Choice of case trimmers?

GaryO7 · August 13, 2011, 09:08 AM

What would be your choice of a manual case trimmer? I process very few cases these days....30-06 & .243

wncchester · August 13, 2011, 09:17 AM

" I process very few cases these days....30-06 & .243 "

You would do well with Lee's trimmer system. What my choice would be means nothing, my needs are much different than yours.

GWS · August 13, 2011, 10:39 AM

Depends on your budget.

I bought a Forester 40 years ago. It has always worked very well. When Lee started selling their little manual tools, I bought one in .223, and .308. They work okay as long as you want to trim one length.

My only complaint with the Lee has to do with their way of holding the case tight. They slip in my experience, and trying to tighten them where they won't just makes it hard to loosen without a wrench. I'm sure many of you younger guys have hands strong as a vise and if you like them great. My hands are 61 years old and worn out with building construction hand tools.

Anyway, I went back to the Forster and updated it with new 3-way cutters that also chamfer and deburr....and they do make a power tool adaptor. Extremely happy now.

Original Forster Trimmer $59

30 Caliber Carbide 3-way cutter $57

243 Carbide 3-way cutter$57

Total $170. The Lee is a lot cheaper, but otherwise no comparison. The price is reasonable for what you get.

Here's somebody's video of the setup using an optional power tool adapter.

BTW, You use the same stepped collet for .223, .30-06, or .243. I added a file holder to one of the collet wings to make tightening/loosening easier and faster.

243winxb · August 13, 2011, 10:46 AM

My Lyman universal case trimmer gets the job done, but the case mouth is not square after trimming. Seems to be a design fault. Have used the Lee as said above, but when trimming lots of 223 brass, had to lock the case in the shell holder using plyers. Plus the trimmed length is set, no adjustments.

TXGunNut · August 13, 2011, 08:23 PM

I don't trim many either, been using the Lee system for years and recently stepped up to the Zip Trim. Doesn't look like much but it really works, for my purposes anyway.

SurplusShooter · August 13, 2011, 08:39 PM

I like the lee system with the ball handeled cutter.

chiefr · August 13, 2011, 08:52 PM

+1 on Forster. I too have been using the same one for over 40 years.

farmerboy · August 13, 2011, 09:49 PM

I am green to the bones! (RCBS) all the way

farmerboy · August 13, 2011, 10:16 PM

really they all do the same, trim brass. any will do fine

603Country · August 13, 2011, 11:11 PM

I use the RCBS Trim Pro, which I've had for years. It does a good job and is fairly quick. I just added the 3 Way Cutter for all of my calibers and that has really sped things up - trims, deburrs, and does the inside chamfer all at the same time. I can run through the cases much faster now and have much better uniformity and a cleaner looking product. I should have bought that 3 Way thingie a long long time ago (or whenever it first came out).

Ideal Tool · August 13, 2011, 11:55 PM

I too like the Forester. I also have a Redding, and have tried others, but none can compare to the liquid-like smoothness of the Forester.

jmorris · August 14, 2011, 09:35 AM

When I don't have thousands to trim, I too use a Forester.

hooligan1 · August 14, 2011, 10:21 AM

Another Forster fan here!

Jerry45 · August 14, 2011, 11:05 AM

I started using the Lee system a few months ago. I chuck the shell holder up in a cordless drill. Works fine for me. I usually do 50 to 100 cases at a time. I did do 500 at one sitting a few weeks ago, For the price and ease of use I can’t see how it can be beaten.

243winxb, please don’t take this the wrong way, I’m just throwing out information. I’ve done a boat load of .223 and haven’t had a slipping problem. Now sometime I don’t get the case fully in the chuck (trying to work fast) and it WILL walk out.

If you want to adjust length you can use shim stock to make washers to go between the guide rod and cutter (where the guide rod is threaded into the cutter) if you want cases longer or you can take material off the pin end of the guide ride to make cases shorter. Taking material off the pin is a onetime no going back procedure though. But you can get a new pin and shell holder for $5.00.

I’m using mine as it came and have had no problem in either ARs or bolt guns.

F. Guffey · August 14, 2011, 11:20 AM

case forming/trim dies

F. Guffey

B78-22250 · August 14, 2011, 02:31 PM

LE Wilson trimmer with the Starrettte micrometer and Sinclair stand.
None better none more accurate. Easy to use many acessories.
More than some want to spend but well worth the money. JMHO.

FrankenMauser · August 14, 2011, 03:50 PM

I've used Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, Pacific, and Lee trimmers (if you know your company history, you know there's a redundant listing in there

).

After a lot of indecision, I bought the Hornady for personal use. It works. I like it. It's adjustable (unlike the Lee); and easily adjustable.

A minor note:
I use a 5/8" piece of marine-grade plywood as a base for my powder measure, balance beam scale, and my trimmer. The powder measure is permanently mounted. The scale comes and goes, as needed. And, the trimmer has T-nuts pressed into the wood, for mounting with thumbscrews. Although the Hornady trimmer is fairly easy to install and remove... Forster's design would make the process even better.

The Forster has the edge, when used in a situation where it is going to be installed and removed from a multi-purpose location. ...But its use is slower than the Hornady. ...These decisions just can't be easy, can they?

