Linda].

That is enough to make anyone quit reloading, let alone trimming.

------------------
Then I put an RCBS Pro 3-way cutter in a vertical mill and a Lee Lock stud in the mill vise, pair of long nosed vise grips were used to turn the Lee shell holder like a handle. I could trim, inside chamfer, and outside chamfer in 5 to 10 seconds per round.

-------------------------------

I now collet neck size where possible, and if I have to push a shoulder back, I do the absolute minimum I can get away with.

The higher the pressure, the more a case shrinks when fired, and them more it grows when the shoulder is pushed back by a full length sizer die.

I have fired 223 at 66kpsi for 20 times without trimming.

------------------

Then there is always being lazy and just buying new brass, but you may still have to chamfer the inside of the neck.
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Old September 8, 2012, 12:42 PM   #35
math teacher
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For most hand crank trimmers you can simply remove the shaft, grind off the handle and turn down the end of the shaft to a quarter inch. Replace the shaft and attach any variable speed drill motor and you have an inexpensive conversion to a power trimmer. Remember to lube as it runs a lot faster.
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Old September 8, 2012, 03:36 PM   #36
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My favorite method, the forming/trim die, something like sizing a case except the reloader uses one of the ‘man’ tools, the file, I have the electric case trimmer for 223, not a problem but the design trims from the shoulder, if case length is important the reloader must learn to add A + B to get C or adjust the die (Dillon) to compensate for the length of the case from the head of the case to its shoulder, OR do as everyone else and disregard A and full length size all of the cases to minimum length.

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Old September 8, 2012, 05:50 PM   #37
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A Possum Hollow trimmer chucked into a hand drill saved my sanity when processing 2k of 223 brass.

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Old September 8, 2012, 06:21 PM   #38
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Quote:
If you chuck the Lee trimmer in a drill press you don't have to use the shell holder. The stop pin will hit the table on the press and stop. I have a drill press but it might not be worth buying one just to trim cases.
That's what I do now. I read about it here or at THR a few months ago, and it really makes a difference.

The WFT trimmer also looks interesting.
http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/wft.html
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Old September 8, 2012, 09:31 PM   #39
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I use that RCBS trimmer with the 3 way cutter. It's pretty fast, at maybe 6 or 8 seconds to the case, or maybe less. The big reason I'm a fan of that setup is that I can do all 3 trim functions to the same degree in one pass. Even with that, the thought of doing 2000 cases makes me cringe. A big day for me might be 300 cases.
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Old September 9, 2012, 03:19 AM   #40
1stmar
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I like the lee over the wft, only handle the case once and I can trim it, chamfer inside and out, polish and brush the inside of the neck. I think if you drill and tap the lock ring and thread some small handle on it, it would be just about perfect.
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Old September 9, 2012, 08:09 AM   #41
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Quote:
anybody use the wft(worlds finest trimmer) that is in all the gun rags
Quote:
The WFT trimmer also looks interesting.
http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/wft.html
yes and it makes a world of difference. don't get me wrong, trimming brass is by far the WORST part of reloading for me, but with this you can get alot of brass done in 1 hour.

cases still need chamfer (it does a passable job deburring).
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Old September 9, 2012, 08:52 AM   #42
valleyforge.1777
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Try this:
http://bit.ly/Oy2MFE

It is a Dillon case trimmer die that goes on the progressive press.
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Old September 9, 2012, 08:38 PM   #43
Sport45
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i hate trimming brass, and i have around 3k pieces of brass to trim(.223/.30-06).
Easy. Don't trim all of them.

Just trim the cases you want to load today. The rest can wait until you want to load them.

Have you already sized all of the cases?
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Old September 9, 2012, 08:41 PM   #44
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do like at least one of the members here does...

.. send them to someone else and have them trim em for ya..

. does cost a bit.. but saves you the hassle.
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