GWS · August 14, 2011, 08:36 PM

Quote:

The Forster has the edge, when used in a situation where it is going to be installed and removed from a multi-purpose location. ...But its use is slower than the Hornady. ...These decisions just can't be easy, can they?

That made me smile! Only because my Forster is anything but portable.....and way faster than the Hornady.

For that matter, I guess it isn't strickly manual anymore either. There are no absolutes are there!

FrankenMauser · August 15, 2011, 02:59 AM

Quote:

For that matter, I guess it isn't strickly manual anymore either. There are no absolutes are there!

Yep. And, yours is no longer a Forster. It's simply a "custom" case trimmer.

GWS · August 15, 2011, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Yep. And, yours is no longer a Forster. It's simply a "custom" case trimmer.

Forster may take issue with that....its their trimmer, their power adapter, and their 3-way trimmer....I just added some parts from Home Depot and mounted it so gravity and my feet could help.

Does Hornady have a 3-way cutter yet?

FrankenMauser · August 15, 2011, 04:01 PM

Nope, not yet.

Based on what I've seen, the RCBS 3-way cutter should work, though. I don't think my Forster neck reamer fits the Hornady trimmer, but my RCBS pilots and (pilot) reamers work just fine. (A reloader in my family always buys accessories, before the tool... and then changes his mind. He passes his "sloppy seconds" around to anyone that wants the parts. They come in handy quite often.

)

**Unclenick** · August 15, 2011, 06:04 PM

I think the C&H is a bargain.

jimbob86 · August 15, 2011, 06:11 PM

A Lee case length guage/trimmer, in combination with a second hand 3/8" drill is the cheapest set-up going, and is much faster than most, and way more convenient anything I've seen.

For doing "just a few cases", investing more than $20 is just silly.

dts686 · August 15, 2011, 06:54 PM

I haven't purchased it yet but I really like the Possum Hollow case trimmer. It's simple and after watching many videos on YouTube is seems the fasted way to trim brass. Just my 2 cents.

Here is a link to a video showing how fast trimming can be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42nDelSKf8

zippy13 · August 15, 2011, 06:56 PM

GWA,
Your Forster is a little different from mine (after 20+ years of being unattached, I recently screwed it to a small base). When my daughter was a preschooler, she often came up with, "It's exactly the same, only different…"

August 13, 2011, 09:08 AM	#1
GaryO7 Member Join Date: November 14, 2007 Location: Roseville, CA Posts: 37	Choice of case trimmers? What would be your choice of a manual case trimmer? I process very few cases these days....30-06 & .243

August 13, 2011, 10:39 AM	#3
GWS Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2010 Location: New Mexico Posts: 330	Depends on your budget. I bought a Forester 40 years ago. It has always worked very well. When Lee started selling their little manual tools, I bought one in .223, and .308. They work okay as long as you want to trim one length. My only complaint with the Lee has to do with their way of holding the case tight. They slip in my experience, and trying to tighten them where they won't just makes it hard to loosen without a wrench. I'm sure many of you younger guys have hands strong as a vise and if you like them great. My hands are 61 years old and worn out with building construction hand tools. Anyway, I went back to the Forster and updated it with new 3-way cutters that also chamfer and deburr....and they do make a power tool adaptor. Extremely happy now. Original Forster Trimmer $59 30 Caliber Carbide 3-way cutter $57 243 Carbide 3-way cutter$57 Total $170. The Lee is a lot cheaper, but otherwise no comparison. The price is reasonable for what you get. Here's somebody's video of the setup using an optional power tool adapter. BTW, You use the same stepped collet for .223, .30-06, or .243. I added a file holder to one of the collet wings to make tightening/loosening easier and faster. Last edited by GWS; August 13, 2011 at 10:50 AM.

August 13, 2011, 10:46 AM	#4
243winxb Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2011 Posts: 598	Case Trimmer My Lyman universal case trimmer gets the job done, but the case mouth is not square after trimming. Seems to be a design fault. Have used the Lee as said above, but when trimming lots of 223 brass, had to lock the case in the shell holder using plyers. Plus the trimmed length is set, no adjustments.

August 13, 2011, 08:23 PM	#5
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,797	I don't trim many either, been using the Lee system for years and recently stepped up to the Zip Trim. Doesn't look like much but it really works, for my purposes anyway. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.

August 13, 2011, 08:39 PM	#6
SurplusShooter Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Location: Upstate,New york Posts: 290	I like the lee system with the ball handeled cutter. __________________ "Those who hammer their guns into plows, will plow for those who do not." Thomas Jefferson Somethings are given, somethings are earned, and somethings are taken. It is important to know how these things were acquired, for our sake and the sake of others.

August 13, 2011, 09:17 AM	#2
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,700	" I process very few cases these days....30-06 & .243 " You would do well with Lee's trimmer system. What my choice would be means nothing, my needs are much different than yours.

August 13, 2011, 08:52 PM	#7
chiefr Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: AR Posts: 776	+1 on Forster. I too have been using the same one for over 40 years.

August 13, 2011, 09:49 PM	#8
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	I am green to the bones! (RCBS) all the way

August 13, 2011, 10:16 PM	#9
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	really they all do the same, trim brass. any will do fine

August 13, 2011, 11:11 PM	#10
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 1,705	I use the RCBS Trim Pro, which I've had for years. It does a good job and is fairly quick. I just added the 3 Way Cutter for all of my calibers and that has really sped things up - trims, deburrs, and does the inside chamfer all at the same time. I can run through the cases much faster now and have much better uniformity and a cleaner looking product. I should have bought that 3 Way thingie a long long time ago (or whenever it first came out).

August 13, 2011, 11:55 PM	#11
Ideal Tool Junior member Join Date: October 6, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,080	I too like the Forester. I also have a Redding, and have tried others, but none can compare to the liquid-like smoothness of the Forester.

August 14, 2011, 09:35 AM	#12
jmorris Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 1,342	When I don't have thousands to trim, I too use a Forester.

August 14, 2011, 10:21 AM	#13
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 2,837	Another Forster fan here! __________________ Thanks for coming!

August 14, 2011, 11:05 AM	#14
Jerry45 Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2000 Location: Metairie, Louisiana Posts: 705	I started using the Lee system a few months ago. I chuck the shell holder up in a cordless drill. Works fine for me. I usually do 50 to 100 cases at a time. I did do 500 at one sitting a few weeks ago, For the price and ease of use I can’t see how it can be beaten. 243winxb, please don’t take this the wrong way, I’m just throwing out information. I’ve done a boat load of .223 and haven’t had a slipping problem. Now sometime I don’t get the case fully in the chuck (trying to work fast) and it WILL walk out. If you want to adjust length you can use shim stock to make washers to go between the guide rod and cutter (where the guide rod is threaded into the cutter) if you want cases longer or you can take material off the pin end of the guide ride to make cases shorter. Taking material off the pin is a onetime no going back procedure though. But you can get a new pin and shell holder for $5.00. I’m using mine as it came and have had no problem in either ARs or bolt guns. __________________ Guns are not dangerous! People are! RKBA!

August 14, 2011, 11:20 AM	#15
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 1,596	case forming/trim dies F. Guffey

August 14, 2011, 02:31 PM	#16
B78-22250 Member Join Date: May 24, 2009 Location: Eden NC Posts: 55	case trimmer LE Wilson trimmer with the Starrettte micrometer and Sinclair stand. None better none more accurate. Easy to use many acessories. More than some want to spend but well worth the money. JMHO.

August 14, 2011, 03:50 PM	#17
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2008 Location: 1B ID Posts: 5,398	I've used Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, Pacific, and Lee trimmers (if you know your company history, you know there's a redundant listing in there ). After a lot of indecision, I bought the Hornady for personal use. It works. I like it. It's adjustable (unlike the Lee); and easily adjustable. A minor note: I use a 5/8" piece of marine-grade plywood as a base for my powder measure, balance beam scale, and my trimmer. The powder measure is permanently mounted. The scale comes and goes, as needed. And, the trimmer has T-nuts pressed into the wood, for mounting with thumbscrews. Although the Hornady trimmer is fairly easy to install and remove... Forster's design would make the process even better. The Forster has the edge, when used in a situation where it is going to be installed and removed from a multi-purpose location. ...But its use is slower than the Hornady. ...These decisions just can't be easy, can they? __________________ "Such is the strange way that man works -- first he virtually destroys a species and then does everything in his power to restore it."

August 15, 2011, 04:01 PM	#21
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2008 Location: 1B ID Posts: 5,398	Nope, not yet. Based on what I've seen, the RCBS 3-way cutter should work, though. I don't think my Forster neck reamer fits the Hornady trimmer, but my RCBS pilots and (pilot) reamers work just fine. (A reloader in my family always buys accessories, before the tool... and then changes his mind. He passes his "sloppy seconds" around to anyone that wants the parts. They come in handy quite often. ) __________________ "Such is the strange way that man works -- first he virtually destroys a species and then does everything in his power to restore it."

August 15, 2011, 06:04 PM	#22
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 9,153	I think the C&H is a bargain. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Patron Member

August 15, 2011, 06:11 PM	#23
jimbob86 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 5,257	A Lee case length guage/trimmer, in combination with a second hand 3/8" drill is the cheapest set-up going, and is much faster than most, and way more convenient anything I've seen. For doing "just a few cases", investing more than $20 is just silly. __________________ TheGolden Rule of Tool Use: "If you don't know what you are doing, DON'T." http://nefirearm.com/

August 15, 2011, 06:54 PM	#24
dts686 Member Join Date: March 26, 2010 Location: Northern California : ( Posts: 58	I haven't purchased it yet but I really like the Possum Hollow case trimmer. It's simple and after watching many videos on YouTube is seems the fasted way to trim brass. Just my 2 cents. Here is a link to a video showing how fast trimming can be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42nDelSKf8

August 15, 2011, 06:56 PM	#25
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,281	GWA, Your Forster is a little different from mine (after 20+ years of being unattached, I recently screwed it to a small base). When my daughter was a preschooler, she often came up with, "It's exactly the same, only different…